Country of Residence
United States
Age
13
Project title
I stand with Anne
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
I stand with Anne is a youth led movement transforming lessons of Anne Franks story into action by empowering young people and communities to stand against hate, challenge intolerance, promote empathy and create a lasting culture of respect and responsibility.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
I have recieved death threats due to my work and therefore i do not have any social media. There are a few articles online about my work though
Project Category
My project is an existing project that I started
Project Stage
Growth (We’ve moved past the very first activities and are beginning to have consistent weekly or monthly impact)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
When I read Anne Frank's diary and learned about the Holocaust, I was deeply affected by how much hatred and intolerance could change the lives of innocent people. What stayed with me most was that Anne was a real girl, just like me. I began thinking about how something so terrible could happen and, what we can do to make sure hatred never becomes acceptable again. My "aha" moment was realising that remembering history is important, but remembering alone doesn't prevent it from happening again. We have to take what history teaches us and put it into action in our everyday lives. I wanted people, especially kids my age, to understand that they don't have to be adults, hold positions of power, or have a big organization behind them to stand against hate. I decided to start with something simple: a bracelet that said, "I Stand With Anne, Put a Stop to Hate." I used my own savings to order them and began handing them out to my community on Halloween in 2023. I had no idea how far that little idea could go. I just knew I wanted to do something. Seeing people wear the bracelets, share the message, and pass it along made me realize that one small action could inspire thousands of others. That was when I understood that I wasn't just distributing bracelets. I was creating an opportunity for people everywhere to make a statement about the kind of world they want to live in.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
Hatred does not begin with the worst things we read about in history books. It begins when hurtful behavior is dismissed as harmless, and when people choose to remain silent because they believe it isn't their responsibility. Learning about Anne Frank and the Holocaust, I began to understand how dangerous intolerance can become when it is allowed to grow. But I also realized that this isn't just a problem of the past. Antisemitism, discrimination, bullying, and intolerance still affect people and communities today. Remembering history means very little if we don't apply its lessons to the choices we make now. I Stand With Anne is helping address the gap between knowing that hate is wrong and understanding that we each have a responsibility to stand against it. I want young people to see that their words, actions, and willingness to stand up for others matter. You don't have to be a leader, an adult, or someone with influence to make a difference. This matters to me because everyone deserves to feel safe, respected, and accepted for who they are. I want to help create communities where standing against hate is not unusual or difficult, but something we expect of ourselves and one another. My hope is that we can move beyond simply teaching future generations what happened in history and empower them to create a future where those lessons are never forgotten.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
What started with me handing out bracelets to my community has grown into an international movement, reaching all 50 states and more than 50 countries. ( over 100,000 bracelets distributed!) Through partnerships with organizations, museums, schools, and individuals who believe in this message, I have been able to bring the initiative to people and communities far beyond my hometown. I have also worked to make the message more permanent and meaningful in my own community. One example is helping bring an Anne Frank chestnut tree sapling to Fairmont High School. The tree serves as a living reminder that remembering history should inspire us to make a difference today. Fairmont also recognized May 29 as Stand With Anne Day, creating an opportunity to bring people together around the initiative's message. My vision now is to build on this foundation by expanding youth involvement, developing educational partnerships, and creating more opportunities for young people to bring the message into their schools and communities. I want to encourage young people not only to wear a bracelet, but to understand what it means to stand with someone who is being excluded, bullied, discriminated against, or treated unfairly. The goal is to turn a simple message into everyday action and build a movement where people don't just say they stand against hate, but demonstrate it through how they treat others and how they stand up for one another.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
More than 100,000 I Stand With Anne bracelets have been distributed across all 50 states and more than 50 countries, reaching people of different ages, backgrounds, and communities. Each bracelet represents an opportunity to start a conversation, share Anne Frank's story, and remind someone that standing against hate is everyone's responsibility. The impact has extended beyond the bracelets themselves. Through partnerships with organizations dedicated to Holocaust education and remembrance, the message has reached audiences far beyond what I could have imagined when I first started. In Fairmont, I helped bring an Anne Frank chestnut tree sapling to Fairmont High School, creating a living symbol of remembrance and hope. I think the most meaningful impact is seeing how one small idea can inspire so many others to participate. I've learned people want to be part of something positive and even a bracelet can bring people together around a shared purpose. I see these accomplishments as a beginning, not an ending. My goal is to build on this momentum by reaching more schools, engaging more young people, and creating opportunities for people to turn the message into action. Success will not just be measured by how many bracelets we distribute, but by how many people we inspire to recognize hate, stand up for other sand make their communities more welcoming and inclusive.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
What makes I Stand With Anne different is that it takes the lessons of history and makes them personal, visible, and actionable for people of all ages. Holocaust education and anti-hate initiatives are incredibly important, but I wanted to create a way for people, especially young people, to feel personally connected to the message and understand that they have a role in preventing hate. The bracelet was a simple idea, but its purpose was much bigger. It gives people an opportunity to make a public statement, start conversations, share Anne Frank's story, and remind one another that standing against hate is a choice we can make every day. It doesn't require a title, a position, or special resources to participate. Anyone can be part of the movement. Another important difference is that I Stand With Anne is youth-led. I started this initiative as a child, not because I had an organization behind me or knew how to build a movement, but because I believed I could make a difference. Its growth shows other young people that their voices and actions matter, too. I also want to take the initiative beyond awareness by building stronger connections with schools, educational organizations, and young people who can bring this message into their own communities. The goal is to connect historical remembrance with everyday choices, teaching people not only why hate is wrong, but how to see it, challenge it, and stand up for others. I believe the most powerful innovation is making it possible for ordinary people, starting with young people, to become part of the solution. As an autistic individual I have faced my own trials, if I can work on a solution to hate for others - I in turn will also have helped people like me.
How many people are on your team?
1
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
I am the only person on my team- although I did create a kindness club at my school to help drive this initiative. I also have worked with organizations like the Anne Frank Center USA, The US Holocaust Memorial museum and others.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next year, I hope to build on the growth of I Stand With Anne by creating more opportunities for young people to become active participants in the movement. My goal is to expand beyond distributing bracelets and help turn our message into meaningful action in schools and communities. My next steps include developing a youth ambassador program that encourages students across the country to share the message, organize activities, and promote kindness, inclusion, and standing up against hate in their own schools and communities. I also want to strengthen partnerships with Holocaust education organizations, museums, schools, and community groups to create opportunities to connect Anne Frank's story and the lessons of history with the challenges young people face today. This could include educational events, school presentations, and community activities that encourage meaningful conversations and action. I plan to build on the success of Fairmont's Stand With Anne Day and explore ways to encourage other communities to participate in an annual day of remembrance and action. I want I Stand With Anne to become more than a message people wear. I want it to become a movement young people help lead, where standing against hate becomes something we practice, teach, and pass on to others. I have seen how far one small idea can travel, and I'm excited to see how far it can go.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
I encourage people to join I Stand With Anne by making it easy for anyone, regardless of age or background, to become part of something meaningful. The bracelets are often the first step. When someone wears one, shares one, or gives one to another person, they help start a conversation about Anne Frank, the dangers of hatred, and the importance of standing up for others. What began with me handing out a few bracelets has grown to more than 100,000 bracelets distributed across all 50 states and more than 50 countries. Along the way, many peopele have helped share the message and introduced it to new communities. Partnerships have allowed the initiative to reach people I could never have reached on my own. I also encourage participation by creating opportunities for people to connect with the message in meaningful ways, including bringing an Anne Frank tree to Fairmont High School and establishing Stand With Anne Day in my community. As the project grows, I want to make it even easier for others to take ownership of the movement. Through a youth ambassador program, I hope to empower students to introduce I Stand With Anne in their schools, organize activities, share educational resources, and encourage their peers to stand against hate. I don't want people to simply support my project. I want them to feel that it belongs to them, too.
