Awards & Scholarships

The Gerda Haas Award for Excellence in Human Rights Education and Leadership

Every year our Board nominates the Gerda Haas Award recipients. Gerda Haas, founding mother of the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine, has inspired many with her passion for human rights education. A Holocaust survivor originally from Germany, Gerda learned that students weren’t being taught about the Holocaust in Maine schools. Gerda not only identified a critical educational void, she took action to rectify it. The Holocaust and Human Rights Center welcomes the opportunity to recognize and honor an individual who, like Gerda Haas, has demonstrated excellence and initiative in human rights education and leadership.

2025 Gerda Haas Award Winner

The HHRC is delighted to announce the 2025 recipient of the Gerda Haas Award for Excellence in Human Rights Education and Leadership is Maulian Bryant. Maulian is Executive Director of the Wabanaki Alliance, where she has worked since its founding in 2020. She is an outspoken advocate on the issue of derogatory mascots and imagery. Her advocacy resulted in the state of Maine enacting laws that changed the annual Columbus Day in October to Indigenous Peoples Day and prohibited public schools from using derogatory mascots. Her other passion is finding ways to strengthen and expand programs that help to preserve and teach the customs and traditions of the Penobscot people. She is a loving mother to three daughters and centers them in much of her work making the state and country a safer and more equitable place for her children and all tribal people. She believes in leading with love and making progress by finding shared humanity. We hope you will attend our 40th Anniversary Gala on September 16th when Maulian will be our Keynote Speaker.

Past Gerda Haas Award Recipients

Corey Hinton, 2023

Mary Bonauto, 2022

Student Awards & Scholarships

2025 Student Award Winners

We are delighted to share that this year's Spiegel Scholarship has been awarded to Kelly Malcolm. Following the scholarship committee's thoughtful review and selection, Tam had the pleasure of notifying Kelly of the good news. A recent graduate of Ellsworth High School, Kelly will be attending Maine Maritime Academy this fall, where she plans to major in International Business and Logistics. Kelly will join us for the 40th Anniversary Gala on September 16th to read an excerpt from her essay and share why she feels passionately about Holocaust education.

We’re also proud to announce the recipient of the Schlossberger Award is Braydan Benton. Braydan is a rising freshman at Poland Regional High School and submitted his award-winning entry, a compelling one-person performance on the Americans with Disabilities Act, while attending Bruce M. Whittier Middle School.

The mission of the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine is to promote universal respect for human rights through outreach and education. Using the lessons of the Holocaust and other events, past and present, we encourage individuals and communities to reflect and act upon their moral responsibilities to confront prejudice, intolerance and discrimination. The work to achieve our vision is fueled by the talents and passions of many people committed to spreading knowledge, teaching students, creating community, celebrating survivors, and opening up opportunities for all people. As we think about how to celebrate our 40th Anniversary, we will rely on the incredible stories of our founders. We’ll showcase major achievements of each decade, profile people who brought talent, energy and commitment to its growth, hold gatherings for conversation, and host a gala to celebrate.

The Awards & Scholarship Program sponsored by the HHRC. This is an integral piece of our education offerings and a meaningful way to honor the mission and vision of those who created the HHRC 39 years ago. The awards ask students to think deeply about their personal experiences relating to the Holocaust and human rights, encouraging self reflection and a creative response based on students’ learning, personal experiences, and thoughts. Below are descriptions of the awards with links to the applications. Please help us spread the word about this important tradition.

The Lawrence Alan Spiegel Remembrance Scholarship
The Spiegel Scholarship ($1,000) is awarded annually to the high school senior who authors the prize-winning, original essay on the prompt: “Learning about the Holocaust affected my view of the world and it is important for others to learn about it too.” Criteria: originality of voice and viewpoint, structure, command of language and mechanics. The photo is of Brooke Chase, the 2023 Spiegel Award Recipient. Apply here.

The Mathilde Schlossberger Outstanding Student of the Year Award
The Schlossberger Award recognizes an exceptional piece of original writing, fiction or non-fiction, or an unusually expressive piece of visual or performance art relating to human rights. The award was created by Florence and Kurt Strauss of Portland in memory of Kurt’s maternal grandmother, who was murdered at Theresienstadt. Apply here.

Read the essays by past Spiegel Scholarship winners

HHRC Awards and Scholarships