Stop the Hate Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Maltz Museum
Introduction
The Stop the Hate initiative invites students in grades 6–12 across Northeast Ohio to take part in two creative contests that address bullying, prejudice, and community building. Youth Speak Out accepts essays and poems from individual students, while Youth Sing Out is a songwriting contest reserved for classrooms that participate in our complimentary songwriting workshops.
Who can participate and workshop availability
- Eligible participants: 6th–12th graders (including homeschool students) who live or attend school in the counties listed below.
- Free workshops: We provide no-cost sessions in essay writing, poetry, and songwriting for middle school, high school, or homeschool groups of 15 or more students. These are available in Ashland, Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, and Wayne counties.
Youth Speak Out — Essay & Poetry Writing Contest
- What’s offered: free writing workshops, suggested prompts, awards, and other support materials.
- How to enter: Submit through the student entry portal.
- Poetry submission deadline: Thursday, January 22, 2026
- Essay submission deadline: Thursday, January 15, 2026
Youth Sing Out — Songwriting Contest
- What’s offered: free songwriting workshops (required for entry), contest awards, and educational grant opportunities for participating classrooms.
- Eligibility: Only classrooms that attend the free songwriting workshops may enter the Youth Sing Out contest.
Five reasons to get involved
1. Teach students how to identify and respond to acts of hate, bullying, and discrimination through reflective writing and storytelling.
2. Foster empathy by encouraging personal narratives that highlight diverse perspectives and strengthen mutual understanding.
3. Build creative and literacy skills while boosting students’ confidence and communication abilities.
4. Create public platforms for young people to be heard through recognition, performances, scholarships, and awards.
5. Inspire youth to be active, responsible community members with tools for leadership and positive civic engagement.
For details about signing up for workshops or submitting entries, visit the program’s student entry portal or contact the Stop the Hate organizers.