Walnut Middle School to Host Internationally Acclaimed "Anne Frank: A History for Today" Exhibit

Walnut Middle School will host the world-renowned traveling exhibition, "Anne Frank: A History for Today," this October. 

Developed by the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and sponsored by the Anne Frank Center USA, the exhibition brings the poignant story of Anne Frank to life, drawing connections between her experiences during the Holocaust and contemporary issues of human rights, discrimination, and tolerance.  Now, that unique and powerful experience will be on display for students and the community at Walnut. 

The exhibit will be on display at the Walnut Middle School Media Center from October 14th - 27th. 

An immersive educational opportunity, Walnut Middle School students are being trained as peer docents to lead guided tours of the exhibit. These student docents will curate the experience for all visitors, taking on the responsibility of telling Anne’s story, explaining historical contexts, and facilitating dialogue among their peers and community members. 
 

"The chance for our own students to take the lead in presenting this experience to their classmates and other students from around the area will create a unique learning opportunity that should definitely stick for all of them.” Tyler Madison, Walnut Social Studies Teacher, said. “We’re more than excited to share this with our community."

The interactive exhibit will be integrated into the district’s curriculum, ensuring that every student at Walnut Middle School experiences the display. Additionally, 8th-grade students from Barr Middle School and Westridge Middle School will visit Walnut to participate in student-guided tours, as well as Grand Island Senior High students enrolled in German language classes. 

While this won’t be the only stop in Nebraska for the traveling Anne Frank exhibit, the two week stay at Walnut promises to be the only one at a Middle School which speaks volumes of the student experiences and reputation at Walnut. 

To broaden community engagement and dialogue, Walnut Middle School will also open its doors to the general public for two designated exhibition days. 
 

"It is a great honor to be able to host this experience here at Walnut.” Selena Lukasiewicz, Walnut Principal, said. “It is equally as exciting that our own students will be trained as the docents for this special learning opportunity ."

Public Viewing Details:

• Location: Walnut Middle School, 1600 N Custer Ave, Grand Island, NE 68803
• Public Exhibition Days: Thursday, October 22 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. & Saturday, October 24 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
• Admission: Free and open to the public
   

Media inquiries may be sent to Mitchell Roush, GIPS Communications Director at mroush@gips.org or 308.385.5900. 
 

About the Anne Frank Center USA

The Anne Frank Center USA preserves the memory of Anne Frank and uses her diary and story to educate young people and communities about the dangers of intolerance, antisemitism, and discrimination. Their mission:  Empowering young people to become courageous changemakers by fostering empathy, understanding and action against intolerance. 

#WeAreGIPS 

(photo credit:  Anne Frank photo courtesy of Wikipedia by way of AnneFrank.org)