Team Coast Guard Supports World Children’s Festival 2011 at National Mall

WASHINGTON DC:  The World Children’s Festival (WCF) takes place every four years on the National Mall in Washington, D.C as the "Olympics" of children's creativity.  Team Coast Guard was present sustaining our global partnerships in support of Commandant Papp’s diversity outreach efforts through public awareness of U.S. Coast Guard missions throughout the world.  Active duty, civilian, and Auxiliary members of the Coast Guard conducted educational workshops and physical fitness activities for the world children participants.

The World Children’s Festival is the largest and most prestigious program for children’s creative development in the world.  The Arts Olympiad winners, representing each U.S. state and territory and nearly a hundred participating countries, convene at the World Children’s Festival.  Nearly 5 million children worldwide have participated in previous Arts Olympiads and their masterpieces will be showcased at the 2012 Olympics in London, England.

Among those speaking during the kick-off ceremony on Friday morning June 17, were Rear Admiral Ronald Hewitt, U.S. Coast Guard and Senior Executive Service Curtis Odum, USCG.  Featured prominently at the U.S. Coast Guard pavilion tent during the WCF were activities such as Coastie the robotic Safety Boat, the robotic Sammy the Sea Otter, Jane Coastie, and water safety classes, and fitness challenges for children.  Student artwork from winners of the 20th anniversary U.S. Coast Guard Partnership in Education (PIE) national student art contest was on display.  Eighteen Coast Guard families hosted some of the young artists and their families who flew from places thousands of miles away to participate in WCF 2011.

Active duty, civilians, and Auxiliarists worked at the U.S. Coast Guard pavilion tent at the World Children’s Festival over the Father’s Day weekend to support the World Stage and Coastie the Safety Boat.  Auxiliarist Dr. Stephen J. Bugaj 053-05-07 coordinated performances on the World Stage.  Auxiliarists from Division 25 Potomac Guardian: Division Staff Officer Marine Safety Rodney Pendleton 054-25-05, Vice Flotilla Commander Alphard Romero 054-25-07, Immediate Past Flotilla Commander Susan Drake 054-25-06, and Division Commander Ernest Stephens 054-25-07, with the support of Maritime Enforcement Specialist Chief Kim Gray from the Command, Control, and Communications Engineering Center (C3CEN), USCG entertained children with Coastie the Tugboat.

Over the three day weekend, 15,000 children attended the festival from 71 countries and 33 states.  The Namilyango Junior Boys’ School from Mukono, Uganda emerged as the winner of the World Children’s Festival.  The children performed traditional dance, drama and music, highlighting the HIV/AIDS scourge.  The 5th World Children’s Festival will be held in 2015.

The Coast Guard values diversity and continues to reach out to as many people as possible from diverse and multicultural backgrounds to create awareness of Coast Guard missions.   Involvement in the World Children’s Festival promoted good will and understanding of Coast Guard missions throughout the world.   The Coast Guard shares concern for the future of our children, their health, their education and their safety.  The Coast Guard prides itself as a multicultural and diverse organization.   This includes its people, who bring a wide range of diverse backgrounds and experiences that enrich our ability to perform our missions.

We continue to realize the Auxiliary watchwords:  “Dependability, Integrity, and Diversity.”

 

 

~mg 07-29-11