Maria Bielska, was born in Poland, and attended elementary school in Kraków. At 13, she escaped the communist regime, and came to America with her Mother, Helena Grzegorczyk, (her stepfather, Waclaw, joined them two years later) to be reunited with her grandparents, Maria and Józef Putko, and their extended family in Brooklyn, New York.

She graduated Our Lady of Czestochowa Parochial School, and received a scholarship to Bishop McDonnell High School, where she was active on the year book staff and also performed as a concert pianist with the orchestra. She also performed with the Maria Konopnicka Polish Supplementary School in Greenpoint as a pianist and a dramatic speaker. As a student, she played accompaniment for dance classes run by Wladzia Jaworowska at the Henryk Sienkiewicz Polish Supplementary School in South Brooklyn. Also on a scholarship, she received her BA from Marymount Manhattan College in English Literature with a minor in French. Acquiring a High School English License, she taught Shakespeare in Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn, and while working on her Masters in Medieval and Renaissance English, she taught Composition and British Literature in Brooklyn College. Completing additional course work, she obtained a N.Y. Common Branches License and taught at P.S. 32, an inner city school, downtown Brooklyn. Pursuing her musical education privately, she received an Ancillary Music License and has taught Music at P.S. 32 for over 25 years. While on a sabbatical, she completed a year of Music and Drama at Kingsborough College. She wrote and directed numerous school plays and her 70-member children’s chorus performed at local functions and music festivals in Brooklyn and Lincoln Center. She was invited to join the Board of Education Multicultural Curriculum Development Team and coordinated the exhibits for the only Multicultural Museum in District 15.

She married Zygmunt Bielski in 1968. Together they joined the Polish American Folk Dance Company in 1972. She expanded her knowledge of folklore, began her large collection of Polish regional costumes and folk art and has conducted folk art workshops all over the Metropolitan area, including the Museum of Natural History. She traveled and performed with the group extensively, attending many Folk Festivals in Poland, Canada and coast to coast United States, including concerts at the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Town Hall and performances at the Kosciuszko Foundation, the Polish Consulate, and the Polish Assistance Balls in New York and Miami. As the musical director for the group, she composed original songs, coached singing and wrote and directed folk plays, such as "Dozynki", "Andrzejki", and "Kolednicy" performed by the group. For several years, assisting Stanley Pelc, and later Ryszard Sudol, and now Barbara Kulpa, she volunteered as the drama coach for the Krakowianki and Górale Children’s Dance Group in Greenpoint. Because of her wide knowledge of Polish Folklore, Maria was asked to be the cultural consultant for the WLIW Channel 21 "Polish Song and Dance – Mazowsze" TV program which aired repeatedly all over the United States. She co-authored the narration, translated songs, coached Bobby Vinton, who introduced the ensemble to TV viewers and worked on the editing of the program, as well as promoted the show for the annual fundraiser on the small screen. She and her husband participated in the promotion of the "Polish Americans" broadcast on the same channel, providing the historical and cultural background for the show. In the fall of 2007, Maria was again asked by the network to rally audiences for the live "Mazowsze" show and was part of their welcoming committee.

A member of Z.H.P. pgK - Polish Scouting Organization since 1961, known as Druhna Dzidka, with a rank of "Harcmistrzyni" or senior Scout Master, she is the District Leader of the Brownie and Cubscout Division in the Council "Hufiec Podhale". She has been involved in organizing scout camps, jamborees and conferences in the United States, England, Poland and Canada, and still travels widely both in the United States and abroad as a representative of the organization as the "Referentka Zuchowa" of the United States Girls’ Division of the Z.H.P. She is especially devoted to the youngest scouts-"Zuchy"- and has established cubscouts and brownie troops in Greenpoint, Ozone Park, South Brooklyn, Bensonhurst and Borough Park. As part of a dedicated team of Instructors, she is the program director of the annual Polish Children’s Camp – "Kolonia Zuchowa"- at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czêstochowa in Doylestown, Pa. The summer of 2008 marked the 42st anniversary of consecutive camps at this site. Also at the Shrine, as a Polish Festival Committee Volunteer, she organized the annual Scout "Dozynki" Presentation for 15 years. She lectures at leadership courses, and has published many children’s activity books for merit badges, "Sprawnosci", which are used by troop leaders in America as well as in Canada, England, France, Poland, Australia and Argentina. In August of 2005, Maria was one of the organizers of the scout youth delegation to the World Youth Day and chaperoned 44 young leaders on a trip to Cologne, Germany, to meet with Pope Benedict XVIth. In the summer of 2006, she was on the executive committee of the International Polish Scout Jamboree in Maryland.

Maria was the Vice President of the Marie Sklodowska Curie Professional Women’s Association for four years and has been active in that organization since its inception. She also belongs to The Kosciuszko Foundation, where, as a member of the Polish American Teacher’s Association, she helped organize various children’s events such as the Annual Storytelling Contest for which she has been the co-chairperson for the past several years. She is active in the General Pulaski Memorial Parade Committee, Our Lady of Czestochowa Catholic Ladies’ Guild and Town Square, the Greenpoint Community Association.

In the spring of 2001, Maria was chosen one of the Millennium Women by the Pulaski Businessmen Association, as well as the Citizen of the Year by the Polish American World.

In October of 2005, Maria, along with her husband, Zygmunt, was honored by the Brooklyn Borough President for community work during the Polish Heritage Day Celebration.

Both Maria and Zygmunt were chosen as the South Brooklyn Contingent Marshals for the 2006 Pulaski Parade.

At the present time, Maria is semi-retired from teaching and devotes her time to the various community activities, concentrating on promoting Polish Traditions and Culture in the Metropolitan area. Most recently, with her friend Janina Dobkowski, she co-authored and published a book of Polish children’s singing games and dances entitled Two Friends, They Went A’ Dancing for American readers. All the information on the book as well as an order form can be found at http://www.polishkidsdance.com/.

Her husband, Zygmunt, son Roman and his wife Joanna, and younger son Stefan, are all scout leaders and active in the Polish American Community.