Creative self-expression becomes a pathway for students to envision a more welcoming world.
Using the written word as a tool for creative self-expression, educators and students can participate in several ways. Flexibility provides different levels of engagement that best fit a classroom’s needs.
Lake Erie Ink teachers will guide your students through the writing process from start to finish in this approximately 6-hour free program, from exploring the themes of Stop the Hate and reading mentor texts, to brainstorming and choosing a topic, through drafting and revising their essay or poem for the Stop the Hate contest. Students consider the importance of empathy, respect, and standing up for others, using creative writing to respond to these themes and to envision a more welcoming world.
Teachers can schedule six sessions over 2-3 weeks or schedule an in-school field trip/writing clinic.
The in-school field trip or writing clinic takes students out of their typical classrooms to develop their ideas within a dynamic and collaborative space. Students and teachers have responded enthusiastically to this pilot program over the last two years, and we are excited to expand this offering.
Clinics can be scheduled as two half days (for middle and high school) or one full day (for high school only). For the writing clinic, students are excused from regular classes and meet in a larger space with their teachers, and Lake Erie Ink provides multiple teaching artists to meet the needs of a larger group.
Each student produces a written essay or poem which can be entered into the Stop the Hate® Youth Speak Out contest, with an opportunity to be recognized and awarded educational scholarships.
Step 1: Complete the Maltz Museum’s Workshop Interest Form.
Step 2: Coordinate with a Lake Erie Ink staff member to schedule workshop sessions.
Step 3: Before the first workshop:
Step 4: Participate in workshop sessions, where students:
Step 5: Complete a brief program evaluation and student reflection activity.
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Students in grades 6-12 are invited to pen a personal narrative or poem responding to a provided prompt. The piece should highlight real-life experiences they have witnessed, experienced or learned about. Their work should share how they are inspiring positive change, taking action or encouraging others to do the same.
Submission Deadline: Thursday, January 14, 2027
| Essays | Poems |
|---|---|
Top 10 Awards: Grades 11 & 12
Top Awards: Grades 6–10
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High School
Middle School
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| Teacher of the Year
In addition to awarding classes and students, the Maltz Museum and Lake Erie Ink present a $1,000 cash prize to a Stop the Hate® Teacher of the Year honoring their commitment to excellence in education. |
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No, participation in the Youth Speak Out competition is open to Northeast Ohio students and schools, regardless of workshop participation. The workshops are a free resource to enrich student engagement and support learning throughout the program. Maltz Museum representatives are also available to visit your school, introduce the program and inspire students to get involved.
Yes, students may submit one essay and one poem per year. If selected as a finalist in both categories, the student is awarded the higher prize amount only.
Competition finalists are notified shortly after the submission deadline. Final placements and winners are announced at our in-person award ceremony held each Spring.
Submissions for the Stop the Hate® competition open on September 1 of each year.
Participation in an in-person tour at the Maltz Museum is vital to a successful workshop experience. This can be scheduled before, during or after the workshop. Plus, workshop participants are eligible to receive one free tour or session. Please contact our team at tours@mmjh.org or 216-593-0581 to learn more about in-person and virtual tour offerings.
Teachers must assign the Stop the Hate® Digital Lesson and complete an accompanied reflection activity before the beginning of their Stop the Hate® workshop.
Classes can choose to meet virtually due to distance or transportation limitations.
The minimum class size for participation is 15 students. Larger classes may be divided into groups with more than one teaching artist. Clinic-style scheduling between one-to-two days is also available.
All entries are scored by volunteer readers from across the country. Each entry is anonymous and is scored three times. The highest-scoring 11th- and 12th-grade entries receive a final scoring by a select group of writing experts.
We recommend signing up for a workshop as soon as possible to reserve your spot. Workshop bookings are based on availability. It’s critical to sign up early to reserve your spot. Both songwriting and writing workshops occur between September and December.
To start the workshop booking process, please complete this brief inquiry form.
Youth Speak Out aligns with:
Contact our Education team at education@mmjh.org, 216-593-0593, or complete the contact form.