THE
SUMMIT TIMESTHE
SUMMIT TIMESAMERICAN COUNCIL FOR POLISH CULTUREYouth Leadership Conference
The Youth Leadership Conference (YLC) in Washington DC, which the American Council for Polish Culture (ACPC) has sponsored since 1994 for students of Polish background, will take place this year June 15-21. The Conference is aimed at youths, ages 17 to 24, who are interested in civic and political activism. It is an up close and intensive opportunity for 20 to 25 young Polonians, chosen from all over the US, to explore the political processes and interact with national and international leaders in the realms of foreign policy, business, science, education, journalism, culture, and Polish American and East Central European affairs.
The YLC registration fee for the entire week is $250. Housing at George Washington University and one meal per day, along with most other conference expenses are generously made possible by the American Council for Polish Culture. Transportation to and from Washington DC, as well as each student's optional expenditures are up to the individual and/or local ACPC Supporting or Affiliate groups, other Polonia or student organizations, etc.
ACPC President Richard Wiermanski agreed with the assessment of the 19 high school and university students who participated in the 2002 conference that it was a "smash hit". The youths were intrigued by the intimate account of Poland's acceptance into NATO by the Hon. Nicholas Rey, former Ambassador to Poland. Equally riveting was the presentation by Dr. John Kromkowski, Dir. of the Ctr for Urban & Ethnic Affairs, Catholic Univ., with his fingertip knowledge of Polish and other ethnic groups data in economic and cultural areas.
The 2002 Conference included a "Polish Washington" bus tour guided by prominent Pol-Am sculptor Gordon Kray; a revealing presentation by Nancy Gucwa, one of the first women graduates of West Point; a visit to the beautiful American Center of Polish Culture, founded by ACPC where they were greeted by the Exec. Dir., Dr. Kaya Mirecka-Ploss, and met with the distinguished Ambassador General Edward Rowny; a surprise visit to the high-security conscious Pentagon where Jim Miklaszewski, White House Correspondent, held them spell-bound with his account of the Sept 11 attack; a guided tour of the Capitol; and visits to the Polish Embassy and the Polish Desk in the State Dept. Meetings also took place with Maj. Jan Chrypinski, Sr. Analyst with the Defense Intelligence Agency; Tara Karpinski of the Atlas Fdn which works with the Polish Econ. Fdn; Sandra Sobieraj White House Assoc Press Correspondent; Michael Lewan, public policy strategist; Congressmen John Larsen CT and John Shimkus; and Col. Casimir Lenard, Dir. and Sophie Miskiewicz-Peters of the Washington Office of the Polish American Congress.
For fun and relaxation there was the dinner on the Kennedy Center rooftop, topped off on the closing day by a picnic sponsored by the Polish Arts Assoc of Washington DC and the traditional St John's Eve or Wianki ceremony on the Mall near the Lincoln Memorial.
Participants in the 2003 Conference can look forward to an equally exciting and rewarding week, led by the founder/director of the YLC program, Dr. Maria Chrypinski.
For further information and an application (deadline April 15), visit the ACPC website www.polishcultureacpc.org or contact Dr. Chrypinski by phone at (734) 782-4917 or by e-mail at larkrest@wmis.net
Vol. 10, Issue No. 29/2003
The
Summit Times