Survey letter sent to local Polish language schools and dance groups

The following letter was sent to five Polish language schools and the directors of 16 dance groups on January 16, 2026:

January 16, 2026

Dear Madam / Sir,

Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku! Happy New Year!

We’ve just entered 2026, the year when the USA celebrates its 250^th birthday. This occasion prompts reflection on the contribution of Polish Americans to American prosperity as well as an assessment of the strength of our community.

You might remember that a year ago the Polish Media Center at PICROL gathered and published information about our local Polish American organizations. (https://polishweekly.com/local-polish-american-organizations-reflect-on-2024-and-share-their-goals-for-2025/)

At the beginning of this year we would like to recognize the importance of the work and contributions of the Polish language schools and Polish dance groups to the life of our Polish American community, as well as to the broader American community.

To get a good picture of your work, we have prepared a questionnaire with 11 questions that we would kindly ask you to answer. Your answers needn’t be lengthy; please keep them to 200-400 words total.

We are planning to compile the answers and publish them on the Polish Weekly website.

By publicizing your responses, we will highlight your organization and its activities with the hope that by doing so we will facilitate better knowledge and appreciation of what you do, as well as promote your important work.

Here are the questions:

When and by whom was your school/dance group established?
How many students did you have at the end of 2025? Who are your students? Do they come from Polish-speaking families, first-generation Polish Americans, or from different backgrounds (ethnically mixed families, the second generation of Polish Americans, etc.)?
Where do you hold classes/practice?
Did the number of students increase, decrease or stay the same in the last two years? If you can, please elaborate on possible causes for this situation.
How many instructors does your school employ?
Did the number of the instructors increase, decrease or stay the same in the last three years? If you can, please elaborate on possible causes for this situation.
What do you consider your biggest achievements of the last two years?
How do you see the future of your school/dance group in the next two years?
What do you consider your biggest challenges in the next two years?
What are the sources of funding for your activities? Are they sufficient?
Please share with us anything else you feel is important and what was not covered in this questionnaire.