PUPILS from Keighley-district schools have been involved in a major initiative tackling prejudice.

Students were trained as ambassadors to guide school parties and other visitors around the Anne Frank and You exhibition, during its sixth visit to Bradford.

The exhibition, which ends today (May 19), examines the harrowing experiences of the young Jewish diarist and promotes modern-day understanding and tolerance.

It outlines the story of Anne and her family – with a pictorial timeline charting the rise of Hitler and the subsequent Holocaust – and there is a full-scale replica of the bedroom in Amsterdam where the youngster hid from the Nazis for two years.

The thought-provoking display also looks at issues of race, democracy, human rights and social justice.

"The Anne Frank story is an inspiration to us all and this exhibition was a great opportunity for young people to see for themselves the importance of respect for others," said Michael Jameson, Bradford Council's strategic director for children's services.

The exhibition, at Kala Sangam, St Peter's House, has been staged by the council's diversity and cohesion team.

It's peer education training programme helped prepare students for their ambassador roles, plus there was extensive training using the Anne Frank Trust History for Today exhibition to develop the youngsters' understanding of the historical context in which Anne was writing.

The exhibition has been supported by educational workshops on the theme Stand up, Speak out, Make a Difference.

Schools involved in the venture have included Victoria Primary in Keighley and Wilsden Primary.

The diversity and cohesion service has also developed a Remembering Srebrenica exhibition, which charts the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the events which led to the genocide of Bosnian Muslims.

Secondary school pupils have used the exhibition to explore the causes and consequences of genocide in Srebrenica, Rwanda and Darfur.

All schools have received an education pack.

Alina Khan, the council's head of diversity and cohesion, said: "The project has evolved over eight years to address the issues that young people feel are most important to them.

"Each year we ask young people to choose what they want to stand up and speak about, after learning about the experiences of people like Anne Frank and Mala Yousefzai.

"Student voice is probably the most powerful tool a school has and to see it being used so effectively to address issues that really matter to young people is having a really profound impact."