Harvard University profile
ikovalchuk@fas.harvard.edu
Member
North American Association of Teachers of Polish
Iryna Kovalchuk teaches Polish language (elementary, intermediate, advanced levels) at Harvard University and Ukrainian language and culture at MIT. She is also a translator and a cultural manager. Prior to coming to the US, she worked at the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Warsaw, where she managed the Eastern Partnership program, promoting Polish culture in Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucasus by organizing and supporting multi-annual projects in the fields of theater, film, visual arts, and music. Iryna’s pedagogical interests focus on incorporating art, culture, and body movement into Polish language classes. In the 2023-2024 academic year, Iryna received a grant from the Elson Family Arts Initiative Fund to support the integration of arts into the Polish language curriculum at Harvard. An exhibition she created for teaching purposes at the Harvard Museum of Art will be on display in the fall 2024. Iryna has recently completed the OPI Assessment Workshop and the Test and Design Workshop at the Chicago Language Center. Iryna is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Universal Reading Foundation based in Warsaw. Her other interests include gaga dancing and nature education.