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rom February 6 to February 10 and from February 12 to February 16, the Open Policy Foundation conducted training sessions “An information campaign of educational institutions for youth from non-government controlled areas of Ukraine and territories along the contact line” at the International Green School named after Klim Churyumova in the village of Kosmach, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. Forty-six representatives of schools, universities, colleges, educational departments, institutes of postgraduate pedagogical education, and the “Donbas-Ukraine” Education Centers of Donetsk and Luhansk regions took part in this training. Educators came from different cities and villages, namely Sieverodonetsk, Starobilsk, Rubizhne, Kreminna, Lisichansk, Girske, Troitske, Novoohtyrka, Novopskovsk, Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, Bakhmut, Mariupol, Toretsk, Mirnohrad, Pokrovsk, Dobropillya, Volnovakha, and Illinivka.

Iryna LITVINOVA, Deputy Director of the Novopskovsk Educational Institution of the I-III levels, Luhansk Oblast:
“All my hopes came true. My knowledge of distance education was supplemented by the skills that I can apply at my school. We introduced children to what distance education was and how such services were provided. And now I know what a media product is, how it is created, and how children and their parents from non-government controlled areas could be better informed about the study in Ukrainian schools and universities.

Oleksandr BOLOTIN, the Lecturer in special disciplines of the Rubizhansk Polytechnic College named after O.Porai-Koshytsi at the Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, the Specialist in professional orientation:

“The coincidence of expectations and results is most likely possible to characterize training of Open Policy Foundation. One cannot help wondering how trainers manage to link the theory to practical skills. The training “The Information campaign of educational institutions for young people from non-government controlled areas and territories along the contact line in Luhansk oblast” will make easier the work of the “Donbas-Ukraine” Education Centers and help to achieve the main goal, to help young people to receive high-quality education and confidence in the future”.

Lyudmyla PESTRETSOVA, Deputy Director of the Slavyansk Chemical and Mechanical Technical School, Head of the “Donbas-Ukraine” Education Center, Slavyansk, Donetsk Oblast: “The trainers explained everything so great. I have not worked before in the Canva program, but it's cool and it extends our capabilities. We shared experiences in our group. Some participants worked in one direction, others worked towards the other, and together we had already created a media plan that was presented at the training. The program was really useful for our work, we got a lot of interesting helpful information that we could use in the future. Moreover, it is a friendly relationship between people, new acquaintances with colleagues, school directors, with whom we will work together to ensure that children from non-government controlled areas can enter our institutions.”

Larysa PISKOVA, Deputy Director of Educational Institution of the I-III levels № 8 of Rubizhne, Luhansk Oblast:

“I was really pleased that they taught us to work with the Canva program. Upon arriving at school, we plan to publish posters on the website that could interest children from a non-government controlled area. Our school helps such schoolchildren acquire state-issued documents so that they can continue their studies at Ukrainian universities.”

Lyudmyla KOKORINA, Executive Secretary of the Admissions Committee at the Horlivka Institute for Foreign Languages, Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast: “As for a media plan and a project, we do such things because we provide professional orientation activities, and we have some kind of advertising to develop. We do everything, but we do not understand all the mechanisms of how it works. We did what we probed. But today we were clearly told, and when it was necessary to design the media plan, it was easy for us to do it.”

Natalya MATSAY, Head of the Educational Center at the displaced Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Starobilsk, Luhansk Oblast:
“I have learned a lot of interesting things and I will use them in the admission campaign 2019. In particular, the idea was to realize new media planning and create new media products: posts for Facebook, new banners and flyers. It is clear that the materials we produced earlier are not quite correct, and the population could not perceive them as we wanted it to be. It was also especially useful to hear about the work of the telephone hotline. The hotline is already working at our institution, but at the training, I have heard a lot of interesting information about consultations via phone.

During the visit to the village school, I was surprised by its family atmosphere. The faces and eyes of children, a director and teachers showed that they belonged to each other as in a large family. Sincerity in communication was also amazing. I hope I will come here again, to Kosmach, to the International Green School. I am interested in the peculiarities of the STrEAM education that is practiced here. The International Green School: From the ecology of information space to the ecology of the universe”.

Yuliia NEFYODOVA, the Luhansk National Agrarian University, Luhansk Oblast:
“We have been trained how to prepare an information campaign and media layouts within a program. This will help me adjust my work for the next admission campaign. I was criticized a bit, but it was a constructive critique, and I will now be able to use this program more professionally to create media products for young people from non-government controlled areas.

You feel professionalism while working with the Open Policy Foundation, and our awareness about how to conduct information campaigns is growing in a natural atmosphere of tolerance and competence. Such an amazing combination inspires not only the creation of new products under the watchful eye of trainers but also the desire to develop ourselves in the future.

Olena ROGOZIAN, the Deputy Director for Education of the Starobilsk Technical College at the Luhansk National Agrarian University:
“Today, together with the trainers of the International Green School, Available Education and NGO “Open Policy Foundation, we had opportunities to build our own information strategy regarding the Admissions Campaign 2019. The sincere atmosphere and activity of all participants were amazing”.

Viktoria ZADOROZHNA, the Teacher of the Rubizhansk Secondary School № 3 of the І-ІІІ Degree:
“For the third session, we are pleased to receive the knowledge that helps us and our children to change our lives for the better. And now, together with school teachers, deputy directors and directors, we have developed the “Distant Education” media plan for schools in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts”.

Vira DOROKHOVA, the Deputy Director for Education of Rubizhansk Secondary School № 8 of the І-ІІІ Degree, Luhansk Oblast:
“The International Green School conducts today training titled “The Information campaign of educational institutions for young people from non-government controlled areas.” The most interesting topic is social advertising for available education in Ukraine.

I was impressed by a sincere reception at the village school; we were greeted with songs and warmth of souls, and small and big schoolchildren, how they love their land! We saw how they learn and in what conditions. I was struck that some students took one and a half hours to get the school. But this does not affect their education. They have the same textbooks and curricula. We can conclude that they do not differ anything from us.

Viktoriya TKACHUK, the Deputy Director for Education of Rubizhansk Secondary School № 10 of the І-ІІІ Degree:
“The International Green School is the school of the future. The second day of 4-day training in the village of Kosmach included the development of information and communication strategies, the development of media plans, and the creation of posts”.

Svitlana SHKURKO, Distance Education Methodologist of the Education Department of the Mirnograd City Council, Donetsk Oblast: “We developed the school media plan “Distance Education and IEE-2019” and the Education Department communication strategy on access to education by residents of NGCA and territories along the contact line. We took part in the webinar “Distance Education for Schoolchildren from Non-government Controlled Areas of Donetsk Oblast.” The visit to the Kosmach-Stavnytska Secondary School of I-II levels evoked special feelings. There we saw with our own eyes how the village school worked high in the mountains. Everyone was interested in the project management theme. I am sure that ideas appeared during the training will be realized in certain projects. The training took place in an informal atmosphere. In addition to lectures and practical tasks, there were also “Hours for Dreams,” “Space Cocoa” and “Area for Dreams.” It allowed the participants to enjoy the nature and warmth of the mountain son, to touch the local color. The training has become a real communication platform for expanding relationships between educators in the Donetsk region.

Svitlana BORYSENKO, Deputy for Education of the “Garant” Education Complex, Lisichansk, Luhansk Oblast:
“Now I understand why the bird is a symbol of the Open Policy Foundation and the International Green School. It gives opportunities for adults and children to expand their limits and borders, realize themselves in another area ... A bird is a symbol of freedom and willpower ...”

Tetyana TILININA, Director of the Secondary School №54, Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast: “A director encouraged us. If we have such school leaders, then there really are prospects for education. He is in the director position only a year, and how he thinks, how he does everything, and he even repairs the roof ... Let him be heard above and supported to make it easier ... Important things are in details. We thought over the website improvement, where exactly to place the information about the external studies so that no one had to search it in different sections and pages of the website.”

Natalia MASHKINA, Director of the Secondary School №8, Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast: “How much children do love their Hutsul land. They gave us their love ...”

Yurii KOVALYOV, Deputy Secretary of the Admission Committee of the Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University, Luhansk Oblast:

“We have attended a lecture on an information company. We have learned much for ourselves, something has been taken from the depths of memory. Then we tried to draft media products, got a lot of useful knowledge, listened to the critical opinions of our colleagues. I will share this and my new ideas with colleagues at the university.”

Vyacheslav KUDLAI, Head of the “Donbas-Ukraine” Educational Center, Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast:

“We have the opportunity to work with children from a non-government controlled area. We receive assistance from schools, education departments, and the Open Policy Foundation. The Foundation is constantly sending the materials that we distribute. Yes, we are very grateful for the Foundation's methodical manual. During a practical exercise, the team, in which I was lucky to work, developed a universal media plan for the “Donbas-Ukraine” Education Centers at the admission campaign 2019. We learned a lot of new tools for attracting potential entrants from the non-government controlled area of Donbas, and we rethought how to work with appeals. We are grateful to the organizers who have shown the importance of synergy of all the educator’s forces in our region. I am sure that new acquaintances with colleagues from the education centers, schools and education departments will contribute to the children from non-government controlled areas of Donbas. And they will receive more information and opportunities for distance education, external studies, successful certification, passing the Independent External Evaluation and entrance to Ukrainian universities. In the evening, after fruitful sessions, we shared our own ideas and inspirations with the organizers. I believe and hope that Ukraine will be able to receive unexpectedly pleasant results from the annual work of the Open Policy Foundation, MoES and educators in order to reintegrate Donbas. Everyone was also impressed with the visit to the Kosmach local school (about 80 schoolchildren and 17 employees). It is pleasant that local teachers care about quality learning and the preservation of traditions, and children respond to them with sincere respect.”

Iryna LITVINOVA, Deputy Director of the Novopskovsk Educational Institution of the I-III levels, Luhansk Oblast:
“All my hopes came true. My knowledge of distance education was supplemented by the skills that I can apply at my school. We introduced children to what distance education was and how such services were provided. And now I know what a media product is, how it is created, and how children and their parents from non-government controlled areas could be better informed about the study in Ukrainian schools and universities.

Yurii DYACHENKO, Head of the “Donbas-Ukraine” Education Center in Kramatorsk, Secretary of the Admission Committee at the Donbas State Machine-Building Academy, Donetsk Oblast: “During the training, it is possible to discuss and solve work problems in an informal atmosphere. I would like to emphasize the importance of such informal meetings on the basis of the International Green School organized with colleagues from the “Donbas-Ukraine” Education Centers and schools providing distance learning. Each of us faces non-standard situations in the process of work. Solving such situations requires an individual approach and advice from professionals. Therefore, there is an urgent need to conduct such meetings before the admission campaign (May-June) and after it (October-November). The participation of a competent representative from MoES is obligatory! This time, two-hour dialogue with Svitlana Kretovych from MoES resolved all the painful issues.”