Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 12:56:39 -0500 (Eastern Standard Time)
Dear Friends,
Bridges for Education is pleased to announce that it will offer a
three-
week summer program of conversational English for Human Rights activists
and another program for journalists.
The purpose of Bridges for Education is to promote tolerance and
understanding using English as a bridge. The program for Human Rights
activists will be held at a boarding school in the town of Lebork,
southwest of Gdansk, Poland.
The program for journalists will be held in a boarding school in Tuchola,
Poland. It is in a national forest southwest of Gdansk, Poland. The
proximity of the two camps will allow for interaction of the participants
and speakers.
Both camps will have internet conections.
The dates: July 5- July 23rd. Students are to arrive July 4th and leave
on
July 24th. There will be Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Students will be
picked up in Warsaw as a group and transported by bus to Lebork or
Tuchola.
Cost?
What else is provided?
How many will be accepted? How many per class?
What is the age limit?
What language skills must the participants already have?
What is the day like?
What is the methodology?
What is the curriculum?
Speakers:
What is the enrollment date?
What is the responsibility of the students?
Are there rules for students?
Is there testing?
What are the accommodations?
How is the food?
What if I get sick?
Who will take care of the visas?
What is Lebork like?
What is Tuchola like?
These are no additional costs for these events and activities.Both BFE
programs are about an hour and a half apart by car. We plan to
coordinate some of the activities and speakers with both camps.
BFE has offered programs at both facilites before and has been quite
pleased with the accommodations and the organization by the excellent Camp
Directors. They are full time Directors of the facilities during the
academic year.
What is the benefit?
Why learn English?
An international camp of conversational English with Human Rights
activists and journalists from across Eastern and Central Europe, the
Caucus and Central Asia regions will provide an amazing opportunity to
forge alliances and friendships with colleagues who deal with similar
problems.
The informal and formal networking opportunites that will develop at
this camp will have long term impact on the international Human Rights
and journalism fields.
Funding and scholarships:
Soros/Open Society Foundation in each country.
European Commission
Council of Europe
Who is Bridges for Eduation?
How are teachers selected?
Training of camp Directors?
What programs does it organize?
Who are its partners?
Any new programs?
New BFE international programs for adults include one for
human rights activists, another for journalists and a new program
for education officials, will be offered in the 1999 summer
How do I get an application?
Human rights and journalism organizations are encouraged to notify
possible candidates for this special program and provide financial
support. Recommendations for speakers are welcome.
How do I pay?
Bridges for Education c/o Mr. Wieslaw Smyrgala
Deposits to be received by April 1st, no later.
BFE Application:
Name: (first, last)
Mrs J.Beth Ciesielski
From: "J.Beth Ciesielski"
$450.00 US dollars per person for three weeks room and board, weekend
travel, guides and tickets to museums, movies, and concerts. The cost also
includes the services of professional American teachers who will teach
conversational English. Travel costs to Warsaw are not included.
Dictionaries, T shirts, supplies for the classes and activities, and a
BFE
official certificate for attendance at all activities and classes.
Only 100.
BFE will recuit and prepare 10-15 teachers and teaching assistants.
Classes therefore will be small (about ten per class) in order to enourage
as much active speaking participation as possible.
Any age over 21. Working Human Rights activists and working
journalists in any media will be given priority.
Students in human rights and journalism programs may also apply.
They must have a working knowledge of English: vocabulary and
some knowledge of grammar. This is a conversational English language
program to require participants to practice English with native
speakers of English in an active approach to learning. Vocabulary and
points of pronunciation and grammar will be addressed as need arises.
The BFE teachers will host three to four classes in the mornings. All
meals will be eaten with the BFE teachers. Afternoon and evening
activities will also be arranged by BFE. Human Rights and
journalism speakers will be invited to host debates and round table
discussions.
The motto of BFE is that teachers speak no more than 25% of the time,
and students at least 75% of the time. Therefore, BFE teachers come
prepared with activities to stimulate and encourage the students to speak
English as much as possible. These can include games, skits, music,
theater, debates, team competitions, a newspaper or journal clubs,
dancing,
art, etc. It is a time for learning English in an enjoyable atmosphere
with serious debates on issues of human rights as well. Students will be
expected to demonstrate their speaking skills all the time. This is NOT a
lecture type approach to learning.
Students who apply are to submit a list of seven topics they feel are
important in the field of Human Rights or journalism and they are to come
prepared to discuss at least two. These topic lists will be forwarded to
the BFE teachers by April 15th. The teachers will incorporate as much as
possible these topics in the morning classes and activiites. Materials
from human rights and journalism organizations will be distributed and
used to promote thoughtful understanding of complex issues and problems.
Human Rights and media organizations are encouraged to provide their
brochures and materials to distribute to the students. They may also offer
recommendations for speakers.
BFE is accepting recommendations for speakers. They must pay their own
transportation. They will receive a $50.00 honorarium and free room and
board for one to two nights per camp. Please contact Mrs. Beth Ciesielski
at JBC@BUFFALO.EDU. Please submit a resume of suggested candidates. They
must be able to speak in English. This will be an outstanding opportunity
to meet 100 international professionals and explain your organization and
issues which you consider important.
Half the tuition cost $225.00 (US dollars) must be received by April
1st.
No exceptions. No return on deposits. Enrollment is on a first come first
served basis with a limit of 20 persons from any one country. A waiting
list will be created once the limit is reached. The final payment of
$225.00 must be paid upon arrival. In case of cancellations before June
1st, final payment will be returned.
To attend all BFE classes and activities. To speak English all the
time. All students are expected to bring with them genuine human rights
and journalism issues in their country to present for discussion.
The BFE weekly newspaper can include interviews, position papers, and
political issues of interest to the participants.
Draft resolutions on international issues may be voted on by the
participants and distributed to international media and organizations
during the camp. Press conferences, both mock and real can be held.
The mix of personalities, experience, education, culture, drive and
seriousness of the students will largely determine what they wish to
do about the issues they discuss in this three week program.
Yes, students must attend all classes. More than two unexcused
absences
may result in the student not receiving a diploma and/or being asked to
leave. No alcohol is permitted in any of the campus buildings. No smoking
in any of the buildings. Common courtesy must be shown classmates and
roommates regarding use of facilities and sleeping hours. A student
council will be elected by the participants to review matters of
disagreement and violations of rules. The Camp Director has final
authority however in matters of discipline and safety.
Yes, participants are tested before the instructional program to
determine
what level of English they have in order to place them in three to four
groups for teaching purposes. All students will be rotated through all BFE
teachers to develop a more flexible ear. There is also a post test to
determine inividual progress. There are however, no grades given to the
participants. It is up to each particiapnt to decide how serious he/she
will be about learning to speak English with native speakers and with
other students. The Polish Ministry of Ed has said that three weeks with
BFE is equivalent to one to two years in a regular school program.
BFE has used these facilities before and found both very clean and
modernized with new furniture and lights, bathrooms and showers. Bathrooms
and showers are down the hall. They have been recently refitted with new
ceramic tiles and bathroom fixtures. There is a washing machine and
television and meeting rooms in the dormitory. The cafeteria is in the
same building. Three meals a day are provided. The classrooms are a five
minute walk away. Students are four to a room and will be mixed by
nationality. Men and women have share separate bedrooms and bathrooms.
Married couples will have mixed accommodations.
Nutritious fresh vegetables and fruits, soups, meat and fish are
prepared
for all students and teachers. Restricted special diets can not be
prepared. BFE teachers have been very satisfied with the meals provided
at this camp site and elsewhere in Poland. The cooks try to be
accommodating to those who do not eat pork or who are vegetarians, within
reason. People with extreme eating problems are urged not to apply.
There will be a doctor available to all students. Applicants must
supply a
copy of their medical record and health insurance to Mr. Smyrgala.(address
below)
Each applicant, once accepted will receive an official letter of
invitation to Poland. Each applicant must apply then for their own visas.
The cost of visas is not included. It is up to the applicants to get these
visas on time, so that early application for the program is strongly
recommended.
Lebork is a middle size town with beautifully restored homes and
modern
offices and companies. There are plenty of new stores and restaurants for
food and clothing and books.
There is a movie house and a train station in town provding quick travel
to Gdansk and to Leba, a wonderful sea side resort on the Baltic Sea.
Weekend trips to Gdansk are planned. Bring your bathing suit and
sport clothes. Poland has quickly become a country with new developments
in building and modernization evident every day.
Tuchola is also a middle sized town. It is a vacation destination with
many lakes and tourist facilities. There is also a movie house and train
station. You will be able to go horseback riding, bowling, swimming,
kayaking and hike in the woods. There is a weight lift room. There are
very nice restaurants and stores. Weekend trips will be planned to Gdansk
and Sopot on the Baltic and to Malbrok or Turon. There is a computer lab
with a scanner and internet connection.
Human Rights and journalism professionals often have so much work to
do
that they lack the opportunities to speak English in a planned way with
native speakers. One or two hours of English lessons a week are not enough
to create an atmosphere that obliges the participants to think and dream
in English. A three week program of daily lessons and activities in
English with human rights and journalism theme throughout, will provide
fascinating information about these fields from the speakers and the
participants.
Students will want to speak English in order to participate in the many
debates and discussions on issues that cross all manmade and imaginary
boundaries. They will become immersed in the activities, materials and
conversations and use their English all the time.
English language skills are now urgently needed to attend
international
conferences, participate in exchanges, use the internet, read professional
journals, and to deal with the international justice systems and media.
In too many government and NGO organizations, the same people are sent to
international conferences, not because they are necessarily the right
person to send, but because they are the only one with enough speaking
skill in English. This creates a bottleneck in the information to an
organization and limits networking outside the organization.
Students are to apply to their national and international
organizations
and foundations for funding.
Mr. John Penny, Human Rights and Democratisation, European Commission,
Directorate General IA_External Relations Europe and the Newly
Independent States, Common Foreign and Security Policy and External
Service,
tel 32-2-299-20-19, fax 32-2-295-78-50,
email john.penny@dgla.cec.be
http://culture.coe.fr- information about fudning sources.
Sabine Klein Http://www.coe.fr/youth travel grants for groups of ten
disadvantage students to international programs- train reimbursement.
M. Alfredo Miccio, Head of Confidence Building Measures program email
catherine.fornec@coe.fr
Bridges for Education is a not for profit educational organization
incorporated through the New York State Education Department. It was
founded in 1994 and has state and federal tax exempt status. It is not a
religious or ethnic organization. It receives no government funding. BFE
teachers are volunteers who pay their own airfare and BFE administrative
expenses. They receive free room and board, a modest stipend, and one week
of travel in the host country for their volunteer work.
The BFE Executive Director chooses the Group Leaders who must have
served
at least one year as a BFE teacher. Each receives a BFE Group Leader
handbook and share experiences, concerns and input with each other and the
BFE Executive Director. They personally interview the teachers, check
references and select their own teams.The teachers prepare together as a
team prior to departure.They each receive a BFE handbook with a
description of their responsbilities, what they can expect, lesson
suggestions and curriculum guidelines. The BFE teachers also have rules of
discipline.
BFE provides a handbook for Camp Directors and hosts an Annual
Leadership
Training conference in the fall for all countries who wish to organize BFE
international English language camps. The Camp Directors meet and discuss
ways to improve the camps.
It has organized language camps throughout Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine
(Lviv and Crimea), Romania, Bulgaria, Belarus, and Slovakia. Students from
Russia, Chechnya, Finland, Estonia, Hungary, Czech, Italy, Austria, Canada
and the USA have also joined our programs.
BFE works with the Ministry of Education, UNESCO, Soros, and national
and international foundations and NGOs. The majority of the BFE programs
in the past have been organized for teenagers 14-18 years old.
BFE has also organized programs for adults at the Technical University
of Poznan, Poland and Technical University of Nitra, Slovakia. BFE will
offer programs for educators at Poznan Technical University, Poland, at
Timisoara Technical University in Romania and at a boarding school in
Krakow.
New participating countries, Germany, Serbia, Moldova, Bosnia,
Azerbaijan,
Macedonia have already indicated that they will send students to the BFE
camps this summer. Possible 1999 BFE camps for teenagers; Poland,
Lithuania, Belarus, Romania and Hungary. Please read the BFE homepage
listed below.
For applications please contact Mr. Wieslaw Smyrgala, BFE
International
Coordinator at tel 48-81-886-37-05, fax 48-81-886-39-36 or 8879-768, email
bursa@box43.gnet.pl or copy the simple application below. Fill it out in
ink and fax or email to Mr. Smyrgala.
****Payment in dollars is to sent to:
Bank Depozytowo- kredytowy o/Pulawy
nr. Konta 10701311-1586-2311-0100
Bursa Szkolna w Pulawach ul. Wojska Polskiego 7
Enrollment after that date will include a $50.00 additional charge.
Address: Home
Address: work
Telephone
Fax
email
Profession:
Name of employer:
education
age
eating restrictions?:
Smoker?:
Seven topics of interest?
Married couple?
Which program are you applying for?
BRIDGES FOR EDUCATION
Executive Director & Founder
94 Lamarck Drive
Buffalo, NY 14226
Tel (716) 839 0180
Fax (716) 839 9493
e-mail:jbc@buffalo.edu
http://wings.buffalo.edu/bfe - USA
http://academic-info.uj.edu.pl/bfe/bridges.html - Europe