Empowering Students to Build Empathy and Overcome Hate Through the Power of Story

Across the United States, hate is on the rise: hate groups are increasing and hate crimes are up by over 10% (source).

But hate does not need to be our new normal. There are more similarities amongst us all than differences. We all want love, security, kindness, and a middle ground of community. As USC Shoah Foundation founder Steven Spielberg has said, “the middle ground happens to just be about one thing: creating conversation, talking about the things we share in common, not just the things that divide us.”

Students now have the power to teach others about empathy through the Stronger Than Hate Challenge. The Stronger Than Hate Challenge builds upon a USC Shoah Foundation and Discovery Education no-cost and standards-aligned educational program, Teaching with Testimony, which empowers students to create a better future by listening to and learning from the powerful testimony of survivors and witnesses of genocide.

The Stronger Than Hate Challenge asks students 13+ in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada to submit an artistic project, either alone or in groups, that demonstrates the power of storytelling to connect communities and overcome hate.

Challenge submissions are open through June 2, 2020. Winners are eligible to receive up to $10,000 in prizes, including a trip to USC Shoah Foundation’s Global Headquarters in Los Angeles, California to learn directly from expert storytellers.

Learn more about the Stronger Than Hate Challenge teachingwithtestimony.com/challenge and empower teens to lead the way in overcoming hate in all forms by discovering the diverse array of virtual learning resources at teachingwithtestimony.com.