The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) announced its first annual White Rose Student Research Contest, open to 7th-12th grade students in the greater Westchester County NY area. The 2020-2021 contest theme is Propaganda. Participating students who compete in the project will submit essays based on research of primary source and secondary source materials and additional guidelines provided on the HHREC website.
This contest is named in memory of the White Rose, a resistance movement consisting of German university students. The project commemorates the efforts of the brave young people who gave their lives for what they believed in. HHREC is encouraging teachers to utilize this writing contest as a classroom exercise.This contest is sponsored by the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center and an Anonymous Donor.
“We are pleased at the response we have received thus far from area teachers and their students about this new program we have developed to further their knowledge of the Holocaust” said Julie Scallero, Co-Director of Education, Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center. “This project commemorates the efforts of these brave young people who gave their lives for what they believed in. May their memories inspire us to reflect upon our own responsibilities as citizens in a democratic nation.”
Student Competition Guidelines
Each participant is limited to one entry per year, and all projects will be evaluated on historical accuracy, development of content and theme, and original expression.
Entries are accepted in three age divisions – 7-8th grade, 9-10th grade and 11-12th grade.
Sponsoring teachers are limited to submitting no more than 10 papers per age division.
Winning entries for the HHREC White Rose Student Research Contest will be identified by a panel of Blue-Ribbon judges and honored at a (virtual) reception in May. The top prize winner in each age level will be awarded a cash prize, and the sponsoring teacher of each first prize winner will be awarded a voucher for use on professional development and/or Holocaust resources.
Teachers are required to email a list of participating students to the HHREC by March 8th, 2021. The deadline to submit entries is April 7th.
For more information and to apply for the competition, visit the HHREC website atwww.HHRECNY.org or contact Julie Scallero at jscallero@hhrecny.org or Robin Schamberg at rschamberg@hhrecny.org .
