Daugavpils
Latvia
WIESCO + Latvia = 21 Years
Come, help us celebrate our years together!
About Daugavpils
The city of Daugavpils is in the southeastern region of Latvia and located on the Daugavpils River. It is the second largest city in Latvia, after Riga. The population, with the surrounding suburbs, is around 100,000.
Daugavpils is an economic, tourist, and cultural center. It is home to one of the largest regional universities and several historical sites, including Daugavpils Fortress, a well-preserved 19th century military fortification. Daugavpils Fortress features the Mark Rothko Art Center - the only display of the painter's original work in Eastern Europe.
about the Program
Program Dates: June 29 - July 17, 2020
The program in Daugavpils combines the talents of the American teachers complemented with the amazing, creative staff (teachers and helpers) of Latvia. The activities are all planned to be engaging and fruitful. From writing to crafts to science to music and dancing, the camp is brought to fruition as a result of the efforts of everyone. Enrollment varies little as it sits in the 95-100 student number annually. Each teacher has a homeroom of 12 - 15 students.
This lovely Mark Rothko style painted school is a short bus ride from where the teachers live. Both inside and out serve the WIESCO philosophy well as the teachers are welcome to use the facility as needed. Each teacher has a classroom and all gatherings, such as opening and closing ceremonies, dances, Russian/Latvian Day, and Independence Celebrations are hosted in the auditorium.
Lessons include program-wide activities which revolve around the same theme. Ages of the students range from 11 to 16 and are divided according to age. Every teacher has a homeroom state and thus the students become quite familiar with their respective "home bases".
Weekends offer a wonderful variety for WIESCO volunteers to learn about Latvia. Traveling to cathedrals, bread museums, a doll museum, the Hill of Wooden Statues, Riga, Jurmala, and children's homes, all offer an insight to the culture.
Volunteers will have the opportunity to spend a few days touring Vilnius at the end of the program. The cost of this stay is absorbed by the gracious Latvian program hosts.
Logistics
Getting There
Volunteers must arrive at Vilnius International Airport by Thursday, June 20th. Vilnius is much closer to Daugavpils than Riga. Local program hosts will provide transportation between Vilnius and Daugavpils at the beginning and end of the program.
Lodging
The American staff stays in the dormitory of a school located in the heart of Daugavpils. This setting has been most convenient for getting to school, shopping, eating, biking, movies, last minute needs, etc.
The cost of housing is supported by our hosts.
Program Director
Kathryn Murphy
kathy@wiesco.org
(715) 821-0794
Kathryn Murphy has been affiliated with WIESCO since 2001 and has been the director of the program since 2002. Kathryn has also taught in Armenia since 2016. She spent 38 years teaching Language Arts at Rice Lake and Somerset, Wisconsin School Districts. Now that she is retired, she enjoys time with her granddaughter, gardening, reading, and playing the piano for various hospitals in the area.