Local kids immersing in FISU Games thanks to Mac Pac

While all students in the United States had a day off from school on 16 January for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lake Placid Elementary School students are being dismissed all week.

Instead of sitting in class, these youngsters are involved as spectators on site at the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games – thanks to the Mac Pac Program.

“They are using the school buildings for the FISU Games, which is why we are not able to have regular classes this week,” says Elisabeth Stratford, teacher at Lake Placid Elementary. “But with that, obviously the question came up: What are we going to do with all these kids whose parents are usually working during the day?”

A solution was quickly found.

The Mac Pac Program is free for students and aiming to let them “experience the Games and remain active and engaged during the week”. Mac Pac is conceptualized by the Adirondack Sports Council and includes a tight yet exciting daily schedule for the students who, besides activities like snowshoeing or crafting, will be active spectators at various FISU events.

“It´s essentially about teachers volunteering to work through the program with the kids,” Stratford says. “They went to the ski jumping event and, in the case of our school, the kids of our Newspaper Club got the special assignment to write an article on it.”

In order to be well prepared for that assignment, students of the Newspaper Club received a special visit last Friday from members of the FISU Young Reporters Programme – six international students reporting on the Games for FISU.

“How do you say Hi in your language?” and “When did you know you wanted to become a reporter?” were only two of many questions the Young Reporters were asked by curious fourth and fifth graders.

Estelle Walden was one of the students frequently raising her hand to get to know more about the Young Reporters coming from France, Germany, Slovenia, South Korea, Argentina and the USA.

The fourth grader is not only the daughter of Lake Placid 2023’s executive director Ashley Walden but also a young figure skater herself, regularly practicing at the historic 1932 Jack Shea Arena.

Despite not writing for the Newspaper Club, the younger Walden has signed up for Mac Pac and is clearly excited for the FISU Games happening in her home region.

Wondering what kind of FISU Game events Estelle wants to go to and watch?

“All of them. Tonight I´ll be going to curling.”

Written by Annika Saunus, FISU Young Reporter