News

Joseph P. Kazickas passed peacefully at home in East Hampton, NY on July 9, 2014 at the age of 96. Obituaries are in the New York Times and in the East Hampton Star ,condolence letters can be signed in the New York Times Guest book until August 20, 2015 or mailed to: the Kazickas Family Foundation, 120 East 38th Street, New York, New York 10016, USA. The Family has suggested memorial contributions to the Lithuanian Foundation; 14911 127^th Street; Lemont, IL 60439, USA.

ASSIST NYC Reception of ASSIST alumni and friends of New York City area was held in the Colony Club, NYC. The Kazickas Family Foundation sponsored three Lithuanian scholars for the 2014/2015 school year with four more Lithuanian scholars arriving on ASSIST for the 2014/2015 school year thanks to the ASSIST challenge grant. 171 students from 20 countries will attend 88 member schools in the US. Lithuanian delegation of seven scholars are following in the footsteps of 100 alumni who represented Lithuania with distinction. 

KFF Vilnius bureau Executive Director Zenonas Bedalis hosted an orientation seminar for the ASSIST Lithuania scholars in the Kazickas Family Residence, Vilnius, Lithuania. ASSIST 2014 alumni joined in sharing their experiences and giving advice. 

Irina Matijonsaitiene of Kaunas University of Technology, presented her research conducted under the Joseph Peter Kazickas Fellowship program while at Yale University. Mrs.Matijosaitiene's four month study focused on how Urban planning affects Crime situation.

KFF is committed to further strengthening Lithuanian Heritage schools ability to attract and retain students, to enchance instuction and assessment. Supporting AKGP, KFF is wokring with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania in creating Lithuanian Proficiency Exams to certify the competency of candidates (children, juniors and adults) from outside Lithuania in Lithuanian language. 

Prof. R. Bansevicius, Chairman of the Senate, and Prof. P. Barsauskas, Rector of Kaunas University of Technology during a ceremonial meeting of the Senate, awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Kaunas University of Technology to Jurate Kristina Kazickas for her significant contributions and accomplishments in the Global leadership and an exceptional support of the University youth. 

In an effort to better understand the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania position on the assessment of Lithuanian as a Foreign language in the US Lithuanian Heritage schools, KFF NYC director Neila Baumiliene who is also in charge of AKGP, took a trip to Dublin, Ireland. 

While conducting AKGP for the Lithuanian Heritage schools of the US, KFF Vilnius Bureau organized a meeting with the representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. 

A display with photographs, letters and an excerpt of memoirs by Dr. Joseph P. Kazickas about his friend artist Vytautas Kasiulis (1918-1995) was opened in Vytautas Kasiulis Art Museum in Vilnius, Lithuania. 

Encouraged by Marty Conlon, Manager of the NBA International Operations in New York, and Morgan O'Brian at the Sports Diplomacy Program/the State Department in Washington DC, KFF invited US Embassy's Public Affairs Officers from Vilnius Rima Vydmantas and Rasa Baukuviene, as well as PAO Minsk - Robin Solomon to share information on Sports Diplomacy.