When Carla Olman Peperzak is in the halls of the school that bears her name, students notice.
They whisper-shout, “Is that Carla?” Carla’s here!” They wave through their classroom windows, pausing bow strings in orchestra and experiments in science. They grin nervously as they line up to shake hands with the Dutch Resistance fighter who has devoted much of her life to making sure the Holocaust is never forgotten. And the 102-year-old Carla responds with smiles and asks them about their lives, their learning, with sincere interest.
Her visit earlier this week was to accompany a few special guests on a tour of the school. Dr. Lauren Bairnsfather, CEO of the Anne Frank Center USA, traveled from Pittsburgh to meet Carla and hear from students. Gonzaga University professor Dr. Kristine F. Hoover, who produced the 2025 documentary “Carla the Rescuer,” and Carla’s daughter Marian Cummings also joined the tour.
Led by student leaders Ava (7th grade) and Benny (8th grade), who are members of Spokane’s Student Leadership Board for the Holocaust Center for Humanity, the tour focused on how school, which opened in 2023, was designed to include flexible spaces where students could gather outside of classrooms to learn and connect.
“Wherever you are, you can access learning,” Principal Andre Wicks shared as the group paused for Carla to sign a student’s copy of her memoir, “Keys of My Life,” in the school’s open library.
Nearby, Dr. Bairnsfather was excited to see a student mural featuring Carla outside the Art room and meet Art Teacher Kimberly Vandervert. The teacher is currently working with students to create a graphic novel about Carla and shared a few black-and-white drafts with the group.
While sharing about their school, Ava and Benny remarked how much they enjoy the openness of the learning spaces and the large windows that let in plenty of natural light.
“It almost feels like you’re outside,” Benny said.
Another highlight of the visit was to see Anne Frank’s Tree, which was planted overlooking the Palouse on the south side of the school last June.
The tree was gifted through the Anne Frank Center USA’s Sapling Project, which distributes saplings derived from the original horse chestnut tree that stood outside of the Secret Annex where Anne Frank and her family hid. Anne wrote about the tree several times in her diary.
"Our chestnut tree is in leaf, and here and there you can already see a few small blossoms.” – Anne Frank, 1944
After the tour, Dr. Bairnsfather met with more students who are part of the Holocaust Center for Humanity’s Spokane Student Leadership Board. She shared the work of the Anne Frank Center USA, which brings interactive theatrical performances to schools and other educational programs to help young people learn from history, challenge prejudice, and become courageous changemakers.
“Storytelling is the best way to get through to people. Art and theatrical productions make people pay attention,” Dr. Bairnsfather said.
She was especially interested in the students' efforts to go deeper in their understanding of the Holocaust and their development of projects that identify and study problems in their own community, like food insecurity and mental health awareness, and share ideas for solutions.
The group concluded with a reminder from Carla: “Try to help, even if you cannot do it yourself.”
Anne Frank Center USA Visits Peperzak Middle School by Spokane Schools