the elie wiesel prize in ethics essay contest

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Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest

Website: Elie Wiesel Foundation

Description

2022 Essay Topic:

Articulate with clarity an ethical issue that you have encountered and analyze what it has taught you about ethics and yourself. Note that the most engaging essays often reflect deeply on a particularly meaningful experience or episode in one’s life. That approach could focus ethical reflection on:

• A personal issue, family matter, travel incident, academic inquiry, dilemma in literature or film, recent article or editorial in a major newspaper, current conflict in American life, or international crisis
• Write about any specific topic you wish, provided it explores an ethical problem, question, issue, or concern.

Eligibility

Read the full guidelines at http://www.ethicsprize.org .

Registered undergraduate full-time Juniors or Seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the US during fall term or spring term are eligible to apply.

• Permanent Resident
• International or Other Visa Status
• Undocumented

Submit your essay online at https://center.uoregon.edu/EWF/2022/CMS_CFP_Login::pageIndex?formid=2687831 . 

Essays will be judged on:

• The quality of the writing
• The clarity of the ethical problem or issue
• The depth of the essay’s ethical analysis – including, for example, reflections on matters of right and wrong, justice and injustice, and the implications of those reflections for society

Contact Information

The Elie Wiesel Foundation For Humanity

555 Madison Avenue, Ste 1301 | New York, NY 10022

T: 212.490.7788 | F: 212.490.6006

www.eliewieselfoundation.org  

Award Details

Number of Awards: 5

Award Amount: $10,000 1st place, $5,000 2nd place, $3,000 3rd place, $1,000 Honorable Mention (2 available)

• December: Deadline

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Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest

Deadline: mid-january         .

The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest is an annual competition designed to challenge college students to analyze the urgent ethical issues confronting them in today’s complex world. Students are encouraged to write thought-provoking personal essays that raise questions, single out issues, and present rational arguments for ethical action. For more information visit www.eliewieselfoundation.org .

• Notify us at [email protected] of your intent to apply.
• Submit your application directly to the Elie Wiesel Foundation.

NOTE: if you would like to receive feedback on your application, you must send your materials to the Office of Prestigious Awards and Fellowships ( [email protected] ) at least two weeks prior to the application deadline.

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The elie wiesel foundation for humanity announces 2023 winners of prize in ethics essay contest.

Five college students from universities across the country will be awarded scholarships totaling $20,000 for their exceptional essays on topical ethical issues. 

NEW YORK , Sept. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, an organization founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion, announced this year's winners of the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest.  The Foundation's yearly scholarship initiative selected five college student winners for their remarkable essays analyzing relevant ethical issues facing our world.

The Prize in Ethics Essay Contest, established in 1989 by Professor Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion Wiesel , is an annual competition that challenges college students to contemplate an ethical theme or situation. Many essays often stem from a student's personal experience or introspection. Winners will be granted scholarships in varying amounts, totaling $20,000 .

"Challenging young people to articulate their thoughts via open-ended questions is the antidote we need to today's ideology-driven soundbites," said Elisha Wiesel , the son of Elie Wiesel and the Foundation's Chairman. "My father's passion for moral education echoes through this Contest and we're proud to amplify these students' voices through their exemplary work."

Chosen by a selection committee among hundreds of applicants, this year's winners include:

First Place Winner:  Danielle Ranucci , Princeton University Her essay, "Suffering in Their Place," studies the intensity between indifference, caring, empathy, and genuine regard for those who are mistreated and persecuted, and the effectiveness of compassion in the battle against oppression.  She reflects on her birth family in Kazakhstan , the socio-economic climate of the country, and the circumstances that come from being adopted.

She writes, "My conversation with my adoptive-parents added another dimension to my ethical questioning: why should they be obligated to imagine the strangers who suffer around the world as some kind of family they never knew?

The obvious answer was that we should always identify with each other's suffering because we were all human. But that seemed too simple to me. There must have been a more nuanced explanation."

Second Place Winner:  Cutter Canada , Trinity University His essay, "Doing the Most Good: A Story About Hope.", recounts his journey to veganism while considering his grandmother's words of wisdom, ancestral culture, and their relationship with food.

Third Place Winner:  Drew Cain , Trinity University His submission, "The Secret Lives of Private School Students: The Ethics of Secrecy, Truth-Telling, and Whistleblowing within Social Media,"  grapples with the themes of honesty, deceit, and silence set against personal events he experienced in his junior year of high school.

Honorable Mentions:  Nikkisha Joseph , of LaGuardia College Her essay "A Conveniently Used Word," reflects on when "doing the right thing" isn't always the easiest choice to make.

Faith Seawell-Campbell , of Coppin State University Her piece "Hidden in Plain Sight Human Trafficking: A Threat to Humanity and Vulnerable Populations Worldwide," focuses on this form of modern-day slavery and exploitation of humankind.

The Foundation was very honored to welcome back this year MSNBC host Rachel Maddow as a guest juror to review the final round of essay submissions.  Ms. Maddow is a former Prize in Ethics winner herself from her undergraduate days at Stanford University , receiving honors for her essay, "Indentifiable Lives: AIDS and the Response to Dehumanization."

In addition to their scholarships, winners are also awarded a trip to New York City for a seminar to discuss their essays among other ethical topics.  This year's seminar will be led by Professor Wiesel's former student and Contest Readers Committee member, Rabbi Avraham (Alan) Rosen . The day will end with a celebration of their achievement at the renowned Lotos Club.

Jury member, EWF Board Member, and long-time supporter of the Prize, Dov Seidman , founder of The HOW Institute for Society and LRN, will host the students for an annual luncheon.

"I'm proud to partner with Marion and Elisha Wiesel and the entire Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity in awarding the Prize in Ethics. This remarkable group of student winners, who are already making a difference in the world by writing essays that prod the conscience and consider issues through an ethical lens, embody the hope that a new generation of moral leaders will rise to meet the challenges before us," said Seidman.

Additionally, the Foundation has opened its submissions for the 2024 Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest, accepting applications through December 29, 2023 . New for this cycle, the contest will be open to all undergraduate students enrolled full-time for the Fall 2023 semester at accredited four-year colleges and universities.  Interested students may apply at the following link: 2024 Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest

About The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest  The Elie Wiesel Foundation Prize in Ethics Essay Contest encourages students to write thought-provoking personal essays that raise questions, single out issues, and offer rational arguments for ethical action. The contest is open to all undergraduate full-time students who are registered at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States . All submissions to the essay contest are judged anonymously. Winning essays present intensely personal stories, originality, imagination, and clear articulation and convey genuine grappling with an ethical dilemma. For suggested essay topics and more information, visit: https://eliewieselfoundation.org/prize-in-ethics/ 

About The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity:  Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion, established The Elie Wiesel Foundation soon after he was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize for Peace. Now spearheaded by Marion and Elie's son Elisha Wiesel , the Foundation seeks to carry on Elie Wiesel's legacy and spark ethical consciousness of human rights by investing in programs that promote moral leadership and real-world outcomes for victims of injustice. To learn more, visit: www.eliewieselfoundation.org

Media Contact Olivia Crvaric [email protected]

View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-elie-wiesel-foundation-for-humanity-announces-2023-winners-of-prize-in-ethics-essay-contest-301939378.html

SOURCE The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity

Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics

The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest challenges college students to analyze the urgent ethical issues confronting them in today’s complex world. Students are encouraged to write thought-provoking personal essays that raise questions, single out issues and are rational arguments for ethical action.

Students will submit a 3,000- to 4,000-word essay.  The general topic asks students to "articulate with clarity an ethical issue that you have encountered and analyze what it has taught you about ethics and yourself," although any topic that explores the theme of ethics is acceptable.

The essay should be developed from the personal point of view of the student and may take the form of an analysis that is biographical, historical, literary, philosophical, psychological, sociological, or theological.

Prizes range from $500 to $5,000.

Application Process

To be eligible for this award, applicants must be registered undergraduate full-time juniors or seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States. Students entering the contest are required to have a Faculty Sponsor (the ONSA director will suffice) review and electronically verify their essay.  Application requirements are listed in detail on the foundation's website.

• General Academic Funding

Eligible applicants

• Third-year Undergrads
• Fourth-year+ Undergrads

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• US Permanent Resident
• DACA/Dreamer
• International Student (non-US citizen)

ASU Nomination required

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Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest

Ellie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest is an essay writing competition that rewards students with well-crafted ideas on the topic of discussion.

The scholarship offers a first prize reward of $10,000, a second prize of $5,000, a third prize of $3,000, and two honorable rewards of $1,000 each.

The scholarship is offered by the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity. It was founded in 1986 by Elie Wiesel and his wife Marion.

Scholarship Summary

Eligibility requirements.

• Eligible Grade: College Junior – College Senior
• Maximum Age: Any
• Required GPA : Any
• Geographic Eligibility: United States
• Gender: Any
• Race/Ethnicity: Any

Key Information of Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest

Study details, area of study, country of study, specific schools, application requirements.

Here’s what you need to submit besides your application.

Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest Timeline

Application Date open

Application opens usually in September.

December 29

Submission Deadline

The submission deadline is usually in December.

How to ace the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest

Show clear articulation and an ethical dilemma

Make sure your writing is spot on with great appealing diction. It will be great to hold the attention of the judges from start to finish when reading your essay.

Adhere to guidelines and carefully proofread essays

Every scholarship has its guideline, ensure to adhere strictly to it and carefully proofread for errors. You may want to invite an external eye to help you go through it.

Observe rules for Standard English usage in writing

Use an active voice while writing all through. Adverbs and exclamation marks should be avoided to an extent too. Don’t write in sentence fragments and remember a paragraph needs at least three sentences.

Show originality and imagination

Brainstorm and develop thought-out ideas that will help you stand out. These will make your writing unique in every sense. You may want to consult books on creative writing to help you develop such skills.

How the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest is Judged

Essays will be judged on the quality of the writing, the clarity of the ethical problem or issue, the depth of the essay’s ethical analysis; and this includes, for example, reflections on matters of right and wrong, justice and injustice, and the implications of those reflections for society.

Why We Love the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest

Creative and meaningful

The essay contest explores ethical problems, questions, and issues in society and also seeks applicants’ opinions and inputs in tackling such. It brings out the artistic and creative skills in writing.

The scholarship has an honorary mention award

The scholarship offers a recognition reward of $1,000 to two students that may not end up among the top three positions.

All can compete

The competition is free and open to all undergraduate students across the US regardless of race, ethnicity, color, gender, and religion. Studying Abroad students can also apply if they meet all requirements.

5 Facts About Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest

Challenges global ethical issues

The Ellie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest is an annual competition that challenges college students in the United States to submit essays on the urgent ethical issues that confront us in today's complex world.

Commitment to creating equality

The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity has a mission to combat indifference, intolerance, and injustice through international dialogues and youth-focused programs that promote acceptance, understanding, and equality.

Contest has a total of five awards

The essay contest is open to full-time junior & senior undergraduates in an accredited United States four-year college/university. Five prizes are awarded to five winners

Tackles Social Issues

Since 1988, the foundation has held conferences in Jordan, Japan, Italy, Norway, Russia, Israel, and the U.S through its Nobel laureates initiative to bring together Nobel laureates from all disciplines and world leaders to discuss social problems and develop suggestions for change.

Honors humanitarians fighting injustice

The Elie Wiesel Foundation for humanity through its humanitarian award recognizes outstanding individuals, who dedicate their time to fighting indifference, intolerance, and injustice, and whose accomplishments are consistent with the goals of the foundation.

Additional Scholarships

Global citizen scholarship.

The annual Global Citizen Scholarships for international and DACA students enrolled at MPOWER-supported colleges and universities awards $10,000 as the grand prize.

Accenture Native American Scholarship Fund

The Accenture Native American Scholarship Fund offers five awards ranging up to $30,000 to undergraduate Native American and Alaska Native students.

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Welcome to The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest 2023 Submission Site.

The submission deadline has been extended to January 31, 2023, by 5:00pm PST. No late entries will be accepted.

For more information on this award, please visit the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics website at https://eliewieselfoundation.org/prize-in-ethics/.

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For assistance with this system, please contact Technical Support at [email protected] . For winning essay examples, read An Ethical Compass , published by Yale University Press.

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The Prize in Ethics Essay Contest, established in 1989 by Professor Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion Wiesel, is an annual competition that challenges college students to address the urgent and complex ethical issues that confront the modern world. Since its inception, thousands of young people have written essays for consideration.

Led by a lifelong pursuit and passion for ethical leadership, Dov Seidman became the exclusive partner of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity Prize in Ethics in 2008, as the institution was in its 20th year of celebrating ethical decision making among America’s youth. Dov has since partnered with the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity to ensure Elie Wiesel’s legacy lives on by offering the Prize as part of the work of The HOW Institute for Society, a non-profit organization that seeks to build and nurture a culture of moral leadership , principled decision-making and values-based behavior.

“It is a privilege to partner with the Foundation on its Prize so that together we can help shape a generation of young ethical leaders with the ability to consider the ethical dimensions of our world and the courage to act on their convictions.”

About the Prize in Ethics

The Prize in Ethics Essay Contest encourages students to write thought provoking personal essays that raise questions, single out issues and are rational arguments for ethical action. Undergraduate students in their junior or senior year of studies are invited to submit essays 3,000-4,000 words in length. A distinguished committee reviews the essays, and a jury headed by Marion Wiesel chooses the winners.

Winning essays present intensely personal stories, originality, imagination, and clear articulation and genuine grappling with an ethical dilemma.

To learn more about the Elie Wiesel Foundation and the Prize in Ethics please click here .

Prize in Ethics, Click here to read the 2022 winning essays

An Ethical Compass

A collection of winning Ethics Prize Essays from the first 20+ years of the Prize  

Available on Amazon

Alexandra Rone Lang ’21 wins The Elie Wiesel Foundation Prize in Ethics Essay Contest

Posted By: Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences March 5, 2021

Alexandra Rone Lang ’21, a Northwestern University philosophy major, won first prize in the 2020 Prize in Ethics Essay Contest presented by The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, LRN Corporation and LRN Founder and Chairman Dov Seidman.

Lang’s winning essay is titled:  ‘Any Fraction of Infinity’: Aging, Illness, and the Right to Continue.   The essay explores the ethical and moral complexities and self-reflection that occur at the end of life through Lang’s experience providing support to an elderly patient in hospice.

“By writing a page of Emelia’s story, I hope to provide some shadow of the longevity she longed for, and a tribute to the strength and dignity of a woman who, irrespective of age and prognosis, had the courage to express her unapologetic renunciation of the eventuality of death,” says Lang.

The Prize in Ethics Essay Contest, established in 1989 by Professor Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion Wiesel, is an annual competition that challenges college students to address the urgent and complex ethical issues that confront the modern world. Since its inception, thousands of young people have written essays for consideration. After Professor Wiesel’s death in 2016, The Elie Wiesel Foundation and LRN, a global ethics and compliance education and technology company, have continued the Prize in honor of Professor Wiesel’s legacy and memory. – The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity website

Related: LRN discusses Land’s essay

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Continuing a Life’s Work

Elie Wiesel was many things: journalist, student, teacher, writer, activist, and committed man of faith.

DISRUPTING UYGHUR GENOCIDE

Join the conference.

With partners Uyghur World Congress and Uyghur Human Rights Project, we’re hosting an interfaith conference committed to ending Uyghur erasure. Survivors, experts, religious leaders and other activists will tell the Uyghurs’ censored story, call on governments to enforce pro-Uyghur policy, and pressure the businesses who profit from forced Uyghur labor.

AN ENDURING LEGACY

Elie wiesel was a singular figure in a world torn by conflict..

Surviving and writing about the Holocaust gave Elie a platform to drive moral action on the world stage. He inspired millions of people of all faiths and nationalities who shared his hope for the future.

Elie Wiesel and his beloved wife, Marion, combated indifference through The Elie Wiesel Foundation programs that aimed to spark ethical thought in young minds such as the annual Prize in Ethics Essay Contest. They combated intolerance through conferences and forums that brought together world leaders in conflict. Elie and Marion combated injustice before it could take root by championing the creation of the Beit Tzipora centers for Ethiopian Jewish refugees shortly after the original airlifts to Israel.

His voice persists in the countless texts and lectures he leaves behind – but it is up to us to transform his ideas into action and inspire a new generation. You can help shape the moral landscape by joining in our calls to action and carrying on Elie Wiesel’s voice.

When the Chinese government attempted to use the Beijing Winter Olympics to Sportswash its atrocities, the Elie Wiesel Foundation stepped up and worked hard to turn the world's attention back to the victims of those atrocities. By engaging directly with Uyghur, Tibetan and Chinese human rights groups, standing beside them and amplifying their message, Elisha and the EWF team gave voice to the voiceless and upheld the promise of 'Never Again.' Josh Rogin, Washington Post columnist and author of the book, "Chaos Under Heaven"

Today I am a teacher for the 1st grade students. Beit Tzipora is a very special place. For me, it is my second home. The children here are unique, they have a special heart, and my mission at Beit Tzipora is to give them as much as possible. Maya Elias, Beit Tzipora Graduate & Teacher

Continue the Legacy of Elie Wiesel

Elie as a student.

Elie as a Teacher

Elie as an Activist

Elie as a Writer

Elie as a Journalist

Elie as a Man of Faith

ETHICS & RESPONSIBILITY

Safeguarding the destiny of future generations.

Elie Wiesel was 15 years old when he and his family were deported by the Nazis to Auschwitz. His mother and younger sister perished; his two older sisters survived. Elie and his father were later transported to Buchenwald, where his father died shortly before the camp was liberated in April 1945. 

Elie and Marion Wiesel created the Foundation to combat the indifference, intolerance and injustice he experienced first-hand. 

Today the Foundation sparks ethical consciousness of human rights by making Elie’s teachings accessible via online archives and by investing in programs that promote moral leadership and real-world outcomes for victims of injustice.

GET INVOLVED

How can i help shape the world.

Do you feel inspired by Elie Wiesel’s life’s work? Help us advance our mission.

A BETTER WORLD IS POSSIBLE

Elie wiesel left his mark on the world not just through his words and actions, but by inspiring millions to witness, learn, teach, share, protest and reflect..

The Elie Wiesel Foundation believes we can continue that work by studying his texts, giving support to those with bold ideas, and refusing to bow to the cynicism, frustration and ignorance that threaten our civilization.

We are grateful to you for joining us in that vision.

Winning the Prize proved to me and gave me confidence that I could think critically, that I could add to a conversation. That was a lot of confidence for someone who was a waitress who wanted to change the world. Laura Pogliano, 1991 Prize in Ethics Winner

The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest is part of [Elie’s] commitment to engage new generations of young people and encourage them to grapple with some of the most consequential questions of times. Hillary Clinton, former US Secretary of State

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Yale student wins first prize in ethics essay contest.

Yale junior Sarah Stillman was the first–place winner of the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics 2005 Essay Contest.

Winning the $5,000 prize for her essay about sweatshop workers is the most recent achievement of a young woman who had a book for teenage girls published at the age of 15 and who made a documentary film about the Barbie doll culture as a high school senior. The Elie Wiesel prize is also the second national honor Stillman received this year. In February USA Today named her to the elite 20–member All–USA College Academic Team .

While Stillman maintains a 3.95 average as she pursues simultaneous bachelorÕs and masterÕs degrees in anthropology at Yale, she also writes articles on globalization and feminism—among other topics—for a variety of publications and composes prize–winning poetry. She is the founder and editor–in–chief of Manifesta: The Yale Feminist Journal.

An ardent champion of human rights, Stillman, who grew up in Washington D.C., presided over the Georgetown Day School chapter of Amnesty International and has traveled extensively doing research on the plight of women workers, particularly in Asia and Latin America.

As a freshman at Yale, Stillman co–founded a tutoring program for prisoners at a maximum security prison in Connecticut and she continues to teach creative writing there.

She has started building a national network of student–run prison outreach programs, a project she will continue working on throughout her senior year at Yale.

In her prize–winning essay, “Made by Us: Young Women, Sweatshops and the Ethics of Globalization,– Stillman offers a personal account of her exposure to the exploitation of female workers, from a Chinese toy factory, where the average worker is 14 years old, to a sweatshop in Honduras, where girls earn 55 cents an hour working 12–hour shifts, six days a week, and are often obliged to put in unpaid overtime. Despite the gloomy statistics, though, Stillman expresses the conviction that public awareness of such inequities is the first step toward eradicating them.

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The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity Announces 2023 Winners of Prize in Ethics Essay Contest

Five college students from universities across the country will be awarded scholarships totaling $20,000 for their exceptional essays on topical ethical issues. 

NEW YORK , Sept. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, an organization founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion, announced this year's winners of the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest.  The Foundation's yearly scholarship initiative selected five college student winners for their remarkable essays analyzing relevant ethical issues facing our world.

The Prize in Ethics Essay Contest, established in 1989 by Professor Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion Wiesel , is an annual competition that challenges college students to contemplate an ethical theme or situation. Many essays often stem from a student's personal experience or introspection. Winners will be granted scholarships in varying amounts, totaling $20,000 .

"Challenging young people to articulate their thoughts via open-ended questions is the antidote we need to today's ideology-driven soundbites," said Elisha Wiesel , the son of Elie Wiesel and the Foundation's Chairman. "My father's passion for moral education echoes through this Contest and we're proud to amplify these students' voices through their exemplary work."

Chosen by a selection committee among hundreds of applicants, this year's winners include:

First Place Winner:  Danielle Ranucci , Princeton University Her essay, "Suffering in Their Place," studies the intensity between indifference, caring, empathy, and genuine regard for those who are mistreated and persecuted, and the effectiveness of compassion in the battle against oppression.  She reflects on her birth family in Kazakhstan , the socio-economic climate of the country, and the circumstances that come from being adopted. 

She writes, "My conversation with my adoptive-parents added another dimension to my ethical questioning: why should they be obligated to imagine the strangers who suffer around the world as some kind of family they never knew?

The obvious answer was that we should always identify with each other's suffering because we were all human. But that seemed too simple to me. There must have been a more nuanced explanation."

Second Place Winner:  Cutter Canada , Trinity University His essay, "Doing the Most Good: A Story About Hope.", recounts his journey to veganism while considering his grandmother's words of wisdom, ancestral culture, and their relationship with food. 

Third Place Winner:  Drew Cain , Trinity University His submission, "The Secret Lives of Private School Students: The Ethics of Secrecy, Truth-Telling, and Whistleblowing within Social Media,"  grapples with the themes of honesty, deceit, and silence set against personal events he experienced in his junior year of high school.

Honorable Mentions:  Nikkisha Joseph , of LaGuardia College Her essay "A Conveniently Used Word," reflects on when "doing the right thing" isn't always the easiest choice to make. 

Faith Seawell-Campbell , of Coppin State University Her piece "Hidden in Plain Sight Human Trafficking: A Threat to Humanity and Vulnerable Populations Worldwide," focuses on this form of modern-day slavery and exploitation of humankind. 

The Foundation was very honored to welcome back this year MSNBC host Rachel Maddow as a guest juror to review the final round of essay submissions.  Ms. Maddow is a former Prize in Ethics winner herself from her undergraduate days at Stanford University , receiving honors for her essay, "Indentifiable Lives: AIDS and the Response to Dehumanization." 

In addition to their scholarships, winners are also awarded a trip to New York City for a seminar to discuss their essays among other ethical topics.  This year's seminar will be led by Professor Wiesel's former student and Contest Readers Committee member, Rabbi Avraham (Alan) Rosen . The day will end with a celebration of their achievement at the renowned Lotos Club.

Jury member, EWF Board Member, and long-time supporter of the Prize, Dov Seidman , founder of The HOW Institute for Society and LRN, will host the students for an annual luncheon. 

"I'm proud to partner with Marion and Elisha Wiesel and the entire Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity in awarding the Prize in Ethics. This remarkable group of student winners, who are already making a difference in the world by writing essays that prod the conscience and consider issues through an ethical lens, embody the hope that a new generation of moral leaders will rise to meet the challenges before us," said Seidman.

Additionally, the Foundation has opened its submissions for the 2024 Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest, accepting applications through December 29, 2023 . New for this cycle, the contest will be open to all undergraduate students enrolled full-time for the Fall 2023 semester at accredited four-year colleges and universities.  Interested students may apply at the following link: 2024 Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest

About The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest  The Elie Wiesel Foundation Prize in Ethics Essay Contest encourages students to write thought-provoking personal essays that raise questions, single out issues, and offer rational arguments for ethical action. The contest is open to all undergraduate full-time students who are registered at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States . All submissions to the essay contest are judged anonymously. Winning essays present intensely personal stories, originality, imagination, and clear articulation and convey genuine grappling with an ethical dilemma. For suggested essay topics and more information, visit: https://eliewieselfoundation.org/prize-in-ethics/ 

About The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity:  Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion, established The Elie Wiesel Foundation soon after he was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize for Peace. Now spearheaded by Marion and Elie's son Elisha Wiesel , the Foundation seeks to carry on Elie Wiesel's legacy and spark ethical consciousness of human rights by investing in programs that promote moral leadership and real-world outcomes for victims of injustice. To learn more, visit: www.eliewieselfoundation.org   

Media Contact Olivia Crvaric [email protected] 

SOURCE The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity

Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics - Essay Contest

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Encourages college juniors and seniors to consider ethical issues in today’s world. The Elie Wiesel Foundation, spurred on by the atrocities of the Holocaust, was founded to combat injustice and to promote peace and equality. 

• Registered undergraduate full-time juniors or seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the US and Canada. 

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Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest

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Elie Wiesel Foundation's Prize in Ethics

We're excited to share more information on the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity's 2022 Prize in Ethics Essay Contest. Our Foundation challenges college level juniors and seniors to submit their work analyzing the urgent ethical issues confronting them in today's complex world.

This is a great opportunity for students who many have already written an original essay considering an ethical dilemma. We give five scholarships:

1st Place: $10,000

2nd Place: $5,000

3rd Place: $3,000

Two (2) Honorable Mentions: $1,000

Also, all winners will convene in NYC for our annual Prize in Ethics Seminar and Celebration (conditions permitting.)

The submission deadline has been extended and is now February 25, 2022 at 5:00 PM PST.

To enter, for full guidelines, and for more information about our Foundation, please visit: www.eliewieselfoundation.org