Contact B'nai B'rith

1120 20th Street NW, Suite 300N Washington, D.C. 20036

info@bnaibrith.org

202-857-6600

Contest Will Reward Stories About Diversity and Inclusion with National Publication and College Scholarships
 

To push back against stereotyping, intolerance, racism and bullying — some of the more challenging issues children face today — high school students across the region are being encouraged to write and illustrate books that highlight diversity and inclusion.
 
B’nai B’rith International is pleased to announce a call for submissions for the Diverse Minds Writing Challenge, its signature tolerance education program that asks high school students to write and illustrate a children’s book that teaches acceptance. Winning books are published and the top winners earn college scholarships.
 
The contest, which is offered through the generous support of Atlantic City Electric, is available to students in southern New Jersey. B’nai B’rith is proud to work in partnership with Atlantic City Electric, a company that has long been committed to inclusion and diversity.
 
In the last 11 years, B’nai B’rith has published 37 original children’s books, awarded more than $300,000 in college scholarships and grants, and donated more than 42,000 books to public schools, libraries and community organizations across the country.
 
The winning student, or team of students, earn the prestige of becoming a published author and also secure a $5,000 college scholarship. The professionally published winning books are donated to local elementary schools and libraries and will also be accessible in an e-book format on iTunes as a free download.
 
Students are eligible to participate if they are enrolled in grades nine through 12 in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem county public schools; or enrolled in private, charter or independent schools within those counties. The deadline for contest submissions is March 16, 2018.
 
The second-place winner earns a $2,000 college scholarship, and the third-place winner receives $1,000 in financial aid for college. The teacher who oversees the winning entry secures a $1,000 grant, and the school of the first-place winning student receives a $500 grant.
 
A diverse panel of judges from the worlds of education, the arts, business and government, along with B’nai B’rith International leaders, will review the entries and select the winners. Previous judging panel members have included Raymond Yannuzzi, president of Camden County College; Frank X. Balles, sheriff of Atlantic County; Albert B. Kelly, mayor for the City of Bridgeton; and Fola Adebi, executive director of the Wow! Science Camp. 
 
B’nai B’rith created this education and awareness program to promote tolerance and communicate a message of equality among all races, ages, abilities and genders, and it is our hope that this educational initiative will encourage our future leaders to be more accepting of one another’s differences. 
 
For more information and detailed contest rules, please visit the Diverse Minds Writing Challenge site here.