+38 098 079 69 73   +38 (044) 288 5075    Open Policy Foundation

About Foundation

NGO “Open Policy Foundation”



Brief information about the organization

NGO "Open Policy Foundation" (OPF) was established in 2008.

Certificate of state registration No. 36304445 dated 30.12.2008.



 

 

 

 

 

MISSION

Science - for peace, education - for everyone! Cherish space, friendly to a person



GOAL

To cherish the traditional European values ​​and values ​​of sustainable development in local communities and at the transnational level, to expand the access of children and young people to quality education, to develop the scientific and innovative potential of Ukraine.



TASKS

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Expand access to quality innovative education in the context of decentralization, create conditions for discovering talents (including citizens from temporarily occupied territories and internally displaced persons, children and youth from remote regions, rural areas, and with special needs)



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Improve the quality of education primarily in rural areas, in hard-to-reach regions, in Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts, and develop specialized scientific education for gifted children, introduce the latest STEM/STREAM methods in state and non-state schools in combination with green values.



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Strengthen the mental health of citizens, taking into account the special needs associated with the gender of all age groups.



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Promote the needs of access and quality of education, as well as mental health, to influence the formation of public policy.



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Strengthen the institutional capacity of local communities, synergy at local, regional, national, and transnational levels in advocating, promoting, and implementing innovative security projects in the face of current challenges (decentralization, global climate change, military conflicts, and so on).



The highest governing body of the OPF is the General Meeting, and between the General Meeting - the Foundation's Management Board and the Executive Directorate. The founders of the Foundation were political scientist Igor Zhdanov, historian Iryna Zhdanova, artist Oksana Denysevych, ecologist Oksana Patselyuk, and folk master Olga Shynkarenko.



During the 10 years of activity, a separate section "specialized education" to the Law of Ukraine "On Education" (scientific, artistic, sports education for gifted children), as well as articles to the Law of Ukraine “On Science and Scientific and Technology Activities" (on scientific lyceums / boarding schools), a number of normative documents regulating the issues of education for children and youth from the occupied territories of Ukraine were promoted. In addition, a number of government decisions were initiated to strengthen mental health (prevention of non-chemical dependencies, and others). The Foundation is the founder of the Civil Platform for Science Reform in Ukraine, the goal of which is to develop and implement these legislative proposals with the participation of a wide range of scientists, young scientists, and teachers from academic lyceums, art schools, rural schools, and government officials.

Since 2015, at the national and regional levels, the Foundation has been conducting a large-scale information campaign on access to education for war-affected youth. A series of animated video clips, audio clips, road maps, the website "Available Education", a hotline (together with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, with the support of UNICEF) was created.

In 2012, the Foundation together with young scientists, artists, teachers from specialized physico-mathematical and natural sciences schools founded the International Green School in the high mountain village of the Ukrainian Carpathians. Its goal is to create an open creative educational space, namely open schooling for finding talents and fostering young innovators with values ​​of responsibility. Here, interesting science is combined with traditional art and STEM/STREAM methods (S-Science, T-Technology, r-research, E-Engineering, A-Art, M-Math) are approbated, aimed not only at the development of intellect but also volunteer activity and strengthening mental health. Motivated teachers from different regions of Ukraine and different continents, researchers, scientists, artists, folk masters, families, start-uppers, representatives of business, public organizations, including international ones, are involved in the training.

Over 6 years in the projects of the International Green School more than 4 thousand children and youth took part together with families, including from specialized scientific, art schools and rural schoolchildren from different regions. Since 2014, charity sessions have been held for children, youth and their families, who have suffered from armed conflict and for the families of participants of the Anti-Terrorist Operation.

The Foundation implements the Green Program, which aims to attract scientists to address issues of international environmental security and adaptation to climate change at the level of policy development and working with children in local communities.

The team OPF consists of 8 persons. All OPF projects are implemented in accordance with the policy of equal opportunities, non-discrimination and competition rules. We adhere to the principle of equal opportunities for men and women, as referred to in Council Directive 2000/78. In 2017 & 2018 & 2019, the Foundation successfully passed the IASC Gender & Age Marker (GAM) 3 tests by gaining 4 out of 4 possible points (a test for UN partners). In 2019, OPF has successfully undergone a capacity assessment made by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund and has obtained a low score of the risk rating, which gave the right to apply for projects of the Humanitarian Fund through the Grant Management System (GMS). We also successfully passed the UNICEF audit in 2017. The office is working on environmental standards.