Essay Contests

The Tribute to the Rescuers 2011-2012 Essay Contest

The Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) Plain States Omaha office, through the Institute for Holocaust Education, and a generous grant from the Carl Frohm Foundation, uses the lens of the Holocaust to analyze moral behavior and educate students about contemporary issues. Our objective is for students to appreciate their connection to the Holocaust, communities and even conflicts a world away. Using the Holocaust as the historical backdrop, this essay requires that students: explore the chosen historical event including making a connection to the Holocaust if writing about another topic, demonstrate how the chosen individual/group took a stand against social injustice and exhibited moral courage, and most importantly, explain why this information is meaningful to the student.

This contest is open to all students across the United States in grades 9-12. Essays must be submitted by February 27, 2012.

Click here for more information about the Contest.

Previous Winning Essays:

• A Courageous Heart, Mikaela Kelly, Central High School
• Standing Firm and Entering In, Robert Phillips, Burke High School
• Liviu Lebrescu, Cassy Tischer, Skutt Catholic High School
• St. Maximilian Kolbe, Margaret Jacobs, Duchesne Academy
• Changing the Sight of Society, Ashley Bodfield, Burke High School
• Mother Teresa, Kelli Schroer, Marian High School
• Moral Courage Does Not Hide, Christine Thibodeau, Marian High School

2012 Moral Courage Essay Contest

The Moral Courage Essay Contest asks students to use the lens of the Holocaust to learn the meaning of moral courage. Students are asked to become knowledgeable about people who displayed moral courage when they risked their own lives to act on their values and beliefs to spare the lives of others. Once students understand the meaning of moral courage in the context of the Holocaust, they are challenged to look beyond the examples presented. Students then choose a person from an historical or contemporary period to research. They consider what motivated these people to stand up against injustice. The essay leads the writer to articulate the answer and to apply the learning to his/her life.

Click Here to enter the contest.