About

Each school may submit up to three entries, one per student, and middle school (grades 6–8) and high school (9–12) compete separately in art, film, poetry, and prose. Every entry draws on a full-length testimony from an approved source, cites a timecode, and is the student’s own work; AI-generated work is not permitted. Digital entries are due February 3, 2027. Judges score on a four-point rubric, choose five finalists per category, and then name first and second place.

The 2026 contest drew entries from more than 200 schools in 32 states and six countries, and 16 students won, with $400 for first place and $200 for second. Because a school can send only three students, being chosen by the school is the first selection and placing among the winners is the second. The testimony requirement makes the work as much an exercise in listening and historical accuracy as in creative skill.

The Holocaust Art & Writing Contest is the right competition for a student who wants to respond creatively to a survivor’s own words and is willing to be chosen by a school to do so.