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Join us online via Zoom on Wed. Feb. 10, 2021 to learn about the famous Pączki Day Polish traditions. Our presenter, Marzanna Owinski, has prepared a wonderful lecture on the event and history. Share the flyer to your family and friends and we'll see you at 3PM EST on the 10th.  If you like this lecture and others like it, please consider supporting the Piast Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This way Piast Institute is able to provide you and many others with other event opportunities and lectures on Polish traditions and history.
The Piast Institute is a national research center devoted to Polish and Polish American affairs founded in 2003. The Piast Institute is pleased to announce that is has been awarded a 2020 Drug Free Community Grant (DFC) for the Hamtramck Drug Free Community Coalition (HDFCC). The Coalition joined 94 other coalitions that received an additional five years of DFC Grant funding.
The DFC Grant is for a total of $625,000 spread equally over a five-year period. The Institute must provide a 100 percent match for the award to the HDFCC. The purpose of the grant is to:
Piast Institute CEO/Co-Founder, Ms. Virginia Skrzyniarz noted, “We are not powerless against the challenge of drug use among young people here in Hamtramck. Research shows that prevention is the most effective tool we have to reduce the terrible consequences associated with drug use among youth. This funding will allow HDFCC to help place more young people on the path toward success and enable them to live healthier and safer lives.” For more information, please contact Piast Institute at 313-733-4535 or by emailing info@piastinstitute.org. Piast Institute i dr Dominik Stecuła z Colorado State University informują o rozpoczęciu drugiego cyklu badania ankietowego Polish Americans Today. Piast Institute to uznany na szczeblu krajowym think tank zajmujący się sprawami polsko-amerykańskimi, a także jedno z dwóch centrów informacyjnych powszechnego spisu ludności (CIC) w Michigan.
Będzie to już druga edycja Polish Americans Today, która zgromadzi dane demograficzne, społeczne, gospodarcze i polityczne oraz inne informacje o Polonii w Ameryce. Pierwsza edycja wyników badania, pod kierunkiem nieżyjącego już prezydenta emeritus, dr Thaddeusa Radziłowskiego i Dominika Stecuły, została opublikowana w 2010 roku w formie książki, która również jest bezpłatnie dostępna na stronie internetowej instytutu (www.PiastInstitute.org). Publikacja doczekała się kilku nakładów i cieszy się popularnością zarówno w Stanach Zjednoczonych, jak i w Polsce. Jednak pomimo całego wysiłku włożonego w zgromadzenie danych, wciąż potrzebne są nowe informacje w celu pogłębienia wiedzy o naszej polonijnej społeczności. Stąd Piast Institute przeprowadza pod kierownictwem CEO, Virginii Skrzyniarz, i dr Dominika Stecuły, kolejny cykl badania, które dostarczy najnowszych informacji na temat Polonii. Mamy nadzieję, że obecna ankieta zaowocuje wydaniem zaktualizowanej publikacji, która będzie zawierała aktualne informacje dostępne dla badaczy, naukowców, organizacji społecznych i wszystkich zainteresowanych Polonią. „Wartość tego badania nie jest czysto akademicka, ale ma wpływ na nasze zrozumienie tego, kim jesteśmy jako społeczność i dokąd zmierzamy”. powiedział dr Dominik Stecuła. Dostęp do ankiety można uzyskać, klikając w link: www.polishamericanstudy.com. Ankieta jest całkowicie anonimowa i można pominąć pytania, na które respondent nie chce udzielić odpowiedzi. Podane przez Państwa informacje będą traktowane jako poufne. Ankieta jest dostępna tylko w języku angielskim. Jeśli mają Państwo jakieś pytania, prosimy o kontakt z Piast Institute na email info@piastinstitute.org lub telefonicznie pod numerem 313.733.4535. Można również wysłać wiadomość e-mail na adres: dominik.stecula@colostate.edu. Pragniemy Państwu podziękować za zaangażowanie w sprawy społeczności polonijnej i udział w tym ważnym projekcie Instytutu Piasta. Podpisali, Członkowie Polsko-Amerykańskiej Komisji ds. Badań Polonii Virginia Skrzyniarz, CEO and Co-Founder of Piast Institute Dominik Stecuła, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Political Science, Colorado State University Alexander Clegg, Polish American Affairs, Piast Institute Malgorzata Tulecki, Executive Director, Piast Institute Dylan Siwicki, CIC Intern, Piast Institute Marzanna Owinski, Polish Cultural Programming, Piast Institute Grzegorz Fryc, President of Gram-X Promotions The Piast Institute along with Dr. Dominik Stecuła of Colorado State University announce the initiation of the second volume of its Polish Americans Today Survey. The Piast Institute is a nationally recognized think tank focusing on Polish and Polish American affairs as well as being the only Census Information Center (CIC) in the state of Michigan.
“The value of this work is not purely academic, but it has implications for our understanding of who we are as a community and where we are headed.” said Dr. Dominik Stecuła. This survey can be easily accessed by following this link: www.polishamericanstudy.com. The survey is completely anonymous and you can decline to answer any question that you do not want to answer by skipping it. The information you give will be kept confidential and will not be linked to you in any way. This survey is only available in English. If you have any questions, please contact the Piast Institute at: info@piastinstitute.org or call 313.733.4535. You can also send an email regarding questions on the survey to: dominik.stecula@colostate.edu. Thank you for serving the Polish American community and voluntarily participating in this important survey by the Piast Institute. Signed, the Polish American Survey Committee Members Virginia Skrzyniarz, CEO and Co-Founder of Piast Institute
Dominik Stecuła, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Political Science, Colorado State University Alexander Clegg, Polish American Affairs, Piast Institute Malgorzata Tulecki, Executive Director, Piast Institute Dylan Siwicki, CIC Intern, Piast Institute Grzegorz Fryc, President of Gram-X Promotions Marzanna Owinski, Polish Cultural Programming, Piast Institute As you well know October is Polish Heritage Month and we are delighted to recognize some of the programs and groups that have helped sustain and grow the Polish American culture. Polish language classes, Polish scouts, dance groups and camps, and Fraternal Organizations, not only give us pride in our heritage but give new generations an understanding of their past. It is with these activities in mind that we not only celebrate Polish Heritage Month but that we share with you Piast Institute’s exciting plans for future growth of Polonia.
With your help we are about to launch a Capital Campaign, our first since acquiring this building in 2008, to renovate three areas of our building to support and grow our programs and give the youth and community a safe and welcoming place to gather. This effort will be in three phases. The first phase involves the renovation of our current conference room, where we have traditionally held all of our events, including lectures, seminars, community meetings and dignitary and consular visits. In light of Covid-19 we believe this will allow us to accommodate different needs and offer safe distancing, and additional technology giving the Piast Institute and the community the opportunity to have a multipurpose space for individual or group activities. Changes would include new technology, a new floor, and ADA compliant furnishings that can be reconfigured and disinfected easily. The second phase of our campaign involves renovating an unused portion in the back of our building which was originally used as a garage. We would be maintaining the original brick walls while adding utilities and equipment. This would allow us a second space with a café atmosphere for artists to display, music to be heard and community groups to gather. We would be excited to bring in emerging Polish American artists, poets, musicians and writers to display and share their work. Piast has been promoting the arts and culture of Polonia for years but has lacked the space needed to truly highlight these programs. The third phase of this renovation involves preserving and protecting our archives. For many months now we have been blessed with a college intern that has begun the arduous task of sorting and cataloguing the papers, artifacts, and rare books that were Dr. Thaddeus C. Radzilowski’s legacy which is housed on the second floor of our building. The archives also contain extensive materials from the libraries of Dr. Edward Martin, Mr. Bruno Nowicki, Mr. Stanley Nowak, Mr. Joseph Kalenkiewicz and the Pieronek family. Unfortunately, this space is in desperate need of repair and updating. It is our goal to make it a useable space for historians and students who want to do research. Though the structure is solid, it has not been updated since 1958 and needs new walls and mechanics. We are most concerned about preserving the historical documents, housing them in a controlled environment, and making them accessible to a new generation of learners. We believe that this Capital Campaign will give us the opportunity to support the groups and organizations that are the pillars of our heritage as well as grow our youth involvement in the community. Polish Americans have a rich culture that needs to be shared. It is important that we have a place that says “come in, so we might share and learn together” and Build a New Polonia for the 21st Century. We hope that you will support this campaign financially and join us in preserving the heritage that our parents and grandparents loved and cherished. If you would like to view more details of our plans, please call our office and schedule a visit. It is difficult to express the anger, heartache and frustration that we are experiencing during this difficult time for our Metro Detroit community and our country. Not only the needless killing of George Floyd, but also Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many other African-Americans, have shocked us, at the Piast Institute, to our core. These killings represent the worst of our country: needles violence and injustice driven by racism and hatred of our fellow American brothers and sisters.
As members of the Polish-American community, it pains us deeply to see such injustice in the United States. As an immigrant community, many of our people came to this country because, at its best, it represents the best of humanity: a beacon of freedom, justice, and opportunity. It is a place where anyone can become an American, as long as they are committed to these shared set of values. Unfortunately, the killing of George Floyd demonstrates that we are falling well short of living up to these values. For too many African-Americans, the color of their skin is a major obstacle to the freedom, justice and opportunity that is the right of every American. Because of this, we cannot remain silent or indifferent to recent developments. A famous Polish creed says “for our freedom and yours.” This commitment to freedom and fighting oppression is a key Polish-American value, and has been a part of our community from the days of the Polish heroes of the American Revolution, Thaddeus Kosciuszko and Casimir Pulaski. Living up to their example must mean supporting the peaceful, and just, protests around the country, opposing police violence against protesters, allowing everyone to exercise their Constitutional and moral rights, and doing all that we can to end racism and bigotry that has ruined so many Black and Brown lives in the communities across our country. Black Lives Matter U.S. 2020 Census Complete Count Committee - Hamtramck invites community members to complete their census forms at the Piast Institute (11633 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck MI). We will have a computer and staff available to assist you in completing the 2020 Census form.
Please know this service will be available Mon., Tues., Wed. from 10am-2pm starting on March 16, 2020. POSTPONED!!! DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS, OUR STAFF IS TAKING PRECAUTIONS AND LIMITING OFFICE HOURS. THE OFFICE WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE TO HELP COMPLETE CENSUS FORMS. PLEASE CALL 313-733-4535 AND WE WOULD LIKE TO HELP WITH YOUR QUESTIONS. |
