50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps

February 27, 2011 at 2 p.m. we had English Speaking Club “Dialogue” with Jun Blore, Peace Corps Volunteer. It was a session devoted to the 50^th anniversary of the Peace Corps, which we would have on the 1^st of March. However we decided to speak about it a little bit earlier to give visitors the most important information concerning this date. There were 18 people, among them students and teachers. The group talked about different things concerning Peace Corps. This theme was rather interesting for our visitors, they asked a lot of questions concerning Peace Corps. Jun Blore told attendants about the organization itself, about its mission and goals. He also explained how Peace Corps Volunteers work, what should they do, who can be Peace Corps, why people decide to volunteer. A lot of different points were raised, and the visitors got answers to all the questions. They got more information about Peace Corps, got the answers to the questions they were interested in, found out a lot of interesting facts. This information was useful and important for the visitors because they should know about the people with whom they communicate, they should understand the goals of the Peace Corps Volunteers, and they should be loyal to the people who come to help us. “They do a great job, and that is cool.”

Presentation of Electronic Databases “Virtual Library”

February 23, 2011 at 3 p.m. we had a presentation of electronic databases “Virtual Library”. The speaker was Tischenko Nadia, the coordinator of the information center “Window on America”. There were 25 people, among them public officers, scientists, teachers of different universities, journalists, and librarians. I have prepared presentation devoted to electronic databases “Virtual Library”, which was demonstrated with usage of the projector. First of all I have told about the information resource center “Window on America”, about different services and resources presented in the center. Then the information concerning components of the database “Virtual Library” was presented, it was given the explanation how to work with electronic databases, how to search and find necessary information. After the presentation, I answered the questions from the listeners. This session was very important for the attendants because they got useful information about the WoA Center and the resources, especially such a resource as “Virtual Library”. As most of the visitors are persons who work at public places, they can spread the information concerning “Virtual Library” among their colleagues, co-workers and students.

Session of the English Speaking Club "Dialogue" devoted to the theme "American Colleges and Universities

February 20, 2011 at 2 p.m. we had English Speaking Club “Dialogue” with Jun Blore, Edward Novick and David, Peace Corps Volunteers. It was a session devoted to the theme “American colleges and universities”. There were 21 people, among them students and teachers. The group talked about the most famous universities and colleges of the USA, singled out different types of colleges, discussed opportunities they would have entering different types of educational institutions. The volunteers explained how to get into the college or university, which a person wants to enter. Jun Blore also explained how to choose right college, how to understand which one is better or worse. Peace Corps Volunteers shared their impressions concerning their study at the universities. The attendants got more information about their opportunities of studying in the USA, they also studied how to work with reference books, which include the information about all educational institutions of the USA. This information was useful and important for the visitors because many of them want to study in the USA.

Presentation of the WoA resources

February 16, 2011 at 2 p.m. we had a Presentation of the WoA resources. The speakers were workers of the information and resource center Window on America and Peace Corps Volunteer Jun Blore. There were 25 people, among them schoolchildren and teachers from the school No.22. We were talking about the work and resources of the information and resource center “Window on America” in order to help schoolchildren to orient in the whole spectrum of different services and resources. The workers of the center told visitors about books, DVD-collection, audio books and other resources. Special attention was devoted to the program Rosetta Stone and to the new Test books: TOEFL and SAT. Jun Blore told the main information concerning preparation and passing TOEFL and SAT tests. The visitors were interested in the given information, because they are schoolchildren from the school, which is specialized in English learning. This session was very important for the attendants because they got useful information about the WoA Center, where they can get a lot of information about the USA.

Happy St. Valentine's Day

February 13, 2011 at 2 p.m. we had English Speaking Club with Jun Blore and Edward Novick, Peace Corps volunteers. This session was devoted to the theme “Saint Valentine’s Day in the USA. and Ukraine”. There were 25 people, among them students and schoolchildren. The group talked about the history and traditions of the holiday in the United States of America and Ukraine. Edward and Jun told us about the way they celebrate in the United States, and our students and children told about the way of celebration in Ukraine. Using a projector, the group also was watching a presentation and a short video about the history, traditions, symbols, and popular gifts of the holiday. Then the visitors discussed the differences in celebrations in the USA and Ukraine, identified the typical way of celebration in the USA. The attendants got more information about the celebration of Saint Valentine’s Day, about the way Americans feast the holiday. It was very important for the visitors because they got useful information about holidays and traditions of the USA by way of example of St. Valentine’s Day.

Travelling around the U.S.A. (southern state-Arizona, Texas, Florida)

 February 6, 2011 at 2 p.m. we had English Speaking Club “Dialogue” with Jun Blore, Peace Corps Volunteer. It was a session devoted to the theme “Traveling around the USA: southern states (Arizona, Texas, and Florida)”. There were 16 people, among them students and teachers. The group talked about the main characteristics of the states: Arizona, Texas, and Florida, discuss what they know about education, universities, geography, sports, cuisine, traditions, language of them. Jun Blore told about the features of these states and answered the questions, the attendants had concerning the theme of the discussion. The visitors singled out the differences between the states and discussed the reasons of such a great dissimilarity between them. This session was very important for the visitors because they got useful information about states of the USA, which can help them during their studying at the university and traveling to the USA. One of the attendants said an interesting quotation which became the quotation of the session: “The bigger is country, the more is quantity of the customs in it.”

Writing a winning essay

February 6, 2011 at 1 p.m. we had meeting devoted to TOEFL, GMAT and SAT preparation. Jun Blore, Peace Corps Volunteer, who is working in Mykolaiv school No.22, conducted the lesson. There were 12 people, among them students from different universities of Mykolaiv region. The attendants talked about the colleges and universities of the USA. and the tests, which are necessary to pass to enter different universities. Jun Blore also paid attention to such important part of the test as writing an essay. He told students about the ways of creating a winning essay, pointed the main parts of it, explained how to place the thoughts in it and proposed to make different activities, such as preparation (brain-storming) and writing a short essay. The attendants got more information about their opportunities of studying in the USA, they also studied how to write a good essay. This information was useful and important for the visitors because many of them want to study in the USA.