| |
Welcome to the new home of Lee's Summit Tribune. We are dedicated to providing you the most current and accurate news and events in Lee's Summit
|
|
Home
»
News
»
Russian Delegation Visits Lee’s Summit
|
|
|
| | |
|
 | |  |
|
Russian Delegation Visits Lee’s Summit
Nov. 20, 2010
The Russian Education Delegation took a few minutes during their visit to Metropolitan Community College – Business Technology College to enjoy the beautiful Missouri Fall weather. From left to right: Debbie Goodall, President, MCC- BTC; Beth Lindquist, Dean of Instructional Services, MCC-Longview; Nadia Dudik, Delegation Cultural Interpreter; Yelena Romanova, State Policy and Regulation in Education, Russian Federation; Tom Wheeler, MCC-BTC; Alex Galimov (kneeling), Translator; Yelena Sherysheva, Senior Specialist, Department of Education and Science of the Russian Federation; Oksana Sergeyevna, Specialist, Education Organizational and Informational Provision Department (International Relations); Sandy Eckert-Stewart, host family; and Karen Moore.
Russian Delegation Delights Sunrise Rotary
with a beautiful leather bound pictorial of Russia in appreciation of the Delegates week in Lee’s Summit.
By Mary Pechar
The Lee’s Summit Sunrise Rotary hosted Russian Delegates focused on American education from November 5th through the 13th. The Delegates were sponsored by the Open World Program, which was originally established as a Library of Congress–administered pilot project in 1999 to give emerging Russian leaders firsthand exposure to the American system of democracy through visits to local governments and communities in the United States. The Sunrise Rotary has developed a reputation for international service, hosting three previous Russian Delegations: one studying our legal system, another of commercial/industrial building contractors, and a third made up of road builders.
“The Russian Delegates provided an opportunity for an exchange of cultural ideas,” stated Rotary coordinator Carolyn McKnight of UCM Summit Center. “They had an opportunity to tour three R-7 schools, which they found to be impressive.”
The week was packed with a variety of experiences from a day at UCM Summit Center where sessions ranged from human rights protection and outreach to fundraising, educational leadership and technology. A day at UCM Warrensburg addressed higher education program assessment, the International Center and panel discussions with student leaders and a presentation by the Delegates on the Russia education system. Also on the agenda were sessions at Metropolitan Community Colleges – Business Technology College and an exciting day within the Lee’s Summit R-7 Schools. The group learned more about our local government with a tour of Municipal facilities and a round table including Mayor Rhoades, City Manager Steve Arbo, City Council Member Brian Whitley and Chamber of Commerce President Nancy Bruns. Culturally, the Delegation took in the WWI Memorial, Union Station, the Lee’s Summit Historical Museum, Art exhibits and plenty of shopping.
The delegation consisted of three women who are a part of the Russian Ministry of Education & Science, their cultural facilitator an Associate Professor at Moscow State Linguistic University and their translator Alex Galimov, a naturalized US Citizen who grew up in Siberia.
Their skill with the English language ranged from fluent to non existent, but these women enthusiastically communicated their reactions to the Lee’s Summit experience. Oksana Sergeyevna Isaycheva, comes from an area in the middle of Russia that is very similar in make up to the Kansas City area with a brewery, a car factory and a chocolate company. She has a Masters in English Methodology and a wicked sense of humor. On hand, you saw the serious study of the variety of educational processes and facilities they visited. On the other, you saw the pleasure with the cultural experiences, highlighted by shopping. Oksana was quick to tell Day Leader Scott Devouton, that no Russian man would buy the boots he bought on their shopping trip.
Yelena Ivanoyna Sherysheva made use of the translator to talk about the week being so feature packed, but the highlight for her was seeing the whole school system from High School to Elementary School and being able to compare it to her daughters’ schools.
Dr. Nadezhda Alekseyevna Dudik served as facilitator and appreciated the long term relationships she made during their visit.
The entire delegations’ feelings were summed up by Yelena Gennadyenvna Romanova, “My deepest thanks and appreciation to your club. This is my second trip to the United States of America. This trip was entirely different from the first. This time I got to stay with Sandra (Eckert-Stewart). My first visit was just as busy and feature packed, but we stayed in a hotel. The coziness of the home was important to experience. Previously I made good business colleagues, this trip I made FRIENDS.”
The other host families were Carl & Elaine Froeschle, Dan & Phyllis Hall, Bernell & Jackie Rice and Phil & Viv Richardson.
The Delegates are very pleased with the Open World Program that brings Russians to America, but they challenged the Rotary to share the experience and come to Russia.
| |
 | |  |
| | |
|
Other Recent Articles from the News Category:
| |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
City Crews Treating Streets throughout Morning
|
|
|
