Austrian Oscar Winner Supports Local German-American Preschool in Santa Monica
By Yasmin Bar-Zemer
On January 12, 2012, supporters and friends of Kigala, a preschool in Santa Monica, California, where children have the opportunity to not only practice their English skills but have their (and their parents’) choice of early bilingual education in German or Spanish, gathered for a fundraiser organized to support the renovation of the spacious outdoor play area, including the refurbishment of the wet pour playground surface. Parents, friends, teachers, adminstrative staff, and children all worked together to prepare the event that was highlighted by a Q&A with Austrian Oscar winner Christoph Waltz.
An audience of about 50 guests had gathered in one of the classrooms at Kigala and were welcomed by German Consul General Wolfgang Drautz and Austrian Consul General Dr. Karin Proidl showing their support for Kigala.
Elke Miller, the visionary founder and director of the Kigala Preschool, opened the program. She announced that with the evening’s newly raised funds, Kigala will transform the playground into a“natural, fun and educational place for our children.” Waltz whose daughter had been enrolled at Kigala three years ago when he was working in Los Angeles for a longer period of time expressed overflowing appreciation for Kigala and stated that there was no better gift than a bilingual education for a child. “You can see in these children”, Waltz continued, “that they’re bridging cultural gaps, bridging differences, that they’re understanding.”
Read the full article and the interview conducted by Petra Schuermann in the Spring 2012 issue of German World Magazine. – Not a subscriber yet?
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