Polish Cultural Collective is a community-based initiative supporting families raising bilingual and multilingual children through Polish language, culture, and community events in the Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area.

We offer weekly Polish Story Time sessions and a community-powered mobile library and other community programs for families with young children. We bring Polish to life for the next generation of heritage speakers.

All programs are offered free of charge.

We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC. We are eligible for employer matching through Benevity.

About

We support families who want to raise children with the Polish language as a meaningful and active part of their everyday lives.

Our work focuses on early childhood and family-centered language experiences. We offer preschool-style programs, community gatherings, and language-rich activities in the DMV area.

We believe that the most important role in language transmission belongs to the parent, and that language develops through relationships, play, and everyday interaction.

Our approach is based on immersion and experiential learning rather than traditional instruction. Children engage with Polish through play, movement, stories, and social interaction.

We create environments where language is lived — not just taught.

What We Do

We create informal, community-based opportunities for children and families to experience Polish in everyday contexts. Programs are drop-in and do not require registration. We support 60+ families through regular programs and community-based activities.

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Polish Story Time (ages 0-5)

Weekly sessions focused on shared reading, play, and early language exposure.

Polish Game Meetup

Language-rich interaction for older children and families.

Polish Children's Pop-up Library

Expanding access to Polish-language books and resources.

Community gatherings

Family-centered activities that support language use through interaction and play.

Online support

Ongoing support and practical guidance for families through our online channels (Facebook, WhatsApp).

Who We Serve

Our programs are for families who want Polish to be part of everyday life:

👶 Families with young children, especially ages 0–5

🌍 Bilingual and multilingual families

🇵🇱 Families of Polish heritage (caregivers who were themselves born and/or rised outside Poland)

🏠 Families who want to maintain, strengthen, or introduce Polish at home

We especially welcome families looking for simple, joyful ways to support Polish through stories, play, and community.

Why It Matters

Language is more than communication — it shapes identity, belonging, and connection across generations.

For many families living outside Poland, maintaining Polish as a heritage language can be challenging. Without regular, meaningful exposure, children often lose the ability to use and connect with the language.

Supporting heritage language development contributes to cultural continuity, multilingual competence, and stronger family and community connections.

Our approach focuses on early childhood and family-centered experiences, where language develops through relationships, play, and shared cultural activities.

By creating accessible, informal opportunities to engage with Polish, we help families make the language part of everyday life.

Team

Our work is led by educators and community organizers with experience in bilingual development and cultural programming, and is carried out on a fully volunteer basis.

dr Katarzyna Grabska-Romagosa,
Founder & President

Aneta Radzikowski, Treasurer

Marta Kaźmierska-Skupińska, Secretary

Anna Preston,
Board Member

PhD in Economics; founder of PCC and Polish Story Time, with experience in teaching Polish as a heritage language in the Netherlands.

Mathematician at the International Monetary Fund; contributes over 10 years of experience supporting Polish cultural and community initiatives in the DMV area.

Architect with an international background; brings experience in education, translation, and multilingual environments.

Elementary school teacher with degrees in English philology and education; brings experience in language teaching and working with young learners.

Partnerships & affiliations

🤝 Partnerships

Polish Cultural Collective collaborates with local libraries in the DMV area to expand access to Polish-language resources and programming.

We are grateful for this support.

🏛 Affiliations & Recognition

Polish Cultural Collective and its programs are eligible for employer match via Benevity.
Polish Story Time is registered as a Polish-heritage educational institution in the government-led ORPEG database.
Part of the Reading Families Club, an initiative of the Cała Polska Czyta Dzieciom Foundation.
Collaboration with the Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C.

🌍 Looking Ahead

We are expanding partnerships with institutions and organizations that support Polish education and culture abroad.

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