The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), Penguin Random House, and the Anne Frank Fonds, which is responsible for the publication of Anne Frank’s seminal work The Diary of a Young Girl, announced the Anne Frank Award for Teaching Memoir, giving English language arts educators from middle to postsecondary levels the opportunity to apply for funding to advance the teaching of memoir and support student writing in the classroom.

Through the new awards program, ten English teachers will receive a $1,000 grant to teach memoir across language arts education—especially texts focused on children’s voices and experiences during times of war, such as The Diary of a Young Girl.

Teachers spanning middle, secondary, and community college classroom settings are eligible to apply. The program will emphasize:

• The importance of reading entire texts and of student writing and creation in ELA contexts.
• The role of memoir in ELA contexts and, through collaborations, across disciplines.
• The value of nonfiction and its expansion in ELA settings.

Grant recipients will be selected by a panel comprising teachers appointed by NCTE and a representative from the Anne Frank Fonds and Penguin Random House Education.

Teachers can apply for a grant through August 1. Winners will be announced in September.