U.S. Mission Speaker Program – February 2020

In honor of African American History Month (February), we devoted several school visits to this important commemoration of American historical figures. During Mary Wilson’s visit to Slovenia, this iconic performer—a founding member of the legendary group, The Supremes—visited high school students at Gimnazija Šentvid to talk about her own experiences during the civil rights movement ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – January 2020

  Political Officer James Peranteau and Marine Security Guard Michael Martel visited Srednja šola Domžale where James introduced the students to the United States, its diversity and history, his home state Wisconsin, and Washington D.C. Michael talked about Illinois – the “Land of Lincoln” – and his home town Springfield and the “Windy City” of Chicago. The students had many questions about the United States. Stephanie Barret-Zebre delivered two presentations on the state ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – December 2019

Deputy Public Affairs Officer Brian Street, a former lawyer, met with international law students from the University of Ljubljana Faculty of Law. They discussed the challenges of consular and diplomatic law, and its implementation and importance in the real life of an American diplomat. He also discussed the U.S. Embassy’s mission and the functions of ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – November 2019

Ambassador Lynda Blanchard and her family visited the Catering and Tourism High School of Celje. After introducing her home state of Alabama, herself, her family and her career as a business executive and international humanitarian, Ambassador Blanchard was happy to answer all of the students’ questions. They were interested in many things, including education in ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – October 2019

Ambassador Lynda Blanchard visited the Center for Education and Rehabilitation of Physically Handicapped Children and Adolescents (CIRIUS) in Kamnik, where she met with administrators, teachers, and students, and was inspired by the happy children and the incredible facilities and therapies available. Upon arrival, she was touched by the beautiful decorations prepared in honor of the ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – September 2019

The U.S. Embassy Ljubljana Speaker Program is one of our most popular youth engagement programs. Invitations to visit schools throughout Slovenia increase every year, and we try to visit as many as we can! This year, we have already visited two schools in September. Our new Ambassador, Lynda Blanchard, was quick to volunteer to visit ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – June 2019

The U.S. Embassy’s Defense Attaché, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Klaudius Robinson visited a middle school in Ljubljana, OŠ Toneta Čufarja. His presentation on the State of Hawaii brought some refreshment to the classroom on a hot summer day. Since LTC Robinson lived in Hawaii while attending high school, he enriched the presentation with his own adventures and experiences there. The students asked him a lot of questions and wanted ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – May 2019

    Deputy Public Affairs Officer Brian Street joined Slovenian and international students at the Faculty of Administration where he briefly introduced himself and the embassy’s activities, and answered questions on how to become a diplomat, diplomatic life, and the key parts of diplomacy. The students were also interested in political and economic differences and ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – April 2019

The Embassy’s Information Management Officer, Patricia Rainey, visited middle school OŠ Ig. Ms. Rainey prepared a presentation about the importance of education and explained that education not only gives us knowledge and helps us build opinions but also allows us to see the world in different ways. She also talked about a difference between diversity ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – March 2019

Economic and Commercial Officer, Dr. William Don Baker visited Gimnazija Franc Miklošič, a general high school in Ljutomer that hosted an international debate club attended by 140 participants from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and New Zealand. Upon the school’s request, Dr. Baker discussed entrepreneurship, American entrepreneurs, small businesses, start-ups, and ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – January and February 2019

Biodiversity and how America uses its land were the topic that Public Affairs Officer J.B. Leedy discussed with the college students at the Bio-technical Educational Center in Ljubljana. The students of Ljubljana middle school OŠ Hinka Smrekarja had a relaxed discussion with Deputy Public Affairs Officer Brian Street, asking him questions about U.S. states, whether American students learn foreign ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – December 2018

Deputy Public Affairs Officer Brian Street, a former lawyer, met with international law students from the University of Ljubljana Faculty of Law. They discussed consular and diplomatic law, and its implementation and importance in the real life of an American diplomat. Economic and Commercial Officer, Dr. Don Baker—a former professor—discussed the American presidency to a middle school students of OŠ Stična – Branch School Zagradec. ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – November 2018

Embassy speaker’s program engaged youth in five different Slovenian schools in November.  American diplomats discussed American society, values, and culture with the students. In two events, we were even fortunate enough to meet with the Mayors of the towns we visited! As we do every year, we participated at the OŠ Komenda Moste English middle school English language weekend. Stephanie Barrett-Zebre discussed the diversity ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – October 2018

We visited six schools in October! General Service Officer Julia Stanley visited the High School for Health Care in Celje. Ms. Stanley served in the Air Force and lived in 12 different countries worldwide. Her nomadic life was a source of many interesting stories and adventures that she shared with the students.  She also talked ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – September 2018

Our first school visit of the new school year took us to a middle school in Videm, OŠ Dobrepolje. Stephanie Barret-Zebre introduced the state of Hawaii, and spoke about more than 30 other states that she has lived in or visited. After her presentation that was packed with beautiful scenery from Hawaii, she answered questions from more than 50 eager students on a wide ...
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Mission Speaker Program – June 2018

The education system, schools and school life in the United States were the topics that Gimnazija Koper students were most interested in discussing during our recent visit.  After Deputy Public Affairs Officer Izaak Martin briefly introduced the U.S. Embassy’s activities, he answered many student questions together with Marine Security Guards Sgt. Jonathan Trei and  Sgt. ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – May 2018

We visited seven Slovenian schools in May! Political Officer Christopher Mondloch and U.S. Marine Security Guards Sgt. Eddie Montano and Cpl. Nicholas Jackson visited OŠ Žetale.  Ninety students from ages from 6 to 14, along with the school’s principal and teachers, welcomed the three, who introduced themselves, talked about the activities of the U.S. Embassy, offered some facts about the United States, and answered many student questions. Assistant Public Affairs Officer Izaak Martin ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – April 2018

We visited eight Slovenian schools in April! For the first time in a few years, we visited OŠ Staneta Žagarja in Lipnica again. About 90 middle school students were interested in U.S. diplomat’s activities and the comparison between Slovene and U.S. culture. Public Affairs Officer Philip Beekman also talked about the modern day issue of ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – March 2018

We visited students at nine different Slovenia schools in March!  Assistant Public Affairs Officer Izaak Martin, U.S. Marine Security Guards Sergeant Eddie Montano and Sergeant Jonathan Trei visited Gimnazija Nova Gorica to talk to about 140 high school students about various Embassy activities, their hometowns, and offered some comparisons between Slovenia and the United States. They also answered students’ questions.  After meeting the students, ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – February 2018

Deputy Chief of Mission Gautam Rana visited EU Parliamentarian Lojze Peterle’s Office in Ljubljana to discuss with the students from Gimnazija Jožeta Plečnika immigration and how it has shaped the United States.  Included in the discussion were immigration history and population by race and ethnicity (actual and projected), immigration diversity, and civil rights in the U.S. He ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – January 2018

General Service Officer Julia Stanley, together with partner Doug Allen, visited 100 students at OŠ Hudinja in Celje. Ms. Stanley has lived in 15 different countries and nine of America’s 50 states. Her nomadic life was a source of many interesting stories and adventures that she recounted to the students. Mr. Allen also spoke of his home state of Mississippi. They students asked several questions about their private and professional ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – December 2017

Economic Officer Don Baker introduced his home state of Arkansas to 9th graders at OŠ Polje in Ljubljana. His presentation included an overview of key facts, geography, points of interest, famous Arkansans, including former President Bill Clinton, and Arkansas’capital Little Rock. After the presentation he answered a wide range of questions, most of them were about a diplomatic life, how ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – November 2017

  Deputy Public Affairs Officer Izaak Martin visited the Vocational College for Food Technology at Biotechnical Educational Center in Ljubljana where he discussed different foods in the United States. His presentation was also focused on New York diverse food options as a result of diverse New York City culture and impact of French and Creole cuisine ...
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Studying in the U.S.

To celebrate International Education Week, Deputy Public Affairs Officer Izaak Martin and Darinka Trček from the EducationUSA at the Public Scholarship, Development, Disability and Maintenance Fund of the Republic of Slovenia visited two groups of students at the Second Gymnasium in Maribor (II. Gimnazija Maribor). The first group of students were focused on specific details of studying ...
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U.S. Mission Speaker Program – October 2017

Various American diplomats from the U.S. Embassy visited six Slovenian schools in October. General Service Officer Julia Stanley and Marine Security Guard Nicholas Jackson visited OŠ Stična branch school in Višnja Gora and had a lively discussion with 40 middle school students. Captain Jonathan Tyler McAnally visited 2 middle schools, one in Dobrepolje and the other one in Mojstrana, where ...
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Visiting two high schools in Murska Sobota

Deputy Public Affairs Officer Izaak Martin visited the High School for Health Care and Bio-technical School Rakičan in Murska Sobota to discuss his hometown of Seattle, including its history, attractions, business and natural surroundings. He also described his work activities in the Embassy’s Public Diplomacy Section and answered students’ questions. At the Bio-technical school he ...
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Trends in Public Diplomacy and Communications

Public Affairs Officer Philip Beekman joined Slovenian and international students at the Faculty of Administration for a lecture and wide-ranging discussion about public diplomacy May 5th. Beekman introduced himself and the activities of the embassy’s Public Affairs Sections, spoke about emerging trends in public diplomacy and communications, and led a discussion with students on media ...
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Diplomacy in Action

Professor Bogomil Ferfila from the Faculty of Administration in Ljubljana hosted Deputy Chief of Mission Gautam Rana for a lecture with 30 Slovenian and international students. DCM Rana briefly introduced himself and the embassy’s activities, and answered questions on how to become a diplomat, diplomatic life, the key parts of diplomacy, and the role of ...
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What is Public Diplomacy?

Philip Beekman, Public Affairs Officer, was a guest lecturer yesterday at the Faculty of Social Sciences.  Speaking with first year students in Professor Dejan Verčič’s seminar on public relations subject, Beekman discussed the embassy’s public affairs office, public diplomacy, public relations, communications, press freedom, disinformation, and digitalization and answered student questions.
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Meeting Three Groups of High School Students

EU Parliamentarian Lojze Peterle’s Office in Ljubljana invited Deputy Chief of Mission Gautam Rana to talk to three groups of high school students. DCM Rana discussed the different sections of the U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana and some of Ambassador Hartley’s responsibilities to the students of Gimnazija Jože Plečnik, Gimnazija Brežice and Šolski center Velenje. He ...
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Discussions on U.S. Education

U.S. Embassy intern Victoria Irvine visited two middle schools, OŠ Predoslje and OŠ Matije Čopa in Kranj, where she discussed the U.S. education system and how it compares to the Slovene system of education. She also answered many questions from the students, most focused on the way of life for youth in the U.S.
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Visiting a school under the Kamnik Alps

The U.S. Embassy paid its first visit to “OŠ Marije Vere” in Kamnik on a beautiful sunny day. Embassy Marine Security Guards Commander Joshua showed the students a short presentation about his home, career, and hobbies and the embassy’s video about the American diplomats (including himself) speaking Slovenian, which brought a lot of laughter, as ...
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How is Living in Wisconsin?

Almost 100 middle school students gathered to meet us during our first visit to OŠ Kanal in Soča Valley. U.S. Embassy Intern Fletcher Goldinger offered a presentation on the Embassy’s activities and his home state, Wisconsin, known for its cold and snowy winters. He also opened the floor up to the students to ask questions, ...
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