NCTE, Penguin Random House, and the Anne Frank Fonds are partnering to provide the Anne Frank Award for Teaching Memoir. English language arts educators from middle to postsecondary levels have the opportunity to apply for funding to advance the teaching of memoir and support student writing in their classrooms.
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.
Award Emphasis
- 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.
Award Criteria
- Applicants must be current NCTE members.
- Applicants must nominate themselves; applications on behalf of another person will not be accepted.
- Applicants may live or work outside of the US or in a US territory.
- Applicants must be middle school, high school, or community college classroom teachers.
Uses of funding:
Funding may be used to purchase books for the classroom.
Funding may be used to create teaching experiences, including those that incorporate student writing and/or the use of media.
Funding may not be used as stipends or other forms of compensation.
Special emphasis:
Proposals that state how memoirs emphasizing children’s voices and experiences during times of war can affect student writing and creation in the classroom, that encourage cross-disciplinary learning, and that emphasize the value of nonfiction will be given preferential consideration.
Applications providing greater specificity on the use of funds and evidence of memoir’s effectiveness in English instruction will be best situated among what is anticipated to be a competitive applicant pool.
Application deadline: August 1, 2025, 11:59 p.m. ET
APPLY HERE
Contact NCTEAwards@ncte.org with any questions.
See the press release about this award here.
About Penguin Random House
Penguin Random House creates books for everyone. We believe books change us, connect us, and carry us toward a better future. As the world’s largest trade publisher, we reach readers in more than 175 countries with stories and ideas across the spectrum of viewpoints and experiences. Each year, we publish more than 14,000 new works spanning fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages and in all print, digital, and audio formats. Penguin Random House is a proud home to the world’s most influential voices, thinkers, and storytellers, including more than 80 Nobel Prize laureates, 140 US Pulitzer Prizes, 20 National Book Awards, and 24 UK Booker Award winners. As fierce champions for free expression and expanding access to books, we celebrate the right to read, think, and learn. Every day we strive to build a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable world. With businesses in more than 20 countries, Penguin Random House was formed in 2013 and has been solely owned by Bertelsmann since 2020. PRHEducation.com
About the Anne Frank Fonds
The Anne Frank Fonds was founded in 1963 by Otto Frank and designated as his universal heir. Otto Frank’s commitment was to an open society showing solidarity and without prejudice or marginalization. He particularly supported work relating to peace, young people, and dialogue, and advocated the strengthening of human rights as well as opposing any form of discrimination, racism, or anti-Semitism. The nonprofit organization works on a voluntary basis and donates income to charitable and educational projects. annefrank.ch/en