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American Ambassador to Lithuania (2009-2012) Anne E. Derse and Miriam Parel, Chief Strategy and Development Officer of the American Councils met with representatives of Lithuanian Heritage Schools (Washington DC, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York area) to discuss ExCEL . Peter Kazickas, the Kazickas Family member, and Liana Vazbiene, Political and Science Counsellor of the Embassy of Lithuania in U.S. were also at the meeting.
ExCEL was created by the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania and the Lithuanian Ministry of Education in cooperation with American Councils. It is a direct result of the vision and initiative of American Ambassador to Lithuania Anne E. Derse, along with the support of several generous donors. For the past four years, since ExCEL program was inaugurated, a total of 26 Lithuanian high school students were given a remarkable opportunity to travel to the U.S. for a year of high school and live with an American host family.
In September of 2014, the Kazickas Family Foundation committed to a three year support of the Reciprocal ExCEL Program. It will offer full scholarships to American high school students to live and study in Vilnius, Lithuania, for one academic year.
During the evening, Dr.and Mrs. Joseph Kazickas were remembered with gratitude for their committment to Lithuania and the U.S. Information about the American Councils, ExCEL program was shared, questions answered, request to share information on ExCEL in the US Lithuanian communities was made.