The Holocaust Remembrance Scholarship little known to many students is a nationally available project for high school students which offers a chance to be awarded money to students who submit an essay for consideration. This holocaust scholarship is funded by the Holland and Knight Charitable Foundation which, in this particular instance, works to teach students about the holocaust and its place in human history. Beginning in 1995 the program has provided over a million dollars in scholarship funds to a selection participants. On top of offering a holocaust scholarship award the foundation also hosts a scholar’s week in which winners of the program are given an all expense paid trip to a location in the United States which explores the holocaust. This incredible opportunity is something most students should attempt to be involved in, not only to increase their own knowledge of holocaust events, but also to get a chance to win a scholarship award.
Holocaust Remembrance scholarships or Project are awarded to students based on what amounts to an essay contest built around concepts which change every year but always relate to the holocaust in one way or another. All winners of the Holocaust Remembrance Scholarship will not only be rewarded with an all expense paid trip to a location of the foundation’s choice but will also receive a $2,500 to $5,000 award which will applied to applicable education expenses such as tuition. Every year 10 awards are given out to first place winners. In order to be eligible for the program applicants must be under the age of 19 and currently be an enrolled high school student. Applicants in grades 9 to 12 are able to apply for the program and those students who are enrolled in a high school equivalency program such as GED training or a home school curriculum are eligible to apply as well.
Finally all applicants must be residents of the United States or its territories. As the topic of essay to be submitted changes every year students should watch the website for the Holocaust Remembrance project to check on current topics. In 2011 applicants are expected to submit an essay which considers what the importance of holocaust remembrance is and what people can do against prejudice in the world around them. These relatively heavy topics will need some sincere reflection before an essay can successfully be written, and all students should not only consider their work carefully but proofread their final versions several times before submitting the work. The deadline for this not well known scholarship is April 15, 2011.
Unlike many essay contests, the holocaust scholarship takes its submissions very seriously. While many programs require small one page essays, this holocaust scholarship has a much lengthier requirement setting its word count maximum at 1,200 or roughly four double spaced pages. Further all submitted works must have a works cited page which should tell any applicant that more than simple reflection will be required for this essay – a sincere research oriented approach is necessary. The judging process takes a fairly neutral approach to all works and considers multiple factors as clearly laid out in the program. Resource materials and evidence will be considered, the use of such work in the essay being considered first. The way applicants worked within the assigned theme and the expression of their ideals around that topic will be weighed as a factor. Finally applicants will be judged on the rough organization of the essay – how it was put together, the flow it follows and the thought which went into organizing the concepts it goes over. This holocaust scholarship considers its little known scholarships much the way the ACT or college application essays are considered, and applicants should be willing to put a good amount of time into the project.
Students who are interested in applying for the Holocaust scholarship should take the work very seriously and certainly not wait until the last minute to put their thoughts to paper. While it is rarely a good idea to wait until the last minute to do unknown scholarship work, in the case of the Holocaust Remembrance Scholarship this is especially true. With the amount of research and work which is expected to go into the essay, students would best serve themselves by starting as early as possible.
