Przypisowka Students Meet America
The 50 children of Przypisowka Elementary School
The U.S. Embassy welcomed 50 elementary students from Przypisowka in Lubelskie Voivodship on August 21, when they attended a "Meet America" event at the Chancery. The kids from Przypisowka are the youngest to have ever participated in this program. Deputy Chief of Mission Kenneth Hillas opened the event with a warm welcome and spoke to the children generally about the importance of education, encouraging them to continue to study English and learn about America. Political Officer David van Cleve then addressed the similarities and differences between U.S. and Polish culture and values, and Sergeant Chris Mason from the Embassy Marine Detachment presented a slide show on U.S. elementary, middle-school, and high-school education. Assistant Cultural Attaché Hilary Renner concluded the event by reading three stories in English using “big books,” which exposed the children to an innovative method of learning English through stories and rhymes. The students are part of the “NIDA” Development Foundation’s “English without Barriers” project which offers children from rural areas equal educational opportunities by improving their English language skills.