Allegan Public Schools is excited to announce that it will host the traveling exhibit “Anne Frank: A History for Today” at L.E. White Middle School. Presented in partnership with the Allegan Area ESA, the exhibit will give students and community members an opportunity to explore Anne Frank’s story and its lessons for today, all while being guided by middle school students who have been specially trained to lead visitors through the experience.
Fifteen eighth-grade students have been selected by their teachers to serve as the exhibit’s tour leaders and will take part in a two-day training on November 24–25, where they will learn about Anne Frank, the Holocaust, and the artifacts they will help curate for display. Beginning in December, they will guide their classmates through the exhibit and then welcome the community to a special event at L.E. White Middle School on December 9 at 6:30 p.m.
Allegan Public Schools has the honor of being the first school district in the county to host the exhibit. For L.E. White Middle School Principal Laura Feffer, she couldn’t be happier that students and the community will have the opportunity to experience the exhibit in her building. “We were thrilled to take this opportunity and run with it,” Mrs. Feffer said. “Anne Frank started her diary at 13, and that’s the same age as our middle schoolers. They’re able to relate to that time in adolescence, which makes this such a good fit.”
Mrs. Feffer believes the exhibit will offer students a rare and lasting kind of learning, one that goes far beyond what a typical classroom lesson can provide. “To me, this is the kind of experience that I have a feeling our students will remember for years and years to come,” she said. “They’ll be able to talk to their children and grandchildren about it.”
She added that the exhibit creates powerful opportunities for students to think about how they respond when they witness something wrong happening to others. “If we’re silent, we permit harm,” Mrs. Feffer said. “The Holocaust teaches us that. It’s so important for somebody—even one person—to have the courage to say, ‘No, this isn’t right. What can I do to help?’ I think that inoculation against hate is a goal of this project.”
APS Director of Instructional Services Hillary Baker shares that belief. She said the exhibit gives students a chance to develop both understanding and empathy as they learn about Anne Frank’s life. “This really gives them the ability to develop skills—whether it’s public speaking, empathy, or the confidence to teach and lead others,” she said. “It models the kind of inquiry-based learning we really want for our students.”
Mrs. Baker said she is excited for the impact the experience will have not only on those leading the tours but on every student and community member who walks through the exhibit. “I think this will develop empathy, develop the notion of resilience in our students and in our community as well,” she said.
Eighth-grade social studies teacher Kay Scharlow is especially excited for her students to take part in the exhibit, noting how powerfully it connects to the history they study in her classroom. “We teach history so we can apply it today,” Mrs. Scharlow said. “They’re going to talk about being a bystander and the importance of speaking up. That’s as relevant now as ever.”
“There’s nothing more powerful than students learning from other students,” Mrs. Scharlow added. “Some of these kids don’t always get chosen for other leadership roles, but they love history. They’re excited to teach, and they’re going to shine.”
That excitement is exactly what Mrs. Feffer hopes every visitor will carry with them after walking through the exhibit. “For the community, I just think this is such an important reminder of how we need to take the time to face and understand what’s happened in our past so it doesn’t repeat again,” she said. “It’s a reminder to choose tolerance, diversity, and love over hate.”
