Folktales,
Legends, and Stories
2011 Wilkes
University course on The History of Wyoming Valley
The
Slovak Heritage Society is one of the organizations that has partnered with
Wilkes University to produce a course on local history. Project History:
Northeastern Pennsylvania is a three-credit, interactive graduate Education
course designed for teachers who like to integrate local history into their
curriculum. Through authentic experiences, teachers will learn about regional
heritage and culture. The goals of the Project History class are: to promote the
study of local history in the area's school districts; to instruct teachers in
grades three through twelve to integrate local history topics into lesson plans
across the curriculum; and to encourage a creative approach to the study of
local history and culture and to attract student and community interest. Our
involvement began in the fall of 2010 when Michael Stretanski was asked to join
a group of teachers headed by Dr. Diane Polachek of Wilkes University to
assemble the class. The course would meet once a month as a whole with much of
the course work done online.
The 2011 class met on November 3 at St. Mary’s
Church of the Immaculate Conception. After welcome and opening remarks, Mr.
Clark Switzer and Ms. Mary Ann Storz presented an overview of Wyoming Valley’s
immigration. They gave copies of individual maps of all areas in the Valley with
information on the various nationalities that settled in each area.
Seventeen ethnic groups settled in the various
municipalities: Polish, Irish, German, Italian, English, Slovak, Welsh,
Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Scottish, Hungarian, French, Lebanese, Afro-American,
Swedish, Syrian, Hispanic, and Greek. There were other ethnic groups that also
settled in smaller numbers.
Ms. Maria Augustine presented the history of
her Italian family and how she researched the background.
Mr. Michael Stretanski gave a brief talk on
Slovak immigrant food and culture. Students, teachers, and board members enjoyed
real haluski with Brynza, two types of stuffed cabbage, pirohy, and poppy-seed
cake.
Mr. Michael Novrocki, who had researched and
created a video for a History Day Project, presented information on Father
Murgaš. The Heritage Society’s Murgaš’s traveling exhibit was set up.
Mr. Matthew Stretanski presented the dairy of
his Great Grandfather Stretanski’s experiences as an immigrant and information
on a History Day.
Mr. Joseph Kowach, Mr. & Mrs. Jack and Anna
Hendershot, Mrs. Elaine Palischak, Mr. Pete Kmec and Ms. Bernadette Yencha
assisted Michael with the Murgaš Exhibit and the buffet.
