Newsletter

Reports of WSIP-2016 recipients

 

 

 

 

 

 

     From reports of the 2016 WSIP recipients
        Wisconsin Study in Poland Scholarship

 


The program also gave me the exposure of studying in a different country and in a different language and made me realize how great studying abroad actually is even if just for a month. Studying in Poland made me get out of my comfort zone and be fully exposed to a new culture and way of living. This program was one of the best experiences if not the best experience in my life. (Bartłomiej Boryczka)

On the first day of the program, I was very impressed and I learned a lot from the Wisława Szyborska’s secretary professor Michał Rusinek’s speech “Lost in Translation”. It was very interesting and a very good start to the program. I also got to learn and discover the Polish language at a much deeper level and came to realize that ……. Polish is truly one of the hardest languages, however in my opinion also the most beautiful. (Bartłomiej Boryczka)

I made good contacts with my professors there and am grateful for the time they shared with me in and out of the classroom. Their instruction affirmed my passion for the study of Polish culture and history as well as given me new strategies as both an instructor and a student myself. Furthermore, my studies influenced my creative work as they always have. (Peter Burzynski)

I also discovered the magnificent Jagiellonian University. I learned about the history of the university and that UJ is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world. (Bartłomiej Boryczka)


I attended an awe-inspiring street performance festival, a Jewish music festival, and spent time in bookstores chatting with local poets and sipping coffee on tables that had original handwritten works by Nobel Laureates Czesław Miłosz and Wisława Szymborska encased within them. This last experience was especially impactful on me since I have long been inspired by the works of both poets. I teach their work every semester and have written about it extensively in my graduate studies. It was truly a pleasure to feel their presence so closely. I also made pilgrimages to their tombs in Kraków in order to pay my respect and perhaps gain insight for my own poetry. (Peter Burzynski)
FULL REPORT Bartłomiej Boryczka
Wednesday, January 25th, 2017 Newsletter No Comments

2017 Wisconsin Study in Poland

Wisconsin Study in Poland

Through the generosity of Wisconsin’s Polish community, the Kościuszko Foundation has launched its Wisconsin Study in Poland Scholarship (WSIP) program.

The scholarship is offered to two students for the summer study program at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Candidates may apply for a four (4) week or a six (6) week program.

The scholarship covers the cost of program fees including the cost of tuition, language textbooks, a shared room, meals and complementary programs such as sightseeing. Scholarship recipients will be responsible for their own transportation, health care coverage and all other costs.

The applicants must be at least 18 years of age and meet the Kościuszko Foundation summer program eligibility requirements. Additionally, they must be Wisconsin residents of Polish descent. However, consideration may be given to non-resident Wisconsin students of Polish descent attending a Wisconsin college or university. Previous knowledge of the Polish language is not required.

Application deadline is May 18, 2017
click here for details of the application procedure

While at the Kościuszko Foundation website, check also other scholarships and exchange programs open to candidates meeting various eligibility criteria.

 

 

 

Tuesday, January 24th, 2017 Newsletter No Comments

2016 Merry Christmas

Wesołych Świąt Bożego Narodzenia

Christmas means a lot of things to a lot of people. It’s also the time of year that brings back so many memories of some of the best and richest moments we’ve ever had with our families and friends. Whether it goes back to our time as young boys or girls or adults, the Christmas season holds a bounty of life experiences that most of us treasure all our lives.

For Poles, Christmas is an especially meaningful time, and its impact has immeasurably shaped Polish life and culture.

Take for example all that happens in the course of a single day in the life of a Polish family, starting on Christmas Eve. It begins with the preparations for the Wigilia dinner after a day of fasting. A child would be on watch for the first star in the sky, Gwiazdka (The Little Star). Once the star was seen, the Wigilia could begin. Sometimes hay was underneath the tablecloth, remembering Christ’s birth in a stable.

The meal begins with the breaking of the Opłatek (The Angel’s Bread), saying of a prayer, with a portion of the bread going to each person. A pink piece of Opłatek goes to the animals, as a reminder that even the animals or pets are God’s creatures. Next is the Wigilia meal, a meatless wonder of 9 to 12 courses.

After the meal, it’s time for singing the Polish Christmas Carols (Kolędy), followed by opening of the presents.

Polish Christmas Carols are something special, for their beauty, and for their ability to separate you from the worldly to the Divine. Enjoy those here on this website or seek them out wherever you wish, and may you have a Blessed Christmas.

David Rydzewski      

 

 


 


 


Thursday, December 22nd, 2016 Newsletter No Comments

2016 Independence Day Luncheon

dsc_8567_03

Polish American Congress-Wisconsin Division celebrates
Polish Independence Day and Veterans Day

dscn8523

Irena Frączek reports
Following the tradition established in 1997, Wisconsin Division of Polish American Congress (PAC) proudly hosted the annual luncheon in observance of Polish Independence Day and Veterans Day. Over 250 guests attended this year’s gathering held on November 6, 2016 in the beautiful Polish Center in Franklin, Wisconsin.

The Polish Independence Day (Narodowe Święto Niepodległości) was established in 1937 to celebrate the anniversary of November 11, 1918 proclamation restoring Polish sovereign state after 123 years of partition by Russia, Germany and Austria. This day of tribute to all those who fought for independent Poland coincides also with the Veterans Day honoring past and present members of the United States Armed Forces.

dsc_8431_03

The ceremony began with the singing of Polish and American national anthems led by Joseph Drobot, President of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America and violinist John Pienkos. Among distinguished guests introduced afterward were Piotr Janicki, Consul General of the Republic of Poland, Michael Lovell, President of Marquette University, Rev. Robert Wild, Past President and current Chancellor of Marquette University, Teresa Jankowski, Commissioner of the Polish National Alliance, Ken Skowronski, President of the Polish Heritage Alliance, artist Bolesław Kochanowski and many past and present officers of the PAC-Wisconsin Division.

dsc_8398_03

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTO GALLERY


After opening remarks delivered by David Rydzewski, president of PAC-Wisconsin Division, and consul Piotr Janicki, the elegant meal followed the invocation given by Fr. Ronald Kotecki. Aleksandra Burzynski, the owner of Polonez Restaurant in Milwaukee, generously donated the delectable desert ending the banquet.

The event culminated in the salute to veterans and traditional ceremony of awarding the Congressman Clement Zablocki Civic Achievement Award to outstanding individuals and organizations for their service to the Polish-American community and Polish contributions made to broader advancements in the state and the nation. Over the years, the award has been granted to over seventy deserving recipients with many of them attending the 2016 ceremony.

Congratulations to the 2016 honorees including:

dsc_8522_03Dr. Stanley Jaskolski – an accomplished scholar and most successful fundraiser, former Dean of the Marquette University College of Engineering and former member of the Board of the National Science Foundation. He has been also a generous supporter of the Polish Heritage Alliance and the Polish Center of Wisconsin.

dsc_8376_03Major Leonard Jedrzejczak – a major in the Polish Army under the command of general Władysław Anders and participant of heroic battles of Monte Cassino, Bologna and Tobruk. In the United States, he was actively involved in the Polonia Sport Club, Polish Scouts, the weekly Polish radio program and the Wisconsin PAC.

dsc_8534_03 Rev. Tim Kitzke – the pastor of Three Holy Women Parish on Milwaukee’s East Side, one of the city’s leading parishes including three churches established by Polish immigrants. He serves also as Vicar General for Urban Ministries for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and board member of the Catholic Home of Milwaukee.

dsc_8378_03Ken Skowronski – Wisconsin State Representative, President of the Polish Heritage Alliance of Wisconsin, an organization actively sponsoring the annual Polish Fest and the Polish Center of Wisconsin. Formerly served as alderman for the City of Franklin, president of the Franklin Lions Club and Deputy Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus.

dsc_8548_03 St. Josaphat Basilica Foundation – a non-profit body of business and community leaders dedicated to raising funds needed to preserve the magnificent Basilica of St. Josaphat and heightening public awareness about its importance. Since 1901, the basilica is one of the most spectacular shrines of faith and Polish cultural heritage in the United States.

dsc_8406_03 John Paul II Polish Saturday School at Milwaukee’s St Maximilian Kolbe Parish- continuing the long standing tradition of serving Polish Americans in Milwaukee area, the school offers its students instruction in Polish language and an excellent program of classes in Polish culture, traditions and geography of Poland.

dsc_8561_03Sisters of St Joseph of the Third Order of St Francis – originally known as the Polish Sisters of St. Joseph, the order was founded in 1901 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin to teach children of Polish immigrants. Celebrating the 115th anniversary, the order is engaged now in the broader fields of health and respite care.

Click the link below for the downloadable document
with more information about 2016 honorees
2016 honorees full length

 

 

 

Thursday, November 10th, 2016 Newsletter No Comments
« Previous Entries Next Entries »

Archived Posts

November 2025
M T W T F S S
« Oct    
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930

ARCHIVES