2. Student Educational and Engagement Opportunities
  3. White Rose Student Research Contest

White Rose Student Research Contest

Appalachian State University’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies (CJHPS) is proud to host the White Rose Research Contest for students in grades 8–12. Inspired by the courage and resistance of the White Rose movement in Nazi Germany, the contest encourages students to explore historical themes through research, critical analysis, and personal reflection.

Contest Prompt

CJPHS will not be hosting the contest for the 2025-2026 academic year. Please check back for future contest prompts.

Contest Eligibility

  • CJHPS submissions are open to North Carolina students in grades 8–12.
  • Entries accepted in two categories:
    • Essay
    • Documentary
  • Students compete in two divisions:
    • Lower Division: Grades 8–9
    • Upper Division: Grades 10–12
  • Students may submit one entry per year in one category.
  • Students may participate multiple years; previous winners may enter again.
  • Teachers may submit up to ten essays and ten documentaries from their students.

Submission Criteria

All submissions must follow the research and citation guidelines below:

  • Use at least three of the provided contest documents from the prompt.
  • Use at least two additional research sources of your choosing.
  • Include a reference list page that cites all and only the sources used in your essay or documentary.
  • Bibliographies are not allowed. (A reference list includes only the works directly cited.)
  • Cite all information that is not common knowledge.
  • Use consistent MLA, APA, or Chicago (CMS) style throughout.

Contest Rules

General Rules

  • All information beyond common knowledge must be cited in MLA, APA, or CMS style. Purdue OWL is recommended for citation guidance.
  • Submissions must use at least three prompt provided documents and two additional research sources.
  • Entries must be submitted by the deadline to holocaust@appstate.edu. 
  • Entries will not be returned; CJHPS may publish selected submissions.
  • Judges’ decisions are final.
  • Teachers may guide but may not rewrite or heavily edit student work.
  • Plagiarism is prohibited.

Rules for Essays

  • Maximum length: 1,600 words (not including reference list)
    • At least 400 words must address the reflection component of the prompt.
  • The reference list must be the final page and include all cited sources (alphabetized).
  • Essays must be entirely original work.

Rules for Documentaries

  • Length: 7–10 minutes.
    • At least 2.5 minutes must be dedicated to reflection on the contest prompt.
  • The final segment of the documentary must include brief source credits (not full citations).
  • Full MLA, APA, or CMS citations must appear in the accompanying reference list.
  • Documentaries must be submitted as a YouTube link in mp4 format.
    • Finalists may be asked to provide the original mp4 file.
  • The documentary must be an original creation of the entrant(s).

Process Paper (Required for Documentaries)

Students submitting a documentary must also include a process paper.

  • Maximum length: 800 words (not including reference list)
  • The following four points must be addressed:
    • How did you choose your topic, and how does it relate to the prompt?
    • What is your historical argument (thesis)?
    • How did you conduct your research?
    • How did you create the documentary?
  • The reference list must be the final page and include all cited sources (alphabetized).
  • Process papers must be entirely original work.

Approved Research Resources

About The White Rose: Hans and Sophie Scholl

The White Rose was a student-led resistance group in Munich during Nazi Germany. Hans Scholl, his sister Sophie, and their friend Christoph Probst courageously distributed anti-Nazi leaflets and spoke out against the regime. In February 1943, after being caught distributing flyers at the Maximilian University of Munich, Hans and Sophie were arrested by the Gestapo and executed by guillotine just four days later.

Their legacy lives on as a powerful symbol of moral courage and moral resistance. A memorial site—the Geschwister-Scholl-Platz—stands today in front of the university’s political science building. The text of the White Rose’s final leaflet is embedded in the pavement there, honoring their bravery.

White Rose Student Research Contest

Photograph: Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, and Christoph Probst, 1943.

Questions?

For more information or questions regarding the contest, please reach out to:

Amy Hudnall
Department of History & Department of Interdisciplinary Studies
Phone: 828-262-6025
Email: hudnallac@appstate.edu