NCSML celebrated International Children’s Day, commemorating child victims of violence and encouraging a more peaceful world.

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library welcomed children on June 4 for its monthly First Free Saturday for Students. This month, families were greeted with activities and resources curated by NCSML Lifelong Learning Specialist, Melina Testin, to facilitate their child’s visit to the museum and growth into a future leader of a world that stands for freedom and democracy. International Children’s Day is celebrated worldwide on June 1, and on the second Sunday of June in the United States. The day holds special significance for Czechs. 80 years ago, on June 10, 1942, Nazis massacred hundreds of men, women, and children in the Czechoslovakian town of Lidice. The proximity of International Children’s Day and the anniversary of the Lidice Massacre makes early June a time for both the celebration and commemoration of children in the Czech Republic. Likewise, as we in the United States mourn children lost to recent acts of violence in our own country, we know too well the Czech spirit of celebration and commemoration as we look to our children this International Children’s Day as beacons of hope and inspiration for a more peaceful world.

-Melina Testin, NCSML Lifelong Learning Specialist
June, 7 2022