Stop the Hate Scholarship Contest Open for Submissions

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Students in Trumbull and Mahoning counties are among those invited to submit to the Maltz Museum’s 16th annual Stop the Hate Scholarship Contest.

The Stop the Hate program strives to open students’ eyes to injustice and discrimination, while encouraging them to make a positive impact through their deeds and words.

Throughout the years, more than 50,000 students in the 12 counties in northeastern Ohio have participated, and $1.5 million has been awarded in the form of scholarships, prizes and anti-bias education grants.

This year, $100,000 will be awarded.

The contest is open to students in sixth through 12th grade from public, private or home schools in the region. Students are asked to submit a personal essay of 500 words or less detailing bias they have witnessed or experienced and sharing what they have done or will do in response.

Each year about 8,000 students participate in the Stop the Hate program through workshops and tours, while about 3,000 students enter the contest. With the help of 400 volunteer readers, the contest names 26 finalists and two Stop the Hate teachers of the year.

Rooted in the Jewish value of respect for all humanity, the Maltz Museum gives young people of all faiths and backgrounds a platform to speak out about the importance of inclusion and diversity.

School groups are invited to tour the museum in person, if possible, or virtually if distance is a barrier. Assistance is offered to cover transportation for schools, with 50% or more of its students participating in the National School Lunch Program.

During the 60-minute tours, students can hear first-hand accounts and talk with a Holocaust survivor or experience high-tech artificial intelligence in the form of the interactive memories of Stanly Bernath, a Holocaust survivor, or Dr. Otis Moss Jr., a civil rights leader.

Opening Oct. 25, the museum has added a special exhibit – The Girl in the Diary: Searching for Rywka from the Lodz Ghetto.

Classrooms unable to travel to the museum can schedule a virtual meeting with a Holocaust survivor.

In addition to the student scholarship opportunities and museum visits, classrooms can participate in a free workshop through the Roots of American Music and then pen an original song, which will be judged by music experts selected in partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Lake Erie Ink will hold an essay writing workshop, and students involved will be able to pen poems, as well as essays, for consideration in the competition.

Schools participating in the programs can apply for one of three Stop the Hate Anti-Bias Community Grants of $5,000 each.
Deadlines for the contests are in February. More details can be found HERE.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.