This spring, CSEES has worked closely with Ohio K-12 teachers and students to promote the study of Eastern European languages and cultures.
K-12 Olympiada at Ohio State
On March 12, CSEES and the Department of Slavic and Eastern European Languages and Cultures (DSEELC)
hosted the K-12 Russian Olympiada. More than 50 students from Columbus North International School, Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati and Start High School in Toledo attended the competition. There were four levels of language learners, and each competed for first through third place. The students prepared for months in advance and their hard work was evident to the judges.
K-12 Teacher Workshop at Ohio State
On April 9, CSEES hosted a workshop for K-12 teachers. Ten teachers from across the state of Ohio traveled to
Ohio State to attend the workshop, which examined the history of the Holocaust in Hungary and discussed the re-emergence of far-right wing political trends in the country today. The lecture was given by CSEES’ Outreach Coordinator, Kathryn Metz. Following the lecture, the group viewed the 2016 Academy Award-winning film, Son of Saul, which brought to life many of the historical details that were discussed during the lecture. Participating teachers had the opportunity to create a lesson plan from the materials covered in the workshop in order to incorporate Hungarian history and current events into their classrooms.
Baba Yaga Lesson at Walnut Hills High School
Helena Goscilo from DSEELC visited Walnut Hills High School on May 3. She graciously gave a lecture to the
students on the Russian fairy tale of Baba Yaga. The students were excited to have an Ohio State professor visit their class and they were intrigued by the visuals presented and the folklore that Goscilo discussed.
