Inclusive Education Teacher Training for the Community Development: a case story from Ukraine – this was the name of a presentation at Virtual World Community Development Conference 2022 by Sergiy Sydoriv, Lidia Sydoriv and Khrystyna Melnyk who are respectively teachers and a recent graduate of Ivano-Frankivsk college, Precarpathian national university.
The conference organizers International Association for Community Development – IACD and Inclusive Practices – IP succeeded in offering community development practitioners, educators and researchers from 60 countries an opportunity to come together to reflect upon the ways to support disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. This year the WCDC focused upon social inclusion as the global challenge for community development policies and practice over the coming years
Our presentation started with the story of Without Borders, a grass-roots project in Ukraine – the effort complementing the country’s ratification of the UNCRPD and the 2017 Law on Education regarding special and inclusive education services. The goals of the project were to (a) create and support a learning community to enhance inclusion’s implementation and (b) develop a coordinated training program to advance inclusion in education and society.
We described the project’s initiation and the activities it has sponsored.
Being opened in Ivano-Frankivsk college, Precarpathian national university 3 years ago, a new tract for training professionals in the field of inclusive education already equipped 38 young graduates with skills and motivation to develop inclusive community and support children and adults with disabilities, internally displaced persons and other members of society.
Inclusive Education Lab was also created with the capacity to equip educators with the understanding of and ability to effectively implement inclusive practices and to serve as a resource center for schools and community groups.
The Russia’s aggression shaped the activities of the Inclusive Education Lab and United by Love, a community group for people with and without disabilities towards supporting internally displaced persons, children and adults with disabilities, youth in transition to adult life, and Ukrainians who protect the country`s integrity and human rights.
Marta, the youngest delegate of the conference spoke about her Reading for Winning project aimed at supporting and uniting Ukrainian community.
Sergiy Sydoriv also participated in other panels of the conference, namely he translated the panel session Together with Ukraine where international community discussed the ways of supporting Ukraine in war and developing it after the victory.
The conferences delegates express their gratitude to their colleagues, students as well as organizers and participants of Virtual WCDC2022. Together we win and progress!
