All are invited to participate! Please bring your wreath/centerpiece/tabletop tree to the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library (1400 Inspiration Place SW, Cedar Rapids) by Monday, November 26, 2017.Please attach a donor name to your item, or note who the item is in memory of so appropriate recognition can be given on the item donated. If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact one of the Czech Heritage Foundation wreath fundraiser committee members:Bonnie Rohlena (brohlena@netins.net)Donna Gruntorad (dmgrunto@inebraska.com)Chances will be available to purchase at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library's Old World Christmas Market, with drawings happening at 2:00pm on Sunday, December 3. Funds raised will go toward Czech Heritage youth programs, including the Homestay Program, Czech Heritage royalty, and more. (Visit NCSML.org for more details about Old World Christmas Market.)
Homestay participants share experiences during presentation at the NCSML
On Saturday, November 4, students who participated in Czech Heritage Foundation's Homestay Program shared photos and stories about their experiences in the Czech Republic this year. Thank you to the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library for hosting the Homestay presentation in the Skala Bartizal Library, to the student presenters, and to those who were able to attend!
Czech Homestay presentation set for Saturday, November 4
Applications being accepted for student exchange programCEDAR RAPIDS (Nov. 1, 2017) -- Students from Iowa who traveled to the Czech Republic this summer during the revitalized Czech Heritage Foundation’s Homestay program will present photos and information from their trip this Saturday, Nov. 4.The presentation will take place from 1-2 p.m. at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, 1400 Inspiration Place SW. The Czech Heritage Foundation restarted its Homestay program this year under the direction of board members Holly Stepanek and Rachel Wobeter, who both participated in the program as students.Under the program, Iowa high school students travel to the Czech Republic, attend school, visit area attractions and live with a host family to experience Czech culture for three weeks in the summer. Their Czech counterparts then do the same in Iowa. More than 100 high school students have participated in the program, funded by the Czech Heritage Foundation, since the educational program began in 1983.This year's Homestay program took Iowa participants to stay with families in Hradec Králové, a city similar in size to Cedar Rapids, northeast of the Czech capital of Prague. Photos and information about Hradec Králové and other points of interest the students visited will be presented during Saturday's program.Students preschool through college are offered free admission to museum exhibits this Saturday during Free First Saturdays, and the Homestay presentation, in the museum's library, is free for everyone.Applications for the 2018 Homestay program are available on the Czech Heritage Foundation's website: www.CzechHeritageFoundation.com###The Czech Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is committed to preserving, celebrating and maintaining the rich culture of the Czech community for future generations. Membership is open to all.
Recent Royal Court appearances
The Czech Heritage Foundation's Royal Court has been quite active this fall. Among other special events, royalty attended the annual St. Wenceslaus Goulash Day (Sept. 24), CzechFest in Czech Village (Sept. 24), and BrewNost! at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library (Sept. 15). They're already gearing up for a busy holiday season!
2017 Czech Heritage Foundation Homestay Program a success
The Czech Heritage Foundation restarted its Homestay program this year under the direction of board members Holly Stepanek and Rachel Wobeter. The Homestay program had been a treasured tradition for many years, but was discontinued for a short time prior to 2017. Holly and Rachel worked hard to arrange and see through this year's successful reboot, and are already looking forward to selecting students to enjoy this cultural experience in 2018. More information can be found on our website, and applications will be available soon.
This summer, American students from the Cedar Rapids area visited parts of the Czech Republic. Their Czech counterparts visited Iowa to live with host families, attend school and visit area attractions in late August and early September.
