Cultural and Academic Programs

The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw has been developing the alumni association in Poland in order to bring former exchange visitors together. Our goals are to help the Association to develop strength in numbers, network with other alumni, perform community service projects, support the next generation, and reach out to recruit new exchange participants.

NEWS

The Alumni Association in Poland, that brings former US exchange visitors together, is organizing a nation-wide essay competition. Anyone, who is over 18 and has been to the United States at least once, is invited to participate.

Essay Competition
“American Inspirations”

Share your experiences from the visit to the United States and its influence on your life.  Your opinions on cultural aspects, social and community issues are most welcomed.
Send your story to the following e-mail address: konkurs@alumni-usa.pl

The deadline for submitting papers is December 31, 2009.
The results will be announced by March 31, 2010, during a gala reception in Warsaw, where the finalists will receive awards.
All details connected with the competition are here.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EVENTS

First General Assembly of the Alumni Association.

The Alumni Association organized its first General Assembly which is required by their status. During the meeting members voted to introduce some changes to the status so that it's more flexible as well as discussed their goals and ideas for programs for the next year in advance. After the meeting ended all members were offered a tour by the Director of the Museum of its latest exhibition, Awkward Objects: Alina Szapocznikow, Maria Bartuszova, Pauline Boty, Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse and Paulina Ołowska, which showed how these female artist-pioneers sought recognition from the artistic mainstream of their time. (more)

Ambassador Victor Ashe hosted with guest of honor and State Department Public Diplomacy Envoy Fran Drescher. 

On October 10th, Ambassador Victor Ashe hosted a reception for members of the Alumni Association, the Polish Union of Oncology, women’s organizations and Polish celebrities with guest of honor and State Department Public Diplomacy Envoy Fran Drescher, also known as "The Nanny" for her acclaimed performance in the U.S. sitcom of the same name.  Ms. Drescher has recently taken on a new role as a cancer survivor.  After the success of her book, Cancer Schmancer, Ms. Drescher founded the "Cancer Schmancer Movement" to promote early detection of cancer (in stage one) and increase awareness of public health issues.    While in Poland, Ms. Drescher supported U.S. public diplomacy efforts, including working with health organizations and women’s groups to raise awareness of women’s health issues, cancer awareness and detection, and patient empowerment and advocacy. 
(more)

Reception for members of the Alumni Association with Colleen P. Graffy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, as the guest of honor. 

On September 4 2008, Deputy Chief of Mission Pamela Quanrud hosted a reception for members of the Alumni Association during which the guest of honor was Colleen P. Graffy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy. DCM Quanrud welcomed over 70 guests to her residence who came from different regions of Poland representing various professional fields. DAS Graffy spoke about public diplomacy and importance of the further development of the association and networking. (more) (photo gallery)

Liss Fain Dance Performance Provides Excellent Alumni Outreach Opportunity

For the second time the Alumni Association offered to its members and other invited guests a cultural event with a modern dance angle. The San Francisco group LISS FAIN DANCE concluded its return to Poland with an outdoor performance in Warsaw's Royal Lazienki Park in the evening of July 11 - thanks to a break in the rain and help from the audience. The performance in Lazienki's Amphitheater on the lake, open to the general public, was nearly canceled due to rain at 18:00. When the rain stopped, several members of the audience stepped forward to say that they would help dry the stage if the dancers would still perform. In the end, members of the audience joined representatives of the Embassy, Liss Fain Dance, the Warsaw Ballet School, and Royal Lazienki Park in mopping the stage. The dancers performed for an appreciative audience of State alumni and the general public (and several peacocks). (more) (photo gallery)

Alumni Association Members Tour American Artist Mary Kelly Exhibit.

On May 29, 2008, over 40 members of the Alumni Association gathered at the Center of Contemporary Art of Zamek Ujazdowski in Warsaw to view the work of one of the world’s most significant feminist artists, American Mary Kelly. Deputy Cultural Attache Hilary Renner, Curator Milada Slizinska, and President of the Alumni Association welcomed the guests and to this special tour of the exhibit “Words are Things.”  Alumna Milada Slizinska who was a curator and initiator of this exhibit described the practical details regarding the exhibition and the artist’s background and achievements. (more) 

Conference on American Ethnicity in Krakow

The American Studies Institute of Jagiellonian University, The Alumni Association in Poland, The US Mission in Poland and The Immigration and Ethnic History Society in the United States organized a two-day conference entitled “American Ethnicity: Rethinking Old Issues, Asking New Questions”.  The conference was held in Krakow on May 19 and May 20.  The conference brought together leading scholars of American ethnic and migration studies. (more)

IV Alumni Organize National Parks Conference for Earth Day

Three Polish IV alumni were among the key organizers of a two-day conference on parks management and sustainable tourism in southern Poland held on April 21 and 22.  The conference, co-sponsored by the State Department Alumni Association in Poland and the U.S. Mission in Poland, brought park directors and staff, NGOs, local government officials, business and European parks representatives together to examine ways of improving park services and managing the flow of tourists while minimizing the environmental impact of increased tourism.  Rocky Mountain National Park Director Vaughn Baker shared his expertise on building community-park cooperation and developing a public relations strategy for parks.  Rocky Mountain Park signed a sister park agreement in 2007 with Tatra National Park Poland and Slovakia. (more)

DCM Hillas Speaks at Fulbright Alumni Association Conference

On October 12, the Polish Fulbright Alumni Association and the Alumni Association organized a conference titled “American Experience on Polish Soil” in Lodz. Deputy Chief of Mission Kenneth Hillas attended the event and spoke about the importance of all exchange programs for both sides and the development of the Alumni Association in Poland which allows all participants of U.S. government sponsored exchanges to attend. Also participating were Dr. Franciszek Lyra, the first Polish Fulbright scholar, Prof Adam Dziki, the first Polish member of the American Surgeons Association, Andrzej Dakowski, Director of the Polish-American Fulbright Association, Prof. Iwona Frydrych of Lodz Polytechnics, and Joanna Wajda, journalist from Polish TV “Wiadomosci” among others. (more)

Consul General Anne Hall hosted a reception for former U.S. government exchange participants.

On September 28th, Consul General Anne Hall hosted a reception for former U.S. government exchange participants from the southern region of Poland to encourage them to join the new Alumni Association. Launched in May 2006, the Alumni Association has 130 members, a board of directors, and completed all the legal registration requirements, and is now in midst of developing future alumni conferences and social activities. Consul General welcomed the group of about fifty exchange alumni and encouraged them to become members of the association. BPAO Susan Parker-Burns spoke about the importance of exchanges and alumni and how to become a member of the association. President of the Board of Directors Jacek Nieckula made a presentation on the alumni association describing upcoming events, Embassy support and benefits of the association. (more)

Fortune/State Alumni Speak at Krynica Economic Forum.

Judith McHale, former president and CEO of Discovery Communications Inc., spoke at the Economic Forum in Krynica, Poland on September 5th in the panel “Women in Business: A Force for Innovation.” The seventeenth Krynica Economic Forum, the most prestigious event in Central and Eastern Europe, included more than 130 debates and brought together representatives from more than 60 countries – Europe, America, Asia and was attended by more than 3000 including European commissioners, presidents, prime ministers, as well as governmental and parliamentary delegations. (more)

U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Victor Ashe, met with Marzanna Gromotowicz.

U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Victor Ashe, met with Marzanna Gromotowicz, high school teacher of English from Czestochowa on September 7. Mrs. Gromotowicz participated in the “Study of the United States Institutes for Secondary Educators” program funded by the U.S. Department of State which focused exclusively on increasing the understanding of a variety of aspects of U.S. society, including American culture, politics, history, economy, and education. Mrs. Gromotowicz is an outstanding teacher of English, a graduate of the American Studies Center at Warsaw University, who has developed a model curriculum on American Studies for high school students. (more)

Stephen Goldsmith, Professor at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Manhattan Institutes, visited Warsaw June 18-19.

Goldsmith, a former Mayor of Indianapolis, gave a presentation at the Embassy titled “Managing Cities for the Future: A Look at Recent World Wide City Innovations” on June 19 for 75 local government officials and others involved in city management and opinion and policy leaders including a group of Polish Alumni Association members from throughout Poland. The International Visitor Leadership program alumnus Mayor of Sopot, as well as other mayors of cities like Gdynia, Koszalin, and the Poznan region came for Goldsmith’s talk. (more)

Ambassador Ashe Honors Polish Alumni of U.S. Exchange Programs.

On April 17, U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Victor Ashe, and Mrs. Ashe, hosted a reception for all Polish alumni of U.S. government exchange programs and launched the new Alumni Association. Ambassador Ashe welcomed over 300 guests to his Residence who arrived from different regions of Poland and represented many different professional fields.

Ambassador Ashe Hosts Breakfast for Honorary Board Members of the Polish Alumni Association

U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Victor Ashe, hosted the honorary board members of the Polish Alumni Association, a group of former participants in exchange programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, as well as the oldest and youngest exchange program alumni, to a breakfast at his Residence on April 5.

Embassy Announces Launching of the New Alumni Association

All former U.S. Government exchange program participants are invited to attend a meeting to discuss the launch of an exciting new alumni association. The association will encompass a broad range of USG programs including the International Visitor Leadership Program, American Fellows Program, Voluntary Visitor Program, Individual Grant Programs, Sponsored Programs, Educational Partnerships Programs, USBT (Education USA Advisers), Fulbright Study of the U.S., Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program, Fulbright Student Program (members of the Polish Fulbright Alumni Association), Ron Brown Fellowship Program, and the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program.

Embassy Launches New Alumni Association for Poland

On May 17th, the US-Embassy Warsaw hosted a meeting to publicly announce the new State Alumni Association for Poland to former U.S. Government exchange program participants.

Poland’s Ochojska Named Alumni of the Month at the State Department

Janina Ochojska of Poland, a 1996 participant in the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program, has been selected as the March “Alumni of the Month” by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The founder of the Polish Humanitarian Organization and the Drugiej Rieki organization, Ms. Ochojska’s work continues to inspire humanitarians in Poland and abroad. We at the U.S. Embassy salute her work and congratulate her on this honor.

Fulbright Alumnus Named Polish Finance Minister

Dr. Stanislaw Kluza became Poland's Minister of Finance in July. He is a Fulbright alumus, having received a 9-month Junior Research Grant in economics studying at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri from 1999-2000. [more]