Another Successful Year

This year marked the eleventh anniversary of the Adult Ukrainian Language Immersion Course (AULIC) held August 11-14, 2011 at Trident Camp, Crystal Lake, Saskatchewan.  This project is sponsored and organized jointly by the Ukrainian Canadian Professional & Business Association (UCPBA) of Regina and the Ukrainian Orthodox Men’s Association (UOMA) of Regina. The program was funded through student enrollment fees plus grants from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Saskatchewan Provincial Council, UCC - Regina Branch, Saskatchewan Organization for Heritage Languages (SOHL), SUS Foundation, and the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko.  The first three of these funding agencies receive a major portion of their funds from SaskCulture, which in turn is funded through monies received through SaskLotteries. These funding agencies have been acknowledged on the AULIC brochure and in all previous press releases. 

Enrollment numbered 15 this year. The students came from across Western Canada as well as a student from Alaska.  Half of the participants attended AULIC for the first time and the remaining at least twice, some of which have been to AULIC almost every year since its inception!  Many of the new participants learned of the project through AULIC’s web site www.aulic.ca  AULIC provided a great opportunity for the participants to improve their Ukrainian grammar and have a great time polishing their language skills plus learning many traditional Ukrainian folk songs and traditions. 

 The AULIC program offered three levels (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced) of Ukrainian language instruction throughout the weekend.  Instructors this year included native Ukrainians: Olena Kovpak-Gnyp from Saskatoon, a Ukrainian language teacher for many years; Oksana Sholdra of Regina, an ESL teacher and Ukrainian dance choreographer in Regina; and Olena Shyian, another teacher recently from Ukraine and presently working in Regina.  

During the day, a full schedule of classes was held.  Evenings were spent singing, dancing, watching Ukrainian videos and participating in Ukrainian cultural activities.  There was also a scheduled trip to the Ukrainian Heritage Museum in Canora which houses local Ukrainian pioneer artefacts and documents as well as general information on Ukrainian history and culture.   

As in previous years, on the Saturday night of the weekend session, the students of the AULIC presented a program to special guests from Canora, Yorkton and area.  After dining on a delicious meal, the guests witnessed the many talents of the instructors and participants throughout the evening as they sang songs, performed skits, and danced.  At the end of the evening, some of the special guests joined in the festivities by singing a medley of traditional Ukrainian songs for the students.  

AULIC 2011’s Organizing Committee consisted of Tony Harras, Wayne Hydeman, Ed Lysyk and Ken Mazur. This year’s student registration fee remained the same as in the past at a modest $185 for the four-day weekend.  AULIC would not be possible without the sponsorship of the Ukrainian Orthodox Men’s Association of Regina (UOMA) and the Ukrainian Canadian Professional & Business Association of Regina (UCP&BA), and the financial support of the other agencies named in the opening paragraph.

For more information, please visit our web site at www.aulic.ca or contact Tony Harras at (306) 586-6805 or email harras@sasktel.net

Submitted by: TYC/UOMA of Regina and the  UCP&BA of Regina

PHOTO

Participants and instructors of AULIC 2011