In the News: Kahn Shares Story of the Anne Frank Project

Drew Kahn, professor of theater and director of the campus’s Anne Frank Project (AFP), was recently interviewed by the India-based Red Elephant Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes storytelling, civilian peace building, and activism.

In light of Anne Frank’s birthday, Kahn spoke about the genesis of AFP, how it has evolved from a reimaging of The Diary of Anne Frank play to a multidimensional two-day annual festival that attracts thousands of people to campus each year. Read Kahn’s interview.

Kahn added that the Red Elephant Foundation invited him to teach a series of workshops at schools and organizations in Chennai, India, possibly in spring 2018.

“This is an exciting new partnership,” said Kahn, who already has formed a partnership with the Global Engagement Institute. Through that non-profit he’s shared his knowledge of hands-on experiential learning with Rwandan school teachers. In 2015, Kahn, a few Buffalo State education faculty members, and a dozen students, introduced the drama-based model of teaching in Rwanda’s Gasabo district, which resulted in AFP being named a finalist for a 2016 international innovation award.

“The power of storytelling is a notion that is taking off throughout the world,” Kahn said, “I’m grateful that through AFP, we’ve been able to add to the conversation in a meaningful way.”