In June 2023, the teen winners of the Overduin Civil Courage Essay Contest traveled to Enschede to participate in a week of activities with their Dutch and German essay contest counterparts. During the impactful visit, the winning teens learned more about the subject of their essays: Pastor Leendert Overduin, a member of the Dutch resistance who saved hundreds of Jewish children during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. After the war, Overduin turned his attention to helping the children of the collaborators.

The teens met Holocaust survivors, forged friendships with their Dutch and German counterparts, lived with host families, attended a Dutch high school for a day, appeared on the local news, toured a historic synagogue, took a day trip to Münster, Germany, visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, and participated in a host of other activities and experiences. 

Click here to read an essay about the trip by Enschede VP Monica Schreiber.

The above snippet from Enschede local TV news starts in Dutch (no subtitles), but quickly moves to English.