Now more than ever, Anne Frank's message of compassion can make a difference, especially for young people.
Here are three ways the AFC is stepping up --
and how you can help.
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1. See what they see
Few would say that being a teen has ever been easy, and Anne Frank herself struggled with self-confidence, feeling misunderstood, and fear about how she was perceived -- issues quite familiar today, especially to teenage girls. Research shows that over the past decade, rates of youth anxiety, depression, and suicide have skyrocketed, in part inspired by excessive social media use. As real world connections are replaced by online, constructed, idealized images, our children's cognitive, social, and emotional development is compromised.
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The good news is there are ways to help youth build positive, healthy concepts of self, through team activities, volunteering, and personal expression such as art and journal-writing. These activities are central to many of the Anne Frank Center's educational programs, helping children understand themselves and how to work cooperatively with people around them. Workshops such as "From Bystander to Ally" help to combat bullying and further develop empathy and compassion, the hallmarks of civil society.
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2. Join our webinar
Thank you to those who have already registered! Designed for teachers and those leading a dramatic production of The Diary of Anne Frank, we open our 2019-20 webinar series, "Through Anne Frank's Eyes" on Wednesday, August 21st with "Teaching Her Diary & the Play." The hour-long interactive session gives participants the opportunity to connect with AFC educators as we (a) outline the political and cultural impacts of World War II in the Netherlands and (b) examine the real people behind the characters Anne describes while living in the Secret Annex. It's a terrific opportunity to deepen the connections in the classroom and on the stage.
Register now and share the link with friends!
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Mark your calendar and watch for more details on other sessions in our webinar series, "Through Anne Frank's Eyes":
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- Wed, Nov 20, 2019 (4-5pm EST)
Exhibitions and Community Engagement
- Wed, Feb 19, 2020 (4-5pm EST)
Understanding Propaganda and Media
- Wed, May 20, 2020 (4-5pm EST)
Writing and Self-Discovery
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3. Make it happen
Her words and wisdom have inspired millions, her diary opening doors to better understanding the past, the present, and our own future. But perhaps Anne Frank's most lasting legacy is captured with her quote: "How wonderful it is that one need not wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."
We can each start today, right where we are.
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- K-12 workshops
- Performances
- Traveling exhibits
- Peer guide training
- Teacher training
- Cast workshops
- Webinars
- Holocaust education
- 50-state advocacy
- Scholarships
- Chestnut saplings
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ABOVE: Anne Frank Center staff train students as peer guides for our "Let Me Be Myself" exhibit at Stockton University and area high schools near Atlantic City, New Jersey. Many thanks to the Anne Frank Fonds (Basel, Switzerland) for their support.
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Help us inspire every generation to build the more
compassionate world Anne Frank envisioned.
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Thank you for all that you do,
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Sharon R. Douglas
Chief Executive Officer
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