Have Questions About the Contest?

If you cannot find the answer below to your question, please call (954) 262-7956 or email holocaustessay@nova.edu

two people viewing artwork

There is no specific question for students to answer. Students need to avoid simply retelling the facts and narrative of the Holocaust. They need to reflect on and evoke how this genocide and the Holocaust survivor testimony they selected can impact the student's own thinking and choices. Each student project should clearly expresses what they learned about themselves and modern society by studying the personal yet universal and timeless lessons of the Holocaust. For more guidance, please use the Student Checklist or the Teacher Checklist.

Each student must complete and submit our online application, including a successful upload of their project in one of the accepted file formats by the deadline. Students must open and submit their project on a computer, not on a smart phone or tablet. The application is not compatible with mobile devices.

Students need to enter their name, their teacher's name, the school's name, the county where the school is located, the “type” of school (private, public, charter), the student's email, their teacher's email, a statement about what they learned, and their project submitted in one of the acceptable file formats.

Yes. Each student may enter a maximum of one piece in each of the following three categories:

  • written expression: essay or poem
  • digital: video or automated presentation
  • visual: art piece

Students may not submit more than one piece in a single category.

Classmates and family members may contribute to students' projects, but each student is the sole author or artist of their contest entry. Each student's project should be their own original idea inspired by the Holocaust survivor testimony they selected. Each winning entry has only one winner. There is a place on the application for students to acknowledge those who contributed to their projects (e.g., as actors in a film).

Yes. Each student applicant is required to include the name of his/her teacher (as well as the teacher’s email address) on the contest application.

No, parents do not need to give permission to participate, BUT, winners will be required to have parent release forms allowing NSU to publish their names and winning projects.

Email holocaustessay@nova.edu. Please include your full name and a description of the problem, and we will get back to you. If you need immediate assistance during business hours (M–F 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.), you may call (954) 262-7956.

The winning students and their teachers will be notified via email.

No, but we strongly encourage teachers and principals of winning students to attend. Teachers are prize recipients, as well. It would be an honor for us to host all of the winning students and their teachers on our campus, as we recognize winners from across the state and reflect on the lessons of the Holocaust. Other educators and members of the community will be in attendance. Note: Due to COVID-19 precautions, we may change the in-person activities to a virtual award ceremony.