The Anne Frank Initiative (AFI) at the University of Iowa has developed hands-on ways for students to connect with the history of WWII and the Holocaust on campus.
The initiative gained momentum after a sapling that propagated from the chestnut tree that Frank could see from her window was planted on the University of Iowa campus in 2022.
“We decided that it would make sense to launch an initiative to connect the tree better with the university and the community and continue the type of work that we were doing bringing in the tree,” said German professor Kirsten Kumpf Baele, who established the group in 2023.
The AFI’s main goals are to spread Frank’s legacy as a writer, connect her story to contemporary global issues, and engage with students, staff and community members. Kumpf Baele said the program involves professors and students from across different disciplines throughout the university. She's seen firsthand the impact that learning this history has had on students.
“Some of our breakout sessions have shown young people that they have ideas; they have thoughts, they have things that they want to change, and they have an agency that maybe they don't think they have,” she said.
This week, the AFI is presenting a conversation with Irish artist Katie Holten about her book The Language of Trees: How Trees Make Our World Change Our Minds and Rewild our Lives. The event takes place Thursday, Oct. 1 at the Old Capitol Museum in Iowa City. Holten will also host a Tree Tour and Workshop on Friday, Oct. 2 at 11 a.m. outside the Dey House on the University of Iowa campus.
The AFI also regularly hosts field trips that bring Frank’s story to life for students across the state. Using a virtual reality program, students can be transported to the secret annex where Frank and seven others lived from 1942-1944.
The program takes visitors behind the hidden bookcase and up the stairs to the annex in a few clicks.
"We go into what's called story mode, and it will walk you through using a combination of storytelling and visual prompts. Usually, there's a blue hand or blue footprint that indicates what you're looking for, and when you click on those items, they activate additional stories. It's almost like a choose your own adventure story,” explained David Lippe, systems administrator at the University of Iowa College of Education.
In the actual Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, the annex is empty, but the VR simulation is furnished according to how it looked while the group was in hiding and offers a sense of isolation.
“We had a person that had gone over to the Anne Frank House and then did our VR presentation and said that although it was interesting to be at the actual Anne Frank House, it was so crowded and noisy and overwhelming that they actually preferred the VR experience,” said Lippe.
Though it's an animated program, it still offers a powerful visualization of the space.
“Being able to have this for a fraction of the cost of plane tickets, hotels and everything like a true field trip experience, I think that's pretty powerful in its own right,” said Kai Clemons, instructional services coordinator with the University of Iowa College of Education.
Kumpf Baele said that since establishing it three years ago, the Anne Frank Initiative has grown in size and expanded its reach across the University of Iowa campus and throughout Iowa City.
“What started off as a small sapling has grown into something larger. I think it's allowed us to think more about issues of human rights and have conversations about difficult topics that I think need to be discussed,” said Kumpf Baele.
To hear this conversation, listen to Talk of Iowa, hosted by Charity Nebbe. Caitlin Troutman produced this episode.
