Beginning the week of Jan. 18, B’nai B’rith International kicks off its fourth-annual Diverse Minds Youth Writing Challenge, which charges teens with writing and illustrating children’s books that explain diversity to elementary school-aged children. The launch of the program has been set to coincide with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, honoring his life of work toward equality.
In addition to programs in New York and Los Angeles, which have hosted the competition in previous years, San Antonio and Memphis will be holding their inaugural contests.
In each of the cities, the first-place winner will receive a $5,000 college scholarship and will have his or her book professionally published and distributed to schools and libraries. Winners will be announced at awards ceremonies this spring.
This education and awareness initiative was created in conjunction with B’nai B’rith programs that promote tolerance and communicate a message of equality. The contest aims to enlighten, inspire, and educate America's young people and their families in an effort to destroy prejudices and strengthen the future of our youth.
The contest is made possible by funding from corporate donors in each city that share with B’nai B’rith a strong commitment to diversity, and we are proud to work in coordination with such a dynamic local partner.
Additional program information, including the deadlines for submissions for each of the cities, can be found at www.bnaibrith.org/diverseminds.
