Following the 2022 planting of the Anne Frank horse chestnut sapling on the University of Iowa (UI) Pentacrest, the Anne Frank Initiative (AFI), an International Programs affinity group, has expanded its programming and deepened its presence across campus and in the broader community.

Kirsten Kumpf Baele, distinguished associate professor of instruction in German at the University of Iowa and AFI’s founder and director, reflected on the significant growth the organization has experienced.

“Where there once was a group of board members working to establish a foundation, a clear mission, and a range of activities,” Kumpf Baele said, “there are now focused working groups led by a project chair and supported by at least one student intern, a treasurer and a secretary, creating a structure that facilitates clearer delegation of responsibilities and improved efficiency.”

AFI’s programming now includes middle school visits, children’s hospital library readings, cross-listed lectures, research webinars, workshops, and co-sponsored events that draw audiences from across the university and the local community.

“Our growth and engagement have also increased our visibility on campus and in the local community,” Kumpf Baele said, “to the point that even the abbreviation ‘AFI’ is now widely recognized.”

This past year, AFI has been particularly busy. Last summer, AFI celebrated the installation of a student-designed Little Free Library at UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

In November, AFI partnered with the UI Pentacrest Museums, where participants learned about the Anne Frank Tree and its place within the university's arboretum. Attendees read passages from Anne Frank’s diary aloud and created written and illustrated reflections.

In March, a working group organized an informal storytelling event at the Iowa City Public Library focused on Jewish life in Iowa City. Aimed at college-age students and community members, the gathering encouraged open conversation and connection.

AFI interns also led a monthslong project inviting students to translate a selected passage from The Diary of Anne Frank into the language they study. The project began in the fall with a workshop led by translation scholars Diana Thow and Jan Steyn.

“The primary goal of the project was to reflect on how Anne Frank’s words continue to resonate across cultures and generations and to celebrate the rich linguistic diversity at Iowa,” said Berkley Barnett, a student organizer of the project.

The project culminated in the first AFI zine, called From Her Window to the World. At the April zine launch party, students read their translations aloud and shared reflections on its significance.

“Many students related personal experiences with language, legacy, and displacement and how they related to Anne’s story,” Barnett said. “Our launch party highlighted students’ translation work and shared more information about the history of Anne Frank and her positionality in time and space in the Secret Annex.”

In May, the AFI hosted Canadian filmmaker and textile artist Sandra Sawatzky at MERGE in Iowa City for an embroidery workshop inspired by the tree Anne Frank described in her diary. Participants embroidered their own trees while learning about AFI, the Pentacrest sapling, and Sawatzky’s Black Gold Tapestry, on display through July 12, 2026, at the Stanley Museum of Art.

Reflecting on the impact of AFI’s partnership with the Stanley Museum of Art, Kimberly Datchuk, curator of learning and engagement at the museum, emphasized the importance of collaborative programming in expanding access and fostering a sense of belonging. 

“Partnering with another organization helps bring new people to learn about the museum, and it helps them see themselves as having a place at the museum,” Datchuk said. “We always say the museum is for everyone, but museums aren't part of everyone's day-to-day lives. Collaborations like the one with the AFI are vital to helping people recognize the possibilities that the Stanley can open for them.”

To wrap up the academic year, AFI and Clear Creek Amana Middle School collaborated for the fourth consecutive year to teach more than 200 eighth-grade students about Anne Frank's story through virtual reality, writing, resistance, the power of reading, and visits to the Pentacrest sapling.

Looking ahead, AFI plans to bring Sandra Sawatzky’s embroidery workshop to hospital patients through recorded sessions and take-home kits; launch a student-focused series exploring food, memory, and community; and host internationally recognized artist and environmental advocate Katie Holten to campus for events inspired by her book The Language of Trees. These efforts will further advance AFI’s mission to foster connection, creativity, and reflection on campus and throughout the Iowa City community. 

International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement.  IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.