Improving the World, One Story at a Time

The Anne Frank Project uses the power of stories as vehicles for community building, conflict management, and identity exploration. Inspired by the wisdom of Anne Frank, AFP surfaces, develops, and shares stories stifled by oppression.

LEARN

The Anne Frank Project utilizes story-based programming to provide powerful learning experiences for students, educators, businesses, and community organizations.

  • A story-based learning module for teachers with the Anne Frank Project

    Story Based Learning

    FOR TEACHERS

    Using stories as the curricular platform for all classroom instruction regardless of discipline, SBL provides an experiential template for teachers to attend to the academic and socio-emotional needs of their students.

  • Sophia Veffer speaking at an event with The Anne Frank Project

    Sophia's Legacy

    FOR TEACHERS

    Weaving the story of Holocaust survivor Sophia Veffer, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Rwanda’s National Peace Values Curriculum to help teachers to bring difficult truths into the classroom.

  • Rwandans with a delegation from The Anne Frank Project

    Study in Rwanda

    FOR STUDENTS

    University students travel to Rwanda with the Anne Frank Project annually, where they train local teachers and are immersed in Rwanda’s culture, history and the causes, impact, and responses to the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

  • A student watching a play produced by the Anne Frank Project students

    Resources

    FOR EVERYONE

    Visit our library to learn more about story-based learning, arts-based and social justice education, books, research, videos as well as global trends and influences that can positively impact our collective work.

ENGAGE

The Anne Frank Project invites you to engage with our work.

  • Students performing a play with the Anne Frank Project

    For Students

    SUNY BUFFALO STATE UNIVERSITY

    Current Buffalo State students from all majors engage with AFP in their course work, Rwanda study away program, campus workshops, professional internships, student orientations and volunteering at our social justice festivals.

  • A group of teachers training in story-based learning with the Anne Frank Project

    For Teachers

    K-12 AND HIGHER ED

    Educators engage in professional development opportunities throughout the calendar year in Story-Based Learning and Holocaust, Genocide and Conflict Education. Original plays tour local schools each spring.

  • A student speaking during a social justice festival with the Anne Frank Project

    For the Community

    OPEN TO ALL

    AFP maintains strong connections with local, national, and international communities. Social justice festivals are free and open to the public. Off-campus workshops, residencies and programs serve the unique needs of our partner organizations.

ATTEND

The Anne Frank Project hosts story-based events.

  • Students at the Social Justice Festival by the Anne Frank Project

    The Social Justice Festival

    OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

    This two-day festival is an academic ritual at Buffalo State, reflective of our commitment to social justice, diversity, and experiential education. The festival is woven into student coursework and responds to each year’s theme with an emphasis on active engagement.

  • High school students taking part in MyStory Social Justice Day with Anne Frank Project

    MyStory Social Justice Day

    LOCALLY INVITED HIGH SCHOOLS

    Our high school social justice festival focuses on the authentic needs of today’s youth and their schools. Delivered in one full day at Buffalo State, the festival provides unique processing experiences for students as they prepare for college and their lives.

  • Students participating in an event with the Anne Frank Project

    Student Events

    SUNY BUFFALO STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

    AFP was created for students by students at Buffalo State—they are literally the heartbeat of the project. Student-focused events are offered regularly throughout the academic year to provide a platform for processing and sharing their unique stories.

Testimonials

  • "My Mind is Still Blown."

    I can’t say thank you enough for your visit to our campus. My mind is still blown. There was so much truth to your workshop! You really brought the humanity out in all of us. There were people in that room who would never have spoken to me had we not formed our village. It is clear that we have a long way to go, but this workshop is reassuring about the path we can take to get there!

    REUBEN FALOUGHI
    Counseling Psychology Doctoral Student
    University of Missouri-Columbia

  • "Captured Hearts and Imaginations"

    Drew was able to engage all attendees, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or culture with his humor, energy and methodology. The inspirational life of Anne Frank, the universality of story and personal experience, combined with Drew’s innovative and compelling teaching strategies, captured the hearts and imaginations of our school and helped us understand that we, as individuals and as a collective learning community, are all a part of the profound human narrative of the world.

    AMY McKELVY
    Founder and Teacher
    Woodland Star School, Kenya)

  • "Transformed Her Classroom"

    Story-Based Learning gives teachers an opportunity to guide students in their learning in ways that are intuitive, engaging, and the way most teachers dream of teaching in their classrooms. Seventh and eighth grade English teacher Mariah Gower [said the] SBL strategies she has started to implement have transformed her classroom environment: “My students know they are free to speak their mind, build off each other’s ideas, and enter a safe, creative space when they come to class.

    SHAWN SIDDALL
    Middle School House Principal
    West Buffalo Charter School

  • "Engaging and Interesting"

    Your presentation was engaging, interactive, and it offered our students a different lens in which to view the atrocities of genocide. You addressed “the role of the bystanders.” During our 5 weeks studying genocide, we have read several scholarly articles and watched several videos. However, we rarely discussed the bystanders and the power in which this group has. Thank you for bringing our study on genocide full circle.

    DANIELLE WOMACK
    English Teacher, International Prep #198

  • "AFP Taught Me How to Reconnect"

    One of the most enduring parts of the Anne Frank Project training in storytelling and devised theater was the circle up routine Drew taught me. It's astounding how difficult this simple activity can be for teenagers and even adults. But the work is essential to the spirit and substance of how we move forward as a village. AFP taught me how to re-connect with a community in a way that costs nothing except our sustained attention to seeing each other in a circle as equals again.

    ANTHONY K. SEDUN
    Executive Director
    The Life Writes Project

  • "Truly Remarkable"

    What struck me as truly remarkable about the work of the Anne Frank Project is its ability to resonate across the full spectrum of humanity we encountered—from the child of a UN diplomat to a venerable Maasai elder. The delivery in each workshop was quite different but the message was the same... and so were the results. In every case, I saw for the first time the hearts of people I have worked with for many years. As community was built and stifled voices were heard, we understood each other far better than we did before. What could be more important than that?

    SEAN ANDERSON
    Director of Edutours Africa
    Chairman of Mara Naboisho Conservancy

  • "It Brings Caring Back to the Classroom"

    The focus on the students' story or the groups' story is powerful. There is a sense of ownership and accountability for the teacher and the students. It brings caring back into the classroom because they all share in the class story and who doesn't like a good story. These activities create immediate engagement. Movement activates the mind. When you feel like you are in a community (village) and you are connected to each others' story, the door to learning and discovery bursts open because you feel safe.

    SIENNA BURNS
    Head Teacher at Woodland Star School
    Kenya

  • "Bringing Healing to Broken Children"

    The biggest impression Prof. Drew left on me through his workshops is the simple yet profound message that everyone matters and every story matters and can make a difference if it is told. Working with children who have been rejected, neglected, abandoned, abused, I’m not sure anyone had ever said something like that to them. Watching them become confident, united, enthusiastic and respectful children throughout the workshop was beautiful to see—a big change in a very short time. I strongly feel this tool can go a long way in bringing healing to broken children and purpose to their stories.

    TESNI ANDERSON
    Limuru Childrens Centre
    Kenya

  • "This Can Transform Our Continent"

    Story-Based Learning is not only the best way to promote competence based curriculum but the only way Rwandans can easily implement effectively competence based curriculum. I strongly believe that once Africans in general—and Rwandans in particular—own this program, this can transform our continent.

    BISENGI GILBERT
    Coordinator, Special Curriculum
    Wellspring Education Foundation
    Kigali, Rwanda

  • "A Life Changing Experience"

    Hosting the delegation has turned out to be a life changing experience for me… The delegates worked with Rwandan academic staff, teachers and students to demonstrate for them how incorporating drama into their teaching model could help students develop skills for conflict resolution, research purposes, community building and critical thinking. The response from both the teachers and students was overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic.

    MELISSA LESAGE
    Global Engagement Institute

  • "They Are Motivated"

    Before Story-Based Learning, in our classes, students were very passive and… quiet, and when you ask a ques:on, they fear to respond. But after story-based learning, they are active, they are participating, they are motivated... They are affected positively, if I can say, and they work together with the teacher. After story-based learning, the teaching process and the learning process is very perfect.

    REMY PAUL

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STAYCONNECTED

The Anne Frank Project sends periodic emails about upcoming events, student experiences, and more.

The Anne Frank Project believes that stories matter.

Young students listening to a play performed by the Anne Frank Project

Telling our stories will improve the world. To facilitate those conversations, we’ve developed story-based learning programming for students and professionals locally, nationally, and internationally.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

ANNE FRANK