Who we are
We are a group of passionate educators and volunteers of various professions, caring about youth healthy growth, and development. We have organized summer field trips, educational programs, and outdoor activities for teenagers since 2008. Over a hundred students have visited National Parks, multiple cities in the United States, South America and Central America and participated in different activities.
A combination of exploring unknown environment, spending time with peers and being responsible for the group and self, helped youth develop higher self esteem, strong character, multiple social skills, and expand knowledge in areas of science, biology, geography, history and more.
Board of Directors
Anna Tomaszewski
President
Program Director
An educator working for Chicago Public Schools for the last 19 years. Has a Master's Degree in School Counseling, Bachelor's in Education with concentration in Psychology. A teacher and program coordinator at Ernest English Language School, Peru. A co-founder and leader of youth trips to South America, Central America, and the United States.
She is passionate about creating new opportunities for young people, discovering their hidden strengths, and talents. Also, she is an advocate for
social-emotional learning and multicultural awareness.
Krzysztof Stokowski
Vice President
Christoph Stokowski – a long time educator of young adults working for over 18 years for Chicago Public Schools. Finished German and Slavic Literature and Linguistics at the University of Heidelberg in Germany as well as Library and Media Studies at Chicago State University. He was a coordinator of exchange students in Germany and in the USA as well as an organizer of international youth meetings. A teacher- volunteer for the Ernest Malinowski Foundation (Project Colca 2016) teaching English to the natives in Colca Valley in the Andes of Peru.
Tatiana Kotasinska
Public Relations
Media
She comes from Krakow and has been in the US for 18 years, where she worked in Polish media. She obtained a Master's degree in Polish philology at the College of Pedagogy in Krakow and a BA in journalism. A former editor-in-chief of the illustrated Polonia Magazine, and for over 7 years she has been heard in Polish radio stations: WPNA 14.90 AM and WPNA 103.1 FM.
She is a passionate traveler and educator who worked as a teacher in Polish Saturday Schools. She comes from a family of teachers for three generations.
She loves South America. She believes in cultivating Christian values and the culture of a living word, and building deep family ties between human beings. She is convinced that in today's world you can still combine motherhood, professional career, and social activity.
Ewa Bednarczyk
Media / Historian
Ewa is a graduate student in the Master's of Social Work program, at Loyola University Chicago. She earned her B.A.in Applied Psychology, with a minor in Criminal Justice. She has taught and assisted in the administrative and organizational aspects of the Ernest English Language School in Chivay, Peru (June-August of 2015, 2016). During her graduate studies, she had the opportunity to work with migrant populations in Mexico. She values the volunteer and professional opportunities she was able to be a part of during her travels, and believes they have shaped and enriched her growth and development in all areas of her personal and career life. Ewa hopes to focus her future work on social justice advocacy and creating positive change, as well as improving the mental health of all age groups of immigrant populations worldwide.
Ola Tomaszewski
Student Liaison
Currently working on her undergraduate degree as an Environmental Scientist, Ola is enrolled in the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She has participated in five different travel trips with Young Voyagers. Three of which focused on America’s scenery, one based in South America, and a volunteer trip in Peru, where she taught English to young students. Ola also worked in the Ministry of Justice in Warsaw, Poland as an intern and as a student volunteer.
She is passionate about environment and preserving nature. She plans to get her PHD in Environmental Sciences, so she can lead her own research to ensure that future generations can see and experience the world the way she did.