News

"Kazickas Family Foundation's Support to Renovate Computer Classroom"

by Asta Bitinaite

June 20, 2017

Twenty four seniors at the Pasvalys Petras Vileisis high school took national IT exam on brand new computers.

The Kazickas Family Foundation granted 27,000 euros to Pasvalys Petras Vileisis School allowing them to purchase desktop computers and to renovate 32 work places for students and 2 for teachers. They received all necessary equipment - computers, printers, projectors and smart boards.

Dr. J. P. Kazickas computer class was also renovated. Last week KFF director Neila Baumiliene visited the classroom and met with school's and districts officials.

During her visit, school's principal Viktoras Rimsa and assistant principal Gitana Kruopiene reminded her that before the WWII dr. Joseph Kazickas was school's student as well.

Back then the Kazickas family lived in Geltonpamusis village in Salociai region. Joseph graduated from Pasvalys high school in 1937. He was remembering those days:

- Those were happy and carefree days of my life. Maybe a little too much carefree than it should have been: in the 4th grade they held me back and I had to repeat it. I was embarraced. All my friends were in the fifth grade and I had to stay with the "babies," students a year younger than me. I was ashamed to tell my mother about it, even though she didn't reprimand me for it. But I condemned myself: my mother works long nights just so she could send me to school and I live so carefree that have to repeat the grade. At that time my father was gone already. That tragedy happened when I was in the first grade, April 1929...

Joseph Kazickas' parents rest in peace at the Salociai cemetery.

Joseph Kazickas graduated from the Pasvalys high school with only good and excellent grades. He studies economics at the University and in 1944 together with his wife and young daughter Jurate is forced to move west...

Well known diaspora business person dr. Joseph Kazickas visited Pasvalys school in 1997, sixty years after his graduation. After checking out the computer lab, guest promised to send an expert from "Omnitel" (company J. Kazickas started in Lithuania) who will evaluate what else is needed in it.

Less than six months later, in February 1998 Petras Vileisis school received 10 brand new computers. New plaque was hung on the door "Joseph Kazickas Computer Classroom."

Joseph Kazickas participated during the opening ceremony together with one of "Omnitel" directors Zenonas Bedalis who is also Pasvalys school 1973 graduate.

Today Zenonas Bedalis is the KFF Vilnius office director and organizes young IT specialists tournaments.

- He's the one who introduced us to Neila Baumiliene, foundation's New York office director, - explained school's assistant principal Gitana Kruopiene.

In 1998 the Kazickas Family Foundation was started in New York, and in 1999 - in Vilnius.

Dr. Joseph Kazickas shared foundations work as well:

- On the US scale, our foundation is really small. However, little by little I kept increasing foundations assests. Other family members contributed as well. My object was to establish its strong financial base that without reducing main capital, foundation could succesfully continue even long after I'm gone. We avoided advertisment, because it was clear that the need for charitable work in Lithuania hundreds or even thousands of times exceeds our capabilities. Still we receive so many requests... One might ask why we buy computers and not bread. It is more important to help children from remote areas to understand that the world is diferent that what they see around them, to provide the opportunity to learn information technologies and successfully compete in the work force, to create such live goals that would stop them from desperately drowning in the alcoholism...

So it wasn't an accident that in December of 2011 Pasvalys Petras Vileisis school together with Kaunas University of Technology started organizing Dr. Joseph Kazickas Aukstaitija region programming competition for school children. 

Competition's initiator and sponsor dr. Joseph Kazickas presented the winners with the awards. He encouraged girls to be more active in IT world.

Traditions at the Petras Vileisis school and relationship with the Kazickas Family Foundation continue even after elder Kazickases passed away.

This year 29 young programmers from Pasvalys, Pumpenai, Panevezys, Grinkiskis, Ukmerge, Rokiskiso, Kavarskas, Anyksciai, Birzai competed at the Aukstaitija IT tournament.

School's principal V. Rimsa wrote in school's grant request:

- Interest in yearly dr. J. Kazickas Aukstaitija region tournament is huge and our school can not accomodate everyone due to old computer equipment. Some computers and software are outdated and there are not enough work spaces. The goal is to renovate 32 work spaces by buying new computers costing 850 euros each.

And here is KFF representative Neila Baumiliene in a newly renovated computer classroom. Even though it's her first time visiting the school, she's been in the area before.

She briefly shared a story about a girl living in one of region's small villages. In two short weeks she lost all her hair due to rare autoimune skin disorder called Alopecia. Her daughter, together with few more Lithuanian American community girls, cut their long locks so that a natural hair wig could be made for this girl in Lithuania...

Neila Baumiliene was asking about the social exclusion issue and introduced many to the Kazickas Family Foundation's program "Basketball Power." Coaches go to sixteen Day Centers in remote Lithuanian villages and provide children not just with basketball lessons, but more importanty, teach them to appreciate teamwork, develop self-confidence, respect others, resolve conflicts, recognize dangerous situations and help solve bullying, alcoholism and suicide issues...

We also remembered dr. Joseph Kazickas' story how one remarkable teacher from Pasvalys school left an amazing footprint in his life:

- I admired Mrs. Hofmaniene who was a German language teacher. She came from a wealthy Latvian German family, studied at the University in Switzerland for four years. When I remember this bright person, even today I can see her noble and elegant face. She also had to teach children from small villages simple every day life skills, such as basic hygiene, how they need to dress and act in the society and at home. I became really close with Mrs. Hofmaniene, visited her at home few times. That was part of education - teacher would invite children to her elegant apartment for tea or dinner. She knew how to change the conversation without disrespecting anyone, even if it was instructions on how to use a fork and knife. Converstations weren't limited to such simple things, she would also inquire about our families, wanted to know how we invisioned our future...

Neila Baumiliene admires phenomenal Joseph Kazickas' memory till the very end. School's officials also mentioned which youth role models could be included in future programs. For example, TV host Jonas Nainys who is from Pasvalys region and was inspired by Joseph Kazickas whom he met during one of school's events could contribute to school's children's education.

Photos: Aida Dulkiene 

Top photo: KFF director Neila Baumilienė (right) with Petras Vileisis school principal Viktoras Rimsa and assistant principal Gitana Kruopiene.

Bottom photo: Renovated Computer Classrom: (from left) Pasvalys district deputy director of administration Paulius Petkevicius, school's assistant principal Gitana Kruopiene, IT teacher Dalia Monkeviciene, KFF director Neila Baumiliene, district deputy mayor Povilas Balciunas, IT teacher Inga Jakuboniene and school's pricipal Viktoras Rimsa.