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Teachers from Luhansk and Donetsk regions went through training conducted with the support of the Embassy of Lithuania in Ukraine

July 20, 2018, 6:53 p.m.

From 2 to 6 July in the International Green School which is located in the village of Kosmach of Ivano-Frankivsk region, a five-day training “Education for Everyone! Open Green STREAM” for teachers and educators of Luhansk and Donetsk regions was conducted. The training was carried out within the framework of the project “Education for Everyone! Increasing the Institutional Capacity of Local Communities in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts” with the support of the Embassy of Lithuania in Ukraine. The organizer of the project was the NGO “Open Policy Foundation.”

Teachers from Ocheretyne, Rubizhne, and Kramatorsk (teachers, representatives of the education departments, and the Institute of Postgraduate Education) came to the picturesque high mountain village to learn innovative STEM/STREAM techniques, project management, and fundraising.

Training “Education for Everyone! Open Green STREAM” was opened by head of the NGO “Open Policy Foundation,” Candidate of Historical Sciences Iryna Zhdanova who gave a lesson on the topic “Traditional and Innovative Education Model: What Do You Choose?”, introduced STEM/STREAM methods for participants, and stressed the importance of providing access to quality education for children from remote regions, non-government controlled areas, the development of distance education. Iryna Zhdanova also presented the MakeyMakey programming tool, which is a new development used in schools around the world where innovative approaches to teaching are being introduced.

Curator of the Foundation”s programs, Ph.D. in Economics Maryna Khmara taught participants the basics of project management and fundraising. Expert-analyst of the Foundation, journalist Inna Kovaliv acquainted the participants with the educational innovative cases of the EU countries.

Associate Professor of the Department of Theory and Methodology of Primary Education of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, curator of the Creative Educational and Scientific Laboratory of the International Project “Mountain School,” Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences Inna Chervinska spoke about the features of education in hard-to-reach mountain regions. Associate Professor of the Department of Informatics Olesya Vlasiy and computer science teacher of the same university, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences Olga Dudka shared her experience on how to interest children in programming.

The teacher of robotics of the Kolomyia Polytechnic College Ivan Goyanyuk interested participants in the workshop on robotics. Teacher of the Sergii Prokofiev Sievierodonetsk College of culture and arts, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences Oleksiy Voronkin held classes on “Physics of Music”.

Biology teacher at the Antoniivska school № 21 in Kherson Georgii Guliayev inspired teachers to reflect on values and a peaceful future within the discussion club “From the Ecology of the Soul - To the Ecology of the Universe.”

Artist, member of the National Union of Folk Art of Ukraine, Olga Shynkarenko, grabbed everyone present with master classes on making vytynanky. Peace Corps Volunteer Janine Wynne held a fascinating speaking-club. Two-year student of the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute” Olexander Ungurian mastered the #MakeyMakey set for programming with the help of the game, programmed a guitar from cardboard, and conducted a master class on woodcarving.

In the open creative green space of the International Green School, the participants of the training adopted a unique experience of combining fun science with traditional art, green values, learned about educational innovative cases of EU countries, Ukraine and other countries of the world. They also learned how to teach students robotics, engineering, and 3D modeling without interactive boards and expensive LEGO kits only with the help of cheap materials. Moreover, the Foundation's employees demonstrated to teachers how to create a creative learning space in a small room with inexpensive mobile furniture.

From now on, the participants of the training can apply innovative approaches when creating an educational space and filling with content in their schools in Ocheretyno, Rubizhne, and Kramatorsk and disseminate the experience gained through the Lithuanian-Ukrainian project in their schools.

Teachers from the east visited the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, the Kolomyia Polytechnic College, the educational institutions of Kosmach, interesting museums, took part in numerous master classes on the painting of Easter eggs, making cheese horses, exercised in the fresh air, and learned to dance Ukrainian Hutsul dances. In addition, they took part in the art workshop, namely the painting of eco-bags with the symbols of the Open Green STREAM.

The immense beauty of the Ukrainian Carpathians, fresh mountain air, singing of trembita, warm atmosphere near the stove, and most importantly - common values and faith in changes for the better will always remain in the memories of the project participants.