A Child's Gate to Learning


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Child's Gate to Learning

"Child's Gate to Learning" officer Aldona Kamantas and four Lithuanian-American high school-aged 2009 summer volunteers who worked at two different supported centers in Lithuania.

Activities

Child’s Gate to Learning develops, implements and initiates programs that foster character development, responsibility and self-esteem in the young people through the use of directed discussions and role-playing, games, art projects, and plays.

2008

Completed the 5th character building program, “SPARNAI”, addressing challenging social issues and problems, and introduce its concepts and methodologies to representatives of the 9 supported centers at a spring weekend seminar in Kaunas. Began supporting a 10th center “Saulės zuikučiai” in Druskininkai. Continued to promote local volunteerism at the supported centers in Lithuania. Commemorated the organization’s 10the annivesary and the years of working with the directors and staff of after school centers and temporary shelters in Lithuania. Prepared a retrospective photography exhibit for the Lithuanian Catholic Federation “Sendraugiai” at Camp Dainava, near Manchester, MI in August. Presented the development of the five character building programs and organizational highlights, during a session at the Lithuanian Symposium on Arts and Sciences in Chicago, IL, during U.S. Thanksgiving weekend. That same weekend, officers and directors met with sister Daiva Kuzmickaitė, one of the founders of the organization, and supported „Vilties angelas“ center director, sister Jolita Matulaitytė during their visit from Lithuania. (See the Feb. 2009 newsletter for more 2008 highlights).

2009

Welcomed the spring visit to Chicago, IL and Ann Arbor, MI by Lithuanian coordinator, Žydrūnė Liobikaitė, including meetings with organization officers and her public presentations about social work with Lithuanian at risk families. Continued to maintain contact with the 10 supported centers in Lithuania and added the 11th center, the St. Jacob’s parish center, in Jonava. Received Lithuanian Foundation and other generous support that helped the newly supported center buy essential furniture and supplies. Coordinated and prepared four Lithuanian-American high school volunteers for their summer work – three at the supported “Vilties vėrinėliai” center in Žemaičių Kalvarija and one at the „Vilties angelas“ center in Vilnius. Various officers had the opportunity to visit supported centers and meet with the coordinator in Lithuania during the year. (See the Feb. 2010 newsletter for more 2009 highlights).

2010

Work with the Lithuanian coordinator on plans for the spring biennial seminar in Kaunas for organization-supported center directors, staff, and volunteers.
Review the work being done to update first character building program in preparation for a new revised printing.
Organize traditional and initiate new fund-raising events and projects.
Continue to maintain contact with the 11 supported centers in Lithuania, the Lithuanian coordinator, and the support groups in the United States.
Continue to promote Lithuanian-American youth and local volunteerism at the supported centers in Lithuania.

Previous activities

^{Read about our earlier activities
back to 1998
- 2007}