Over 1.5 million children died during the Holocaust.  Anne Frank was one of them.  Her story is a poignant reminder of the repercussions when ideas of intolerance, hate, and racial superiority are permitted to exist and society fails to protect its citizens.  Teaching students to reflect on their own role within our society through journaling and exploring the artistic process, is central to our educational programming at the Anne Frank Center USA.  Our in-school residency program, The Art of Self Discovery, offers a variety of units using art to teach literacy, history, and personal empowerment.  The following 10-week programs serve 3 classes in your school:

Diary Writing Program builds literacy skills as students discover common ground in framing a personal written response to Anne Frank’s diary. With the expert guidance of professional writers, students are introduced to the creative process through the art of writing and encouraged to reflect upon each other’s unique individual point of view.  Like Anne, students share their writing with their community by inviting an audience to a staged reading and/or a visual display.

Drama Program explores character-building following Anne Frank’s example.  Layering human traits, students build a complex and unique character with imagination, senses, emotions and memories. Each week students write and perform their character Their final improvisational monologues highlight the joy of performance, the power of self-knowledge and the appreciation of differences between all people.

Self-Portrait Program brings teaching artists into classrooms where students create self portraits through drawing and painting.   Using extended observation and visual note-taking strategies students examine self portraits by both historic and contemporary artists.  As a culminating project students exhibit self portraits illustrating individualized perceptions of personal identity.

Graphic Story Writing Program is an exploration of self-portraiture and narrative art inspired by Anne Frank’s Diary and a variety of graphic novels.  Students learn gesture drawing, how to draw perspective, body language, story telling, writing with pictures and how to make storyboards.  The program culminates with a published student anthology on the subject of personal identity, cultural/ethnic diversity, and the conflict between prejudice and tolerance which is shared with the community.

Journal Making Program warm-up includes sketching artifacts from Anne Frank’s diary and is followed by the challenge of a step-by-step process to create their own book with a personally designed cover.  Students are taught the art of drawing, water color and how to use a brush.  They compare, present, and discuss the variety of talents, dreams and interests and explore using color, shape, words and texture to impact mood.

Digital Photography Program combines journal entries and photo images to encourage self expression through the basic technology of computers, online websites and digital cameras.  Students are introduced to Anne Frank’s Diary, the photos of Otto Frank and famous photo journalists. Students gain self confidence as they master technological skills and share final work in a non-judgmental environment.

Clay Sculpting Program introduces students to the vocabulary and hands-on learning of ancient and modern clay techniques. Students respond to Anne Frank’s narrative by creating images from her world— objects both functional and sculptural.  Learning outcomes include a kinesthetic interpretation of the daily activities as a source of courage for those in hiding during a horrific time in our world’s history.

Leadership Program for young women is designed to reach out to and inspire students with Anne Frank’s personal arc of self discovery as she developed a world view and set life-long goals during her two years in hiding. Students create a visual representation of female strength through an art form such as sculpture, incorporating their own role models.  

Conflict Resolution Program uses Anne Frank’s world to connect student learning with local and global issues and encourages students to become actively involved in the world around them.  Projects are developed based on student/teacher recommendation and can address issues such as natural disasters, school violence, human rights, and religious tension.


For more information on education programs at the Anne Frank Center USA please contact Maureen McNeil at 212.431.7993, extension 302 or email   mmcneil(at)annefrank.com


> Pictures from the Opening


Anne Frank Center USA is an NYC DOE Vendor: ANN 022