Empowering Northeast Ohio Educators & Students

The Stop the Hate program invites Northeast Ohio 6th-12th graders to participate in two creative contests. Youth Speak Out is an essay and poetry writing contest open to all students. Youth Sing Out is a songwriting contest open exclusively to classrooms that take part in our free songwriting workshops.

We offer free workshops in both essay and poetry writing as well as songwriting for middle school, high school or homeschool groups of 15 students or more within Ashland, Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne counties.

Youth Speak Out: Essay & Poetry Writing Contest

Contest Information and Ways to Participate (Essay & Poetry): FREE workshops, writing prompts, contest awards, and more!

Student entry portal for poetry Entry deadline is Thursday, January 22, 2026
Student entry portal for essays Entry deadline is Thursday, January 15, 2026

Youth Sing Out: Songwriting Contest

Contest Information and Ways to Participate (Songwriting): FREE workshops, contest awards, educational grants, and more!

Five Reasons to Participate in Stop the Hate

The Stop the Hate program is more than an opportunity to win awards; it’s a chance to empower young people to face some of life’s toughest challenges with compassion and curiosity.

1. Equip students with the ability to recognize and respond to acts of hate, mistreatment and bullying through thoughtful storytelling and personal reflection.
2. Encourage empathy and understanding among students with personal storytelling that explores diverse perspectives and builds mutual respect.
3. Enhance creative expression and literacy skills while helping students develop their communication skills and confidence.
4. Provide meaningful opportunities for students to share their voices and stories through public recognition, performances, scholarships and awards.
5. Motivate students to become thoughtful, engaged members of their communities with tools to promote leadership, civic responsibility and positive action.