The Royal Canadian Legion is committed to helping Canadian youth understand and continue the tradition of Remembrance.

Teaching Guide

It is important that today’s children and teens have a fundamental understanding of how veterans defended Canada’s freedom and democracy. This Teaching Guide was developed by the Legion to assist primary and secondary school teachers in fostering the Tradition of Remembrance among Canada’s youth.

The guide includes:

• Notes on Canadian military history, the Legion, and important Canadian symbols
• Remembrance themes in stories, songs and poems, and suggestions for school Remembrance activities
• Information on our National Youth Remembrance Contests
• Information about the Poppy Campaign and how donations are used

National Youth Remembrance Contests

The Legion’s Annual Poster, Literary, and Video Contests

Are you an artist, wordsmith, or a filmmaker? Share your imagination and creativity with the world!

Enter a piece about Remembrance and what it means to you and your country for the chance to win local and national prizes.

Deadline: November 15th each year

All children and youth in BC and Yukon can enter the contests. Specific age categories for each contest are listed below:

• Poster Contest: Grades K-12
• Essay and Poetry Contest: Grades 4-12
• Video Contest: Grades 5-12

How to Enter: Literary and Poster Submissions

Check out the Youth Education Brochure (pdf) for more details on how to enter.

Create a work of art or literature about Remembrance. Your work can represent Remembrance in either broad or specific ways. Some specific ideas can include a family member who served, the poppy symbol, or a local war memorial.

Fill out the Literary and Poster Entry Form

Submit your piece and entry form in-person to the Legion Branch closest to you by November 15th.

How to Enter: Video Submissions

1. Create a video about Remembrance that is no longer than 3-4 minutes. Tap into your creativity to tell a story, or to show the world your personal thoughts and feelings about Remembrance. The video can be animated, live-action, a collage of images, or an interview— the sky’s the limit!
2. If you use music, it must be original, from Creative Commons, or created by the YouTube Audio Swap.
3. Upload the video to YouTube Studio (if you don’t have a YouTube account, you can create one for free).
4. Fill out the Video Entry Form – 2023.
5. Email your video link and entry form to info@legionbcyukon.ca by November 15th.

Prizes

Poster and Literary Prizes:

• Cash prizes (every year)
• A trip to Ottawa to represent Canadian youth at the National Remembrance Day Ceremony (some years)
• Submissions will be displayed in the House of Commons or the Canadian War Museum (some years)

Video Contest Prizes:

• Cash prizes

Want some inspiration? Check out winners from previous years here:

Please email any questions to info@legionbcyukon.ca. We are always happy to help!