The Kemper Human Rights Education Foundation (KHREF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, seeks to motivate students to search for the rules and enforcement mechanisms that will ensure everyone’s human rights are realized. Hence it sponsors human rights essay contests for high school students in the U.S. and other countries.
Scholarship Details
- Prizes of $5000, $2,500, and $1,250
- Separate contests for U.S. and international high school students
- Essay Question for Students in the US: Many claim climate change poses a threat to human rights. Do you agree? Provide a clear explanation of the reason proposals to deal with the issue are beneficial or harmful.
- Essay Question for Students in other countries: How are leaders in your country and/or other countries undermining or promoting human rights? Refer to specific policies and actions to support your view.
- Essays due by December 10th (Human Rights Day)
Eligibility Criteria
- Open to high school students in the U.S. and international high school students
- Essay must address the provided question and be supported by research
- Essay must be written in English and be 2500 words or less (excluding footnotes and bibliography)
- Essay submission must include a signed cover page with specified details
Application Process
- Write an essay answering the provided question on freedom of speech and hate speech
- Ensure your essay is 2500 words or less and written in English
- Submit your essay as a Microsoft Word document via email or postal mail
- Include a signed cover page with all required information, including statements from both the author and a teacher
Richard Kemper, a lieutenant in the United States army, was killed in France during World War II. Subsequently, his parents, Adolph and Helen Kemper, purchased land by the high school he attended and dedicated it to all those who fought and died defending human rights.
