Northeast Ohio's Stop The Hate Essay Contest To Name Winners

BEACHWOOD, OH — This year's winners of the Stop the Hate essay contest will be announced May 14 at 10 a.m. The Maltz Museum website will reveal which Northeast Ohio students and schools will be receiving $100,000 in scholarships and prizes.

Stop the Hate is a contest for students in grades 6-12. Participants write essays about standing up and speaking out against bias and bigotry. Each year, 3,000 students enter and 25 finalists are named. A grand prize winner, who receives a $40,000 college scholarship, will be announced on May 14.

“It’s highly competitive,” said Dahlia Fisher, the museum’s director of external relations. “All the essays are incredibly brave and compelling. We wish everyone could win!”

The Stop the Hate essay contest started 12 years ago. Since its inception, more than 30,000 students, from 12 Northeast Ohio counties, have taken part. As of 2020, $1.2 million has been awarded to students.

“About one-third of our visitors are school groups exploring Jewish history and heritage, often for the first time,” explained Fisher. “Some students may not have met a Jewish person before, while others may be curious about Jewish stereotypes they’ve heard. This is a safe space to ask questions, learn about another culture, and begin to understand that no matter what our cultural differences are, there are some shared experiences that we can all relate to.”

On May 14, on the museum's website, the contest will announce the 25 finalists for the grand prize in a group video. The grand prize winner will then be announced and visitors can read all of the finalists' essays.

The public is encouraged to share the essays with family and friends.

“When one person is lifted up, we all rise,” said Fisher. “We hope all of Northeast Ohio tunes in and shares the good these kids are doing in our community.”