September 24 – October 8, 2026
“Anne Frank: A History for Today invites students to explore the history of the Holocaust through Anne's life while reflecting on the choices we make day to day.” — the exhibit's published description
Anne Frank was a Jewish girl, born in Frankfurt in 1929. Her family fled to Amsterdam after the Nazis came to power, and in July 1942 went into hiding there to escape Nazi persecution of Jews. They were discovered in August 1944 and deported. Anne died at Bergen-Belsen in 1945, at fifteen. Of the eight people who hid with her, only her father survived.
The exhibit tells her story and places it inside the Holocaust and the antisemitism that made it possible.
Twenty Gorham eighth graders spend two full days training to guide the exhibit. Then they stand in their own school auditorium and lead their classmates, their families, and their neighbors through it — in their own words.
Most students meet this history in a textbook. These students will be the ones telling it. For everyone else in town, it means walking through an Anne Frank House exhibit without leaving Gorham, guided by kids who live here.
“Bringing the Anne Frank exhibit to Gorham Middle School is a gift to our entire community. … It's a powerful chance for my alternative education students plus peers in the eighth grade to pour their hearts into a deeply moving experience, and for our whole community to walk through history guided by our own kids.”
Heather Whitaker reports the project cost at $3,750, covering bringing the exhibit to Gorham Middle School and the accompanying curriculum. Demetria Real Estate charges no fundraising or administrative fee and covers all payment-processing costs.
“Committed” means pledged. It does not mean collected or yet transferred to the school district.
Or send a check made out to Gorham School Department — details below.
The difference between them is who receives your money, and that determines how it is acknowledged.
Your check is made out to the school district itself. Demetria delivers it to them uncashed — we never deposit it.
Acknowledgment of gifts to the district is handled by the district. Whether any gift is tax-deductible depends on applicable tax rules and your own circumstances — please consult your tax adviser.
Fastest option. Contributions are received by Demetria Real Estate and transferred to the Gorham School Department for the exhibit.
Give onlineDemetria Real Estate is a for-profit business and does not issue charitable tax acknowledgments. If a charitable receipt matters to you, please use the check option above instead. Your statement will show DEMETRIA REAL ESTATE.
Any amount raised above the exhibit cost goes to Gorham student-support purposes, prioritizing Alternative Education programming and the Gorham Middle School BackPack Program.
If the goal is not met, Demetria Real Estate intends to cover the shortfall so the exhibit proceeds. If the exhibit does not go ahead, contributors will be contacted and online contributions refunded to the original payment method; checks made out to the school district will be returned or handled as the district directs.
Heather Whitaker
Gorham Middle School
heather.whitaker@gorhamschools.org
Aaron Chadbourne
Demetria Real Estate
207-329-0915
aaron@godemetria.com