Healthy Living, Sports, and Cultural Exchange Highlight Kazan Orphanage Event

On October 24, NSLI-Y Russia Academic Year 2010-2011 Kazan participants and local FLEX alumni collaborated with their partners from Kazan's American Center to provide a fun and educational event for children at one of Kazan's orphanages. Funding for supplies and prizes for the event was made possible by a USAID grant recently awarded to the American Center. The event focused on promoting a healthy lifestyle by being physically active. After numerous planning sessions at the American Center, the NSLI-Y/FLEX/American Center team was ready to engage the children of the orphanage in the name of sports, healthy living, and cultural exchange.

The event began early Sunday morning, with a PowerPoint presentation covering sports that are popular in both Russia and the United States. Well-known sports such as hockey, ice-skating, basketball, and soccer were presented, but less common sports - snowboarding, surfing, and cross-country running - were also highlighted. Activities that the children themselves can take part in at the orphanage, such as jump-roping, hula-hooping, and jogging were also included. The presentation was followed by a sports trivia challenge, complete with prizes including soccer balls, basketballs, hula-hoops, jump ropes, chess sets, Frisbees, and a mini-bowling set.

After sitting and learning about new types of sports and the benefits they bring, the children were ready to get up, move, and play some games. The NSLI-Y/FLEX/American Center team prepared several group challenges for everyone to take part in, and everyone, including NSLI-Y participants and FLEX alumni, was divided into two teams to compete in our mini-Olympic event. The team captains were NSLI-Y participants Matt Thorp from Annapolis, Maryland, and Matthew Petty from El Paso, Texas. The challenges included jump rope and hula-hoop competitions, as well as numerous other games and activities.

The event concluded with another round of prizes, photos, and cross-cultural conversations. As a result of solid planning and hard work, the NSLI-Y/FLEX/American Center team delivered a great event, and was invited to return by the children and the director of the orphanage. And they certainly plan to!