“DUO-Onderwijs gives our projects a new boost”

How do you ensure that commemoration does not remain something distant, but really comes to life with children and young people? With Adopt a Monument, National Committee 4 and 5 May allows pupils to adopt a monument themselves and organise a commemoration. With the choice of DUO-Onderwijs as a new cooperation partner, the project received new impetus this year.

The collaboration started two years ago, when National Committee 4 and 5 May partnered with DUO-Onderwijs for the educational products the 4 and 5 May Think Book and 4FREE. “That switch was quite exciting,” says Hester Wynia, education project leader at the committee. “We had been working with the same partner for 20 years before this. That was familiar, but we also felt it was time for a fresh look and new energy.” 

When Hester got in touch with DUO-Onderwijs, it felt like an opportunity to breathe new life into their projects. “We heard what they were doing and thought: this is a fresh look what we are looking for. New ideas we hadn't thought of ourselves.” However, the move to a new partner did feel like a leap of faith for Hester. “You let go of something you are sure is right. Our projects touch on sensitive issues that require nuance in communication with schools. We don't want to offend anyone and include all perspectives. We really have a radar for that and we think it is important that our partners have that too.” 

The confidence came faster than expected. “DUO-Onderwijs picked up the nuance immediately,” says Hester. What struck her most was the proactive attitude. “We no longer had to chew out everything. They really thought along with us.” She says this customer-centric approach made a big difference. “The team came up with new ideas for campaigns and thought ahead. That gave our projects a new boost.” 

This became perhaps most evident at Adopt a monument. Therein lay a concrete challenge: the memorial package. For years, this included a flower voucher that schools could use to order a wreath or bouquet from the florist. “Because of the cost, we could only reach a thousand schools,” Hester explains. “While the number of monuments in our country is growing; we are already heading towards five thousand. So we wanted to involve more schools and get rid of ‘first come, first served’.” 

DUO-Onderwijs went to work and came up with a new commemorative package. “We took a risk,” says Hester. “Schools were used to that flower voucher. How were they going to react if it was no longer in the package? But DUO-Onderwijs didn't go overnight. They tackled it thoroughly, developed a new format and tested it extensively with the target group through their focus groups.”  

The result is a completely new commemorative package. Instead of the flower voucher, schools now receive a wreath to decorate themselves, pins and cards to write a message on. “There has been SO much thought put into it,” says Hester. “They put a lot of time, energy and commitment into it. The team immersed themselves in the subject matter, carefully researched what such a wreath should look like and practised together with different compositions and materials.” In the end, a wreath based on straw turned out to be the best choice. “You can go in all directions with that; from real flowers to paper versions. The team also devised the cards on which students can write why they are commemorating. That makes the package personal and meaningful.” 

Since the cooperation, the circulation of the 4 and 5 May Thinking Book, an educational workbook for children in grades 7 and 8, grew by some 25,000 copies. Results are also visible at Adopt a Monument.

“We are distributing more memorial packs than before. This year our target is 1,400 and eventually we want to move towards 2,000.” The main reason for this success? “Access to the education field,” says Hester. “DUO-Onderwijs has years of experience and does a huge amount of research. They really know how to reach schools.”

She sees the impact on the ground. For example, she recently attended a commemoration at the Anne Frank statue on Janskerkhof. “Pupils had made their own wreaths. The school had also ordered a flower arrangement from the florist just to be sure, but that was totally unnecessary.” She smiles. “Those children stood there glowing with their own work, they compared it to each other, were so proud. That really makes an impact. Much more than a bought flower arrangement.” Another school organised a commemoration at the gay monument in Amsterdam. “There, too, the pupils stood with big smiles. They were so proud and even got applause when they laid their wreath. That actually never happens at a commemoration.”

For Hester, therein lies the heart of the project. “It's those little moments that make it valuable,” she says. “They are sometimes difficult topics to deal with in class, but that is precisely why conversations about them are important,” she stresses. “It is essential that younger generations reflect on what happened and think about the world today. With DUO-Onderwijs as a partner, we succeed even better in starting those conversations.” 

Hester Wynia is education project leader at National Committee 4 and 5 May that handles national activities on 4 and 5 May, educational projects, public campaigns and applied research.  

Want to know more about Adopt a monument? Then check out this page.
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