Congratulations Grand Prize Winner
Gianna Miller receives a 4-year $20,000 scholarship and
Rocky River High School receives a $5,000 Anti-Bias Education Grant
Click the video to watch her winning essay
Watch the 15th Annual Stop the Hate Awards Ceremony
About Stop the Hate Youth Speak Out
The Stop the Hate® contest is an initiative of the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage that celebrates Northeast Ohio students committed to creating a more accepting, inclusive society by standing up and speaking out against bias and bigotry as they compete for the chance to win a prestigious award. Each year about 3,000 students enter, and with the help of 300 volunteer readers, 20 finalists are named. Since the contest started 15 years ago, over 50,000 students in 12 counties across Northeast Ohio have participated, and as of this year, $1.5 million has been awarded. Rooted in the Jewish value of respect for all humanity, the Maltz Museum is proud that it continues to give young people of all faiths and backgrounds a platform to speak out in support of inclusion and diversity. Congratulations to everyone who has shared their inspiring stories with us. If you are inspired by one or more of these students' stories please share them with your social networks.
Meet the Top 20 Finalists
Congratulations 11th & 12th Grade Runner-Up Winners
1st Runner Up receives a $10,000 scholarship, 2nd Runner Up receives a $5,000 scholarship
Each of their schools receives a $2000 Anti-Bias Education Grant
Click the video to watch each winning essay
Congratulations 11th & 12th Grade Honorable Mentions
Each receives a $1000 cash prize and their schools receive a $500 Anti-Bias Education Grant
Click the video to watch each winning essay
Congratulations 6th - 10th Grade Winners
1st place receives a $400 cash prize, 2nd place receives a $100 cash prize
Click their photo to read each winning essay
Schools and Teachers of the Year
STOP THE HATE SCHOOLS OF THE YEAR
Together with our partners Lake Erie Ink, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Roots of American Music we offered FREE songwriting and essay writing workshops to schools and educators. These anti-bias learning tools taught history, literacy, and the arts for middle school, high school, and homeschool groups. Every school that participated in a workshop was eligible to receive anti-bias education grant money from a pool of $30,000 that is split evenly.
Congratulations to Broadway Academy at Mount Pleasant ACCEL School, Charles F. Brush High School, Cleveland Metropolitan Remote High School, Collinwood High School, Design Lab Early College High School, East Technical High School, Facing History New Tech High School, Garfield Heights High School, Garfield Middle School, GlenOak High School, Harding Middle School, Hathaway Brown, Hudson Middle School, Kimpton Middle School, Langston Middle School, Maple Heights High School, Mary McLeod Bethune School, Massillon Junior High School, Max S. Hayes High School, Mayfield High School, Messiah Lutheran Elementary, Midview High School, Milkovich Middle School, Monticello Middle School, Mound STEM School, Newton D. Baker School of Arts, Orange High School, Positive Education Program Hopewell, Rhodes School of Environmental Studies, Shaw High School, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, and Twinsburg High School.
STOP THE HATE TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
In addition, with its partners the Maltz Museum named two Stop the Hate Teachers of the Year. Each received a $1,000 cash prize in recognition of their personal commitment to anti-bias education.
Congratulations to Anetra Howard of Milkovich Middle School and Laverne McLain of Max S. Hayes High School.
Hear the Winning Songs
About Stop the Hate Youth Sing Out
In partnership with Roots of American Music (ROAM) and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Maltz Museum celebrates the voices of young people standing up to bias and bigotry through the annual Stop the Hate® Youth Sing Out contest.
This year more than 1,000 students from 75 classrooms in 11 schools worked collaboratively within their classes to pen original songs as part of an arts-integrated learning initiative that asks students to share their thoughts on discrimination after taking an in-person or virtual “Stop the Hate” Maltz Museum tour and a virtual “Power of Music and Protest” Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tour. The annual program sharpens written and oral language skills while fostering a deeper understanding of historic human rights events. Students compete to win anti-bias education grants for their schools. Congratulations to all of the participants for using your voices for good!
Congratulations Youth Sing Out Winners
First Place schools receive a $3,500 Anti-Bias Education Grant, Runner-up schools receive a $2,000 Anti-Bias Education Grant
Click the audio player to hear each winning song
First Place High School
Mayfield High School,
“Where Does the Fault Lie?”
Written by Kari Beery’s 6th Period Class with Roots of American Music Teaching Artist Taylor Lamborn
Runner-up High School
Midview High School,
“Life is Full of Color”
Written by William Lawton’s 1st Period Class with Roots of American Music Teaching Artist Ray Flanagan
First Place Middle School
Milkovich Middle School,
“Harmony”
Written by Mary Matisak’s 5th Period, 3rd Quarter Class with Roots of American Music Teaching Artist Esther Fitz
Runner-up Middle School
Newton D. Baker School of Arts,
“Respect is a Two-Way Street”
Tamara Blair’s 7th Grade, 1st Period Class with Roots of American Music Teaching Artist Bethany Svoboda
SUPPORTERS & JUDGES
We are grateful for the commitment of the sponsors, educators, judges, volunteers, committee members, and Maltz Museum Board Members, without whom this program would not be possible.
MALTZ MUSEUM BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Grant Dinner, Chair
Milton Maltz, Chairman Emeritus
Tamar Maltz, President
Robert D. Gries, Vice-Chair
Reneé Chelm, Vice President
Keith Libman, Vice President
James Gomez, Treasurer
Joe Cimperman
Ronald B. Cohen
Mary Ann Corrigan-Davis
Jordan Goldberg
Lois Goodman
David Katz
Alan M. Krause
Kenneth B. Liffman
Darrell McNair
Larry Pollock
Albert B. Ratner
Irving Rosner
Phil Wasserstrom
Daniel Zelman
Adam Zelwin
The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr.,
Trustee Emeritus
Adele Silver, Honorary Trustee
EX OFFICIO
Rabbi Jonathan Cohen,
The Temple-Tifereth Israel
Jeff Kaplan,
Friends of the Maltz Museum
Barry Reis,
Jewish Federation of Cleveland
Erika Rudin-Luria,
Jewish Federation of Cleveland
David Schafer,
Maltz Museum
STOP THE HATE COMMITTEE
Darrell McNair, Chair
Scott Simon, Vice Chair
Tim Bowens
Lavora Gadison
Yolanda Hamilton
Laurie Kincer
Gregg Levine
Bobbie Lindenbaum
Enza Roth
Matt Sobel
Joan Szczepanik
VOLUNTEER READERS
We are grateful to the 296 volunteers who generously donated their time to blind-score this year’s Youth Speak Out essays and Youth Sing Out song lyrics.
See a full list of readers.
YOUTH SPEAK OUT JUDGES
Nina Domingue, Artistic Associate, Karamu House
Eduardo Kim, Partner, Thompson Hine LLP
Gregg Levine, Consultant, Ratliff & Taylor
Cecilia Render, Executive Director, Nordson, Corporation Foundation
Holly Trifiro, Chief Education Officer, Office of Mayor Justin M. Bibb
YOUTH SING OUT JUDGES
Joe Butler, Manager of Education, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Edward P. Gallagher, Director of Education,
The Beck Center for the Arts
Jeff Niesel, Music Editor, Cleveland Scene
Treva Offutt, Director of Education,
Playhouse Square
LAKE ERIE INK
Amy Rosenbluth, Executive Director
Cynthia Larsen, Education Director
Charisse Bailey, Program Director
Leslie Coleman, LEI Teaching Artist
Amy Hughes, LEI Teaching Artist
Charlie Mosbrook, LEI Teaching Artist
Jody Podl, LEI Teaching Artist
Od Perry-Richardson, LEI Teaching Artist
Scott Sanborn, LEI Teaching Artist
Raja Bell Freeman, LEI writing coach
Alexie Jackson, LEI writing coach
Sean Robinson, LEI writing coach
ROOTS OF AMERICAN MUSIC
Jason Meyers, Executive Director
Morgan Mecaskey, Artistic Director
Maria Asher, Development Director
Tam Sivertson, Project Manager
Taylor Lamborn, Teaching Artist
Ray Flanagan, Teaching Artist
Charlie Mosbrook, Teaching Artist
Jul Big Green, Teaching Artist
Esther Fitz, Teaching Artist
Bethany Joy, Teaching Artist
Sam Hooper, Teaching Artist
Josee McGee, Teaching Artist
Brian Straw, Recording Engineer
ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME
Joe Butler, Manager of Education Programs
Kathryn Clusman, Manager of Community and Family Programs
MEDIA PARTNERS
Cleveland.com
Cleveland Jewish News
Cool Cleveland
Ideastream
Northeast Ohio Parent
Your Teen Magazine
ADDITIONAL PARTNERS
Blue Robot
College Now Greater Cleveland
Steven Hacker Films
STOP THE HATE IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF:
Youth Sing Out & Speak Out Signature Sponsors
A stage for stories of struggle, courage, and creativity; a forum for difficult conversations about discrimination and intolerance; and a platform for youth to share their vision for a brighter future, The Maltz Museum brings history to life, issues to light, and people together.
The Maltz Museum is supported by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Jewish Federation of Cleveland, and Ohio Arts Council
© 2023 Maltz Museum