Jana Žalská

Jana Žalská

Director for Czech Republic Programs

Start date

April 2017

Interests

Love and Believe in People • Fascinated by Math, Science, and Languages • Always Want to Know Why and How Things and People’s Minds Work • Cannot Live Without Physical Exercise and Music

Jana Žalská

“I am happy when I can give back and help extend people’s learning experiences: after years of living, studying, teaching, and working abroad, I love being able to make cultures and individuals meet and foster their awareness of diversity and one-self. I am thrilled to be part of the development of a brand new program in Prague, and am especially drawn to its emphasis on cultural empathy and practical learning opportunities.”

Education

Jana holds a master’s degree in mathematics education from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in mathematics and economics from Masaryk University in Brno. In 2018, Jana was awarded a Doctor of Education degree by the Faculty of Education at Charles University in Prague.

Travel Experience

Jana’s first study abroad experience was in her senior high school year when she went to California to spend a year living in a host family, and studying at Placer High School. Jana soon realized the experience was only a beginning of a lifetime of exploration, challenges, and rewards of an international life. It is never late for travel but, as an educator, Jana believes that late high school and early college experiences abroad that are semi-structured (e.g. with an educational program and a relevant focus) are crucially formative and effective in developing important skills, influencing your view of life, and the choices you make in the future.

Did You Know?

Jana loves live music of almost any kind, and her favorite kind of an evening would be spent singing her heart out with friends and a guitar or two. She has been discovering the benefits of yoga, and runs regularly.