Kansas high-schoolers can apply for free Russian language classes through KU program

A new grant from the U.S. Russia Foundation will fund free online Russian language courses for Kansas high school students.

Ani Kokobobo, a University of Kansas researcher, says the ongoing war in Ukraine is one reason the classes are necessary. High school students who sign up will learn the basics of speaking Russian but will also explore the country’s history, culture and politics.

“You can’t just say, ‘Oh, this is a cool language.’ Russia is complicated right now,” said Kokobobo, chair of KU’s Department of Slavic, German and Eurasian Studies. “How do we think about this culture in a way that is thoughtful and critical, also with regard to current events?”

The $220,000 grant will build on previous funding that financed online courses for about 80 Kansas high-schoolers last school year. The new funding will pay for intermediate-level classes for those students, as well as beginning language classes for about two dozen new students.