Marzanna Owinski born and raised in Poland, moved to the United States, where she earned a Michigan teaching certificate in Polish language. She taught Polish at St. Mary’s Preparatory and served both as a Polish language teacher and as a principal at Father Dabrowski Polish Language School for several years. Her extensive teaching experience spans all age groups, including adults. Throughout her career, Owinski has dedicated herself to the promotion of the Polish language and culture in the United States.
Owinski has been instrumental in a number of innovative and impactful projects. Notably, she contributed to the ACTFL website’s “Lead with Languages” promotional campaign about the Polish language, organized the annual Polish Bilingual Day events in Michigan, and played a key role in initiating the Seal of Biliteracy at the Michigan Board of Education. Her efforts led to the creation of the STAMP4S assessment for the Polish language, the first universal language proficiency test designed for Polish-speaking students in the U.S.
An advocate for bilingual education, Owinski is the author of several articles on the Seal of Biliteracy, published in Dobra Polska Szkoła and the book Bilingual and Bicultural (edited by Katarzyna Zechenter). She also served as the editor of the informational website Seal of Biliteracy po polsku. In addition to her work with educational institutions, she organized methodological workshops for Polish language teachers, delivered lectures on Polish culture, and coordinated educational trips to Poland.
In collaboration with American and Polish organizations, she worked to strengthen the position of the Polish community and its language in the United States.
Currently, Marzanna Owinski no longer works with Polish organizations but has been running a Polish Book Club for over four years. She is also a certified EEG Technologist at Michigan Medicine.
Source: Booklet “Top 25 Polish American Leaders in 2025 Awards Banquet”.
