Author: Latvians Online

Summer institute in Wisconsin offers intensive language courses

Latvians Online | 

The Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia (CREECA), together with the Department of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will host the Baltic Studies Summer Institute (BALSSI) from June 13 to Aug. 5.

Instruction in first- and second-year Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian will be offered. BALSSI 2011 will also include lectures in English on Baltic history and culture and a rich program of cultural events and field trips related to the Baltic countries.

Thanks to a grant from the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), the program fee for first-year Estonian and second-year Latvian will be waived for graduate students specializing in East European studies in any discipline. These students will, however, still be responsible for paying UW-Madison segregated fees.

The priority deadline for admission and the fee remission grant is April 11. Information and application materials are available on the BALSSI website, www.creeca.wisc.edu/balssi.

BALSSI is sponsored by a consortium of 10 U.S. universities and receives additional support from the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, ACLS and the Lithuanian Foundation. BALSSI at UW-Madison is also grateful to Madison Vilnius Sister Cities for its generosity and assistance, said Jennifer Ryan Tishler, CREECA’s associate director.

For further information about BALSSI 2011, contact Nancy Heingartner, BALSSI program coordinator, at balssi@creeca.wisc.edu or +1 (608) 262-3379.

During U.S. visit, foreign minister to meet government officials, community

Latvians Online | 

Latvia’s foreign minister plans to visit the United States from Feb. 19-23 to meet with government officials—including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton—and the Latvian community in the Washington, D.C., area.

Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis met Feb. 11 with U.S. Ambassador Judith Garber in Rīga to discuss details of the trip, the foreign ministry’s press office announced.

Besides visiting with Clinton, the foreign minister is expected to meet with officials from the Defense Department, the State Department, the National Security Council and the Defense Logistics Agency. Kristovskis also will visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Victims of Communism Memorial, both in Washington.

Kristovskis during the meetings will emphasize the strategic importance of Latvia’s relationship with the U.S. in foreign affairs and security issues, according to the press office. Among questions he will highlight is expanding Latvia’s energy security.

While in the nation’s capital, the defense minister also will meet with Latvian community leaders.

Kristovskis will be joined by Ojārs Kalniņš, a former Latvian ambassador to the U.S. who now is a member of Latvia’s parliament, where he is chair of the Foreign Affairs Commission.

ALAs Skolotāju konference šogad notiks Kalifornijā

Latvians Online | 

Ik gada Amerikas latviešu apvienības (ALA) Izglītības nozares rīkotā Skolotāju konference šogad notiks Sanfrancisko no 4.-6. martam. Uz konferenci ir aicināti skolotaji, pārziņi un darbnieki no visām ASV latviešu skolām. Konferences mērķis ir iepazīties vienam ar otru, dalīties pieredzē un mācīties no tā, ko dara citās skolās.

Programmā:

  • University of Washington baltiešu studiju programmas latviešu valodas pasniedzējas Kristīnes Motivānes lekcijas par latviešu valodas mācību;
  • Dr. Egila Zālīša lekcija par folkloras mācību;
  • panelis un pārrunas;
  • pārskats par skolu aptaujas rezultātiem: ko mēs mācām, kam mēs mācām, kas māca un ko varam viens no otra iemācīties;
  • vakara programmā Losandželosas vīru koris.

Programma ir vēl tapšanas stādijā. Ja ir ierosinājumi vai īpašas lietas, kuras konferences dalībnieka vēlas pārrunāt, lūdzu tos pieteikt Anitai Bataragai (abatarags@optonline.net). Par viesmīlību un skolotāju naktsmājām gādās Sanfrancisko latviešu skola.

Uz konferenci var pieteikties rakstot Anitai Bataragai (abatarags@optonline.net).