IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 15, 2007
CONTACT: Gordon Ovenshine:
724.738.4854

                                         724.991.8302

gordon.ovenshine@sru.edu

Ukrainian educators seek teacher-preparation input from SRU 

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Four Ukrainian educators will visit Slippery Rock University Thursday for a first-hand look at its teacher-preparation programs and to explore the possibility of internships and other educational collaborations. A representative from the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine will be on campus as well.

            Iryna Temchenko, a Ukrainian exchange student at SRU from 2002-03, will be the group’s interpreter.

            “One of the ways to foster mutual understanding is by learning how various cultures learn and process information,” said William Kirker, a 1973 and 1992 SRU graduate who organized the visit. 

            Kirker, president of the Greenville Rotary Club, is bringing the delegation to western Pennsylvania through a program offered by the Open World Leadership Center in Washington, D.C. The program fosters mutual understanding between East and West.

            The visiting group includes a university president, two secondary school administrators and a representative from Ukraine’s department of education.

            “I think it’s important that they come to Slippery Rock University,” Kirker said. “From it earliest days, Slippery Rock was a teacher-preparation institution.”

            The Ukrainians will meet with Jay Hertzog, dean of the College of Education, 

and Pam Frigot, director of international services. They will also discuss the importance of advanced degrees and continuing education for teachers.

            “They’re interested in seeing what has made us the strong teacher-preparation institution we’ve been for the past 118 years,” Hertzog said.

            Frigot and the embassy official will talk about international student visas and how students choose colleges and universities in the U.S. She will meet with the larger delegation to get their input on establishing programs in Ukraine.

            SRU therapeutic recreation faculty members Deborah Hutchins and Colleen Cooke are interested in launching an internship in Ukraine and hope to meet with the embassy official. Exercise science faculty member Robert Arnhold wants to establish and Camp Shriver program there.

 Slippery Rock University is Pennsylvania’s premier public residential university. Slippery Rock University provides students with a comprehensive learning experience that intentionally combines academic instruction with enhanced educational and learning opportunities that make a positive difference in their lives.