Maltz Museum held its 17th annual Stop the Hate Youth Speak Out and Youth Sing Out Contest awards ceremony last Thursday where students from sixth through 12th grades read their winning essays, poetry and performed songs that represented standing up against bias and bigotry, along with a commitment in creating a more accepting, inclusive society. The program was held at the Cuyahoga Community College Eastern Campus in the Simon and Rose Mandel Theatre, at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Humanities Center.
According to the Maltz Museum, this year, 4,419 students and more than 160 Northeast Ohio schools participated in the contest and workshops. Since the contest started 17 years ago, over 50,000 students in 15 counties across Northeast Ohio have participated, and $1.7 million has been awarded to students and schools.
For schools and teachers, they receive prizes and anti-bias grants for their efforts to help build up their communities through empathy, awareness and inspire positive change.
Nandita Srikumar, an 11th grader from Solon High School, was named the grand prize winner, where she received a four-year $20,000 scholarship and her school received a $5,000 Anti-Bias Education Grant.
“It truly means the world,” Nandita says about her win, “Most importantly, I think I have to say that I’m thankful for those who supported me, especially my parents, even my sister, and most importantly, my English teacher, Mrs. Maslo. Without her, I truly couldn’t have gone where I am today.”
She read her winning essay, which focused on support for dementia patients and their caregivers and her creation of Cognitive Connections, a nonprofit organization that hopes to spread awareness about brain health for all ages.
“I truly feel really blessed to be here on the stage today and not only share the story that I’ve experienced, but also give light to all of the dementia patients that are here in the United States today, and to just all the caregivers who are supporting them as well,” she says at the event.
She was inspired to spread awareness after volunteering at a hospital.
“It was just another normal volunteer day that day,” she says. “And then suddenly I heard, dementia patients just screaming and screaming for help over and over again. And I think that kind of just sparked, my action to really start some kind of movement and change. And when I knew that this was an opportunity to give light to all of those dementia patients, to all of those caregivers, I immediately jumped into it.”
“I plan to continue boosting Cognitive Connections, which is a brain health organization I founded recently,” Nandita says when asked about the next steps after winning the contest. “I’ve already impacted so many thousands individuals and I really just hope to continuing with that, not only helping seniors and older adults, but also really empowering the next generation.”
To learn more about the winners and read Nandita’s essay, visit https://www.maltzmuseum.org/stop-the-hate-announcement-2025/