Happy Halloween Meetings For WOA Center Visitors in Lutsk!

The first meeting that took place on October 28, 2013 gathered 12 students together with the English language teacher Svitlana Horbach. 

The students made creative this Halloween with exciting and engaging educational activities: answer questions to create a silly, spooky story, played the most popular Halloween games - pin- the-tail-on-the-donkey and bobbing for apples. 

Besides having fun, students reviewed basic vocabulary, learned about the background of the holiday, its customs and traditions, etc.  and develop creativity.

The second group of 19 students from National University of Food Technology visited the WOA center in Lutsk on October 31, 2013 and turned Halloween into learning holiday.

Halloween Word Searches, puzzles games, crosswords provided rich opportunities to learn about the holiday.

The Window on America Center in Lutsk Offers Board Games and Attracts Young Learners of English to the Center!

On October 30, 2013 the WOA Center took part at the Information Day that was organized at the Volyn Research library.

The event attracted 25 young visitors who enjoyed all manner of board games.

The games themselves have a wide variety of themes. There’s something for everyone.

The recourses presented attracted a wide variety of people who enjoyed old classics like Monopoly, 10 Days in the USA, UNO and motivated people to learn through fun practice.                    

Use the Kindle - eReaders at the Library!

The WOA Center in Lutsk took part in the Oblast Seminar “Informative Recourses in the Libraries ” that took place on October 29, 2013 at Volyn Oblast Research Library and gathered about 35 librarians.

In the frame of the seminar the Window on America Center coordinator made the presentation “E-Readers at the Library”.

 

The main emphasis was made on the following topics:

1.      the nature of e-books and why they are important to add to library collections;

2.      the ins and outs of licensing, purchasing, and lending e-books;

3.         how to navigate e-books readers –Kindles;

4.        how to get started using the devices;

5.        how to find books, etc.

The audience was proposed to get information about a vast variety of automated information resources.

The visitors showed big interest in getting information about the electronic reading at the Center.

With great pleasure we presented our work on Amazons Kindle format.

Halloween Is Coming! The Window on America Center in Lutsk Visitors Are Ready to Scare!

On October 27, 2013 the WOA Center visitors came to the Center to mark the holiday.

The WOA room was decorated in the traditional Halloween colours, orange and black.

At the beginning of the meeting the audience (23 people) was proposed to listen to the informative presentations about that holiday so that to be more aware of the background of it, customs and traditions, etc.

We made this Halloween special by carving your own pumpkins with this step-by-step guide.

The second part of the party was devoted to the most popular Halloween traditions - one of the most popular is called pin- the-tail-on-the-donkey and bobbing for apples.

Overall, all the visitors said they enjoyed the party and learned more about that festival.

Next Halooween meetings will be held during the week! Join us!

The Window on America Center in Lutsk Hosted Teens Debates!

On October 24, 2013 the Window on America Center in Lutsk gathered 20 pupils to talk about the life of a modern US teenager.

When looking for original activities that will help young people to be a success teen we decided to have a debate at the Center.

The following topics were discussed: Study hard in school, listen to your parents, be Creative, Show off your talents.

All of the ideas discussed, materials were aimed to inspire and engage teenage learners.

The presentation was led in debate format so the pupils could talk over how to solve the common teenage problems effectively and to handle many of the situations that life threw at them.

The Presentation “Let's Visit Washington, D.C.” Gathered Students at the WOA center in Lutsk.

The virtual travel to Washington D.C, the United States of America capital was held at the Center on October 23, 2013 the Window on America Center in Lutsk.

The meeting brought together the group of student (13) who had a great chance to explore local landmarks that illustrated Washington's diverse history.

During 2 hour meeting the audience learned about Washington D.C  - the city of museums, monuments, and political power. 

The presentation started with ‘visits’ to the U.S. Capitol Building, Lincoln Memorial, Air and Space Museum, and the Museum of Natural History.

The presentation was led in discussion format so the students could talk over the importance of Washington D.C to America’s history.

The Window on America Center in Lutsk Welcomes New Visitors - Teachers of English Language.

On October 17, 2013 the Window on America Center in Lutsk hosted a meeting for the 12 teachers of English language from local and regional schools.

During the presentation the audience got acquainted with the latest collection of English language learning and teaching resources at the Window on America Center in Lutsk.

Of great interest among the teachers were modern technologies that provided intense and meaningful practice of language in the classroom and at home:

1.      board games;

2.      language learning programs;

3.     Kindles in teaching and learning English;

 4.     the audio books;

 5.     audio language courses.

The results of the meeting suggested that the acquaintance with the WOA Center numerous resources can be used for the useful practice and review of language lessons.

We believe that classroom resources and modern technologies of the WOA Center can be used in planning lessons.

And the WOA Center staff is happy to help with this!

Mark Columbus Day by Visiting the WOA Center in Lutsk!

On October 10, 2013 the Window on America Center in Lutsk gathered people interested in background information about Columbus Day that became an official United States federal holiday in 1970.

The holiday had been commemorated in the U.S. on the second Monday in October, and the books exhibition “Columbus Day in the USA”was presented to the audience during the day.

The informative books exhibit will run till October 18.

Welcome to the Window on America Center and You will recognize how Columbus' discoveries effected the Native Americans.      

 

Banned Books Webinar: Speaking About the Freedom to Read at the Window on America Center in Lutsk!

On October 10, 2013 the Window on America Center in Lutsk gathered 18 visitors who had a chance to attend a webinar on the topic “Banned Books and Banned Web Sites: Ethics, Censorship, Filtering of the Web and Libraries in the U.S.”

The speaker was Barbara Jones, Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association Headquarters in Chicago, IL.

During the webinar the audience found out many interesting things related to banned books and intellectual freedom in the USA, highlighted the value of free and open access to information.

Banned Books Webinar brought together the entire book community – librarians, teachers, and the WOA readers – in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, ask questions and get profound answers.

Saying Goodbye to Terry Mattison!

On October 06, 2013  the Window on America Center visitors in Lutsk gathered to have a farewell party to Terry Mattison., the America Peace Corps Volunteer in Lutsk.

 Three years ago our city had honor to meet Terry Mattison. His visit had a concrete mission to promote world peace and friendship. And during these three years he worked at the City Council and every Sunday came to the WOA Room to organize different informative events for whose people who wanted to get knowledge about the United States of America 

The WOA visitors were happy to discover such fun and supportive Movie  and Speaking Clubs. Terry made our WOA Center community even stronger. He was the first who helped to organize events out of the Center ( We had a series of English language Tours of the Old City of Lutsk what helped us to attract more people to the Center). 

We want to thank Terry for building bridges of understanding between the USA and Ukraine.

 

After the interesting and lovely talk based on a period drama – “A River Runs Through It”, one of the most favorite movie of our American friend, Terry prepared one surprise – Fly Fishing “master class”.

 He showed the visitors the special techniques of casting with a fly rod, an ancient art. Everyone could even try his hand with a rod.

“WE WILL MISS YOU OUR DEAR TERRY”, said the WOA Center visitors to the American friend. “THANK YOU, TERRY, FOR YOUR GREAT HELP”.

We are  sure that the farewell is necessary before we can meet You again in Ukraine)! See You soon!

American Culture Through Library Events!

On October 01, 2013 a group of  Library Faculty students (about 30) gathered at College of Arts and Culture to make a virtual travel to the United States of America and to learn about:

• College and Research Libraries, 

• Special Libraries,

•  the public library in Chicago.

The second part of the presentation was devoted to the largest library in the world - The Library of Congress.

The meeting was designed so that the audience could learn more about:

·  needs of users

· access to information

·  user services, etc.

We believe that the unusual and informative event helped the students to get useful information about the United States of America through library events!