Past YLRC Events

 

Ambassador Ashe and Mayor Truskolaski cut the ceremonial ribbon (more photos)

Ambassador Ashe opens Young Learners Resource Center in Bialystok. On June 2, 2008, the U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Victor Ashe, and Mayor of Bialystock Tadeusz Truskolaski participated in the opening ceremonies of the new Young Learners Resource Center in Bialystock along with local government officials and the media. Ambassador Ashe and Mayor Truskolaski cut the ceremonial ribbon, made speeches, and signed an agreement of cooperation to open this new center, located at the Municipal Center for Methodology Advising. Maria Ambrozej, the Director of the Municipal Center for Methodology Advising, Margaret Cholodecki, English Teaching Fellow from Georgetown University, and Ewa Prokopowicz, who will be in charge of the new Young Learners Resource Center also spoke at the opening describing the unique resources for teachers which will be available free of charge at the center. (more)

Embassy Warsaw co-sponsors Conference on Innovative Teaching Methods. The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, together with the National In-Service Teacher Training Center and the Young Learners Resource Center in Warsaw organized a conference on April 14 on innovative English teaching methods for elementary teachers of grades1 to 6. Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, Mary Curtin, spoke at the opening of the conference about the U.S. Embassy English teaching program and the development of a new network of Young Learners Resource Centers in Poland. English Language Fellow Jennifer Holder who works in Pecs, Hungary gave an opening lecture titled "Reaching All Students in Inclusive Classrooms" discussing the difficulties of teaching to the diverse language abilities of a classroom of students. (more)

Embassy Warsaw supports English Language Competitions. On April 11, 2008, Elementary School Number 42 held their awards final for "The Second Competion of Songs and Thematic Poems in Foreign Language - the Green Rhymes and Songs Festival." As part of the English Teaching program, Embassy Warsaw supported the contest for elementary school children ages K - 6th grades with patronage and donated books and prizes. Deputy Cultural Attaché Hilary Renner spoke at the opening of the finale and encouraged everyone to enjoy studying English and to encouraged the students to participate in these type of competitions because they make language learning fun.  Last year, through the support of English Language Fellow Margaret Cholodecki, the organizer, Ewa Wodkowska was able to obtain several outside sponsors. (more)

DCM Hillas Congratulates Winners of "Food, Rhymes, and Songs Festival".  On June 6th, Warsaw DCM Kenneth Hillas attended the grand finale of the "Food, Rhymes, and Songs Festival" contest for elementary school children ages 1-6th grade congratulating the students and giving out prizes to the first, second and third place winners who were selected from 22 schools and over 300 participants. This competition, the first of any kind for elementary students in Warsaw, was the initiative of one of the teachers who commonly uses the Young Learners Resource Center in Warsaw and attended several workshops given by   Embassy’s English Language Fellow Margaret Cholodecki. Embassy also financially supported the competition giving books about food to the winning teachers and students. The competition supported the ELF Cholodecki who is oriented toward training elementary school teachers who are or will be teaching English. In 2008, teaching a foreign language will become an obligatory element from the first grade. Unfortunately, presently, the public education system in Poland lacks qualified teachers, who speak English or are trained to teach English and teachers desperately need guidance since the government does not provide enough support in resources nor in teaching training. This outreach allows us to target another youth audience outside of the Embassy’s programs with high-school students through the Embassy Speakers Bureau and Meet America Programs.

Konferencja: „Wczesnoszkolne nauczanie języka angielskiego – ciekawe, aktywne, stymulujące !” Organizatorzy: Ambasada Stanów Zjednoczonych, Centralny Ośrodek Doskonalenia Nauczycieli oraz Centrum Zasobów Dydaktycznych (YLRC), miały przyjemność zaprosić nauczycieli uczących i zainteresowanych nauczaniem języka angielskiego w klasach młodszych szkoły podstawowej do udziału w konferencji „Wczesnoszkolne nauczanie języka angielskiego – ciekawe, aktywne, stymulujące”, która odbyła się 14 kwietnia 2008 r. w siedzibie Centralnego Ośrodka Doskonalenia Nauczycieli w Warszawie, Al. Ujazdowskie 28. (more)

Konkurs "Food Rhymes and Songs Festival" Mamy przyjemność zaprosić Państwa uczniów do udziału w Konkursie „FOOD RHYMES & SONGS FESTIVAL” przebiegającego pod hasłem: „If you want to feel good, you must eat healthy food!”, (czyli angielskim odpowiednikiem kampanii „Wiem, co jem”), odbywającym się pod Honorowym Patronatem Ambasady Stanów Zjednoczonych w Polsce.
Patronat organizacyjny objęła Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 42 z Oddziałami Integracyjnymi w Warszawie oraz działające od listopada 2006 w Polsce Young Learners Resource Center , którego inicjatorem i koordynatorem jest Pani Margaret Cholodecki – English Language Fellow z programu departamentu Stanu USA. Young Learners Resource Center od kilku lat cieszy się wielkim powodzeniem na świecie i jest pierwszą tego rodzaju placówką w Polsce. Centrum dysponuje książkami dużego formatu, materiałami dydaktycznymi, audioteką, ksero oraz urządzeniem do samodzielnego tworzenia aktywizujących pracę ucznia pomocy naukowych. (więcej o konkursie)

ELF Cholodecki Promotes English Teaching Program Through Media Coverage. During the 2006/2007 school year, Margaret Cholodecki, Embassy Warsaw’s English Language Fellow, received excellent radio, print, and television media coverage of her teacher training workshops and the development of the Young Learners Resource Center in Warsaw. Throughout the academic year, Cholodecki worked to engage the press by sending out press releases on her activities and cultivating contacts with journalists generating over 20 separate newspaper, radio, or television stories. Two examples consist of an article in the local Nowy Sacz newspaper titled “Teaching without Books” and in the nationally syndicated newspaper Gazeta Wyborzca called “Ambassador teaches English” about the opening of the Young Learners Resource Center in Warsaw. Cholodecki appeared on television news in Lodz, Warsaw, and Nowy Sacz and on the children’s show “Sygndit” in Lodz giving several English teaching lessons. Cholodecki has also given a number of radio interviews notably speaking on news programs at Radio SKA and RFM.

Ambassador Ashe Announces Additional Funding for YOUNG LEARNERS RESOURCE CENTERS.  On May 22nd, U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Victor Ashe, hosted a reception in honor of Margaret Cholodecki, the Embassy’s English Language Fellow. During his welcoming speech, Ashe announced that the U.S. Embassy has received funding to support the creation of additional Young Learners Resource Centers in Poland. Ashe also explained that currently, there is one Young Learners Resource Center in Warsaw which is “a place where English teachers can borrow books, create materials and lesson plans, seek advice and exchange ideas with an English Language professional, and attend workshops, all free of charge.”  The reception was attended by principals, teachers, volunteers, government officials, and media representatives whom Ms. Cholodecki has worked with during the past year. Also, attending the reception were high-level officials from the Ministry of Education, the National Teacher Training Institute, and members of the educational committees in the Sejm and Parliament.