For news regarding alumni activities in Ukraine, please refer to Alumni section of our site.

29.05.2006

Sixteen local ECA alumni, Peace Corps volunteers, university lecturers gathered at the IATP access site to participate in roundtable discussion dedicated to freedom of media. Guest speaker Robert Bergland, Fulbright scholar, professor of journalism from the Michigan University, made a presentation of the comparative analysis of the mass media in our two countries. The presentation caused many questions and comments from both Ukrainians and Americans. But everybody agreed that all people should have the right to express themselves freely in writing or in any other way of expression of personal opinion or creativity. This meeting served a twofold purpose – it aroused awareness of the necessity of the free media among local ECA alumni and educators and encouraged exchange of information both on American and Ukrainian media.

19.05.2006

A group of girls from the Lutsk Evening School for Working Youth started their computer and Internet trainings at the IATP access site in Lutsk as a part of IATÐ pilot project entitled “Tech Age Girls.”

18.05.2006

The IATP access site hosted a seminar entitled “Role of Internet in Successful Career” for girls from the Lutsk Evening School for Working Youth within the framework of Tech Age Girls project. This seminar was an introduction to trainings on computer and Internet basics, which are to be attended by this audience in May. Halyna Bas, FLEX alumna and an active user of the IATP access site in Lutsk, explained to the attendees the role of the Internet in modern life and shared her experience of Internet usage in her studies and professional development.

14.04.2006

The IATP access site hosted local ECA alumni, English teachers of the local secondary schools and universities, Peace Corps volunteers, and other interested people for roundtable discussion of difference between Ukrainian and American systems of education. Peace Corps volunteers introduced the audience to the act entitled “No Child Left Behind.” ECA alumna Natalia Kolodko, English teacher and Head of the English Chair of the Specialized School #1, presented the general information on the above-mentioned law and demonstrated the website on the topic. Then the participants discussed ways for improving quality of education in the US and Ukraine.

04-14.04.2006

The IATP access site conducted trainings on computer and Internet basics for teachers of Lutsk kindergarten for disabled children.

03.04.2006

The IATP access site hosted ECA alumni, teachers of the secondary schools and universities, and members of the local non-profit organizations for roundtable discussion entitled “Ways of Battling against Corruption in Ukrainian Education.” This topic is one of the most relevant in nowadays Ukraine; it is very disturbing that revelations of corruption within academe are neither surprising nor new, but even more disturbing is the seeming equanimity that the students and teachers display on this point. We all display a kind of acceptance for a system, that can only dampen if not destroy the emergence of a society based on trust, merit, and honest achievement, one, that makes Ukraine competitive in the world market. The participants shared their ideas on ways for battling against corruption and explored the websites on the topic.

21.03.2006

The IATP access site hosted meeting of four local ECA alumni. They discussed their participation as the OSCE interpreters at the future elections to Ukrainian parliament. ECA alumni also explored Internet resources containing advice for interpreters.

13.03.2006

Specialists of the Museum of Volyn Icon started attending computer and Internet basics trainings at the IATP site in Lutsk

03.03.2006

The IATP access site hosted local ECA alumni for roundtable discussion entitled “Being an Independent Woman in Ukraine: Challenges and Victories.” The focal point of the meeting was the development of the interest to the women’s issues in Ukraine.

17.02.2006

The IATP access site hosted FLEX and UGRAD alumni for a meeting with UGRAD semi-finalists. ECA answered a lot of questions on studying in the USA educational institutions. They described differences in educational systems of two countries and also dwelled on the possible cultural shock that all the newly-arrived may experience in the foreign country as well as the ways for overcoming it.

16.02.2006

Upon request of the UGRAD semi-finalists, the IATP access site sponsored a seminar entitled “How to be successful at TOEFL.” Vitaliy Lipich (UGRAD 04), Lutsk ECA Alumni Club leader, kindly agreed to teach this seminar to the students. During the seminar the attendees also tried to fulfill the TOEFL tasks online.

15.02.2006

The IATP access site concluded trainings on computer and Internet basics for specialists of the Educational Board of Volyn Regional Council.

14.02.2006

Lidiya Kutsevych (TEA 01) and Liliya Mosiychuk (TEA 05) held a seminar “School, Chair, Teacher, and Student in the Exchange Programs” for the 26 teachers of the Lutsk secondary schools working with gifted children. They told to their colleagues about different exchange programs for students and for teachers, making a special emphasis on the usefulness of such educational exchanges in the development of the open-minded and critically thinking personalities. They also mentioned some new approaches to education and the wide range of new syllabuses created as a result of Ukrainian teachers’ professional exchange travels. Ms. Lidiya Kutsevych underlined the necessity of using Internet resources in the preparation to the programs application process, and therefore she suggested that all of the participants could use IATP facilities with this purpose.

10.02.2006

“We Should Live All Together. An Integration of the Disabled People into the Social Life in Ukraine” – such was the title of the last event that took place in the IATP site in Lutsk. This day members of the Lutsk Alumni Club met with representatives of the Child’s Development Center of the Volyn Regional Education Board and Peace Corps volunteers to discuss one of the most painful and the least discussed problems of the nowadays Ukraine: the problem of the disabled people’s integration into the social life of the country. Lesya Kozak, a special education teacher and a speech pathologist, offered a presentation depicting the situation of the people with special needs in our city. Tetyana Kohanchuk, the disabled girl’s mother, followed her speech with the examples taken from her own life and the life of her child. Then Lyudmyla Voznyuk (CC 02), the art director of the Disabled Children’ Theater “Zabavlianochka” showed the pictures from the photo exhibition organized last year and aimed to show to the wide public how desperately these kids want to live together with their coevals. She also presented a new project initiated by her NGO directed onto the providing of the architectural changes in Lutsk making all the buildings accessible for the people in the wheel chairs. It is supposed to be a big fundraising campaign, in which IATP and Peace Corps volunteers are going to take the most active part.

19.01.2006

Lyudmyla Voznyuk (CC 03), head of “Child’s Development Center”, local non-profit organization, and the art director and organizer of the Theatrical Studio for Disabled Children “Zabavlyanochka,” held in the IATP access site a seminar entitled “Improvement of the Quality of the Social Services in the Educational Sphere for Children with Psycho-Physical Disabilities.” She explained to the audience importance of the individual and group form of the socio-educational work in raising children with disabilities. “I know it from my own experience; - tells Lyudmyla, - how important communication is for such kids. The more these children socialize, the more opportunities they have in just leaving their homes for an hour or two, the more normal become their lives.” The following techniques are used by Mrs. Voznyuk and her colleagues in their work with the disabled children: group discussions, talks, consultations, developing and movement games, training fragments – with the purpose of the information exchange, practical and social skills development, and values orientations change, social behavior modification in a positive direction.

10.01.2006

The IATP access site started Step-by-Step training session for group of teachers form Lutsk Lyceum for Talented Children.

22.12.2005

Fifteen IATP users, including Valentyna Uschyna, IATP Lutsk Representative, ECA alumni, and local university students visited the orphanage in the town of Rozhysche, Volyn region, to organize party for 38 orphans and disabled children living in this orphanage. Previously, initiators of this event held fundraising campaign to gather money for the orphans, which started on November 17, in the International Students’ Day. They applied to the local institutions and businesses to raise money for the party for orphans. Raised 1,000 hryvnias ($ 200) were spent on colored pencils, books, albums, winter gloves, sweets, and other useful things for orphans. They also invited clowns, who agreed to work free of charge, to participate in the party. After the performance, guests organized the crafts fun classes for children. The initiators of the event plan to continue supporting the orphanage by organizing classes and performances for children.

16.12.2005

Liliya Mosiychuk (TEA 05), English teacher of the Lutsk school #1, visited the IATP access site to participate in the countrywide online chat on teaching English as a second language.

14.12.2005

IATP Lutsk Representative Valentyna Uschyna made a presentation for 28 students of the Lutsk Military Lyceum, who visited Volyn Regional Youth Library. Valentyna Ushchyna introduced the audience to experience of the library and IATP cooperation in the informational education of the city and region. She also dwelled on the main tasks of the IATP access site in Lutsk, making the main emphasis on the computer and Internet basics training for the local residents.

07.12.2005

Lidiya Kutsevych, an English teacher and TEA alumna, conducted a seminar entitled “Get Ready to Write the English Language computerized Test” for the students of the secondary school # 1 in the IATP access site. As many school graduates have chosen to enter the foreign languages departments of the universities, they need some special preparation in taking computer based language tests. During the training Lidiya Kutsevych told about the role Internet could play in the preparation for this kind of work, and showed different related Internet resources (e.g. http://www.testwise.com http://TOEFL.ru http://toeflpractice.ets.org). After that the students took a trial TOEFL mini-test in the online regime.

05.12.2005

The IATP access site concluded trainings on computer and Internet basics for eight students and two teachers from Library Department of Lutsk School of Arts and Culture. The next group of students and teachers from Theatrical Entertainment Department of the School is to start trainings on December 6.

05.12.2005

Local ECA alumni, NGO representatives, and Peace Corps volunteers gathered in the IATP access site to celebrate the International Volunteer Day and to discuss new volunteer project entitled “Bring a Holiday to Orphans.” Participants of the project started in November fundraising campaign to raise money for needs of the local orphans. Members of the local ECA Alumni Club and students of Romance-Germanic Philology Department initiated this project. On November 17, in the International Students’ Day they held the fist event within the framework of fundraising campaign – local university students and professors had an opportunity to become fairy-tale heroes and have the pictures taken for their albums. Each photo was sold at the affordable price. As a result of the event the project participants raised over 200 hryvnias and they plan to continue such activities in the future.

24.11.2005

The IATP access site hosted 12 local school and university students for a seminar entitled “Sobriety as Means of Sufficiency” conducted by CC alumnus Valeriy Sevryukov. Being a specialist working in the sphere of healthy approach to life and doing it rather as a community activist and volunteer than a doctor, Sevryukov organized an NGO that deals with anti-alcohol and anti-nicotine propaganda among the young inhabitants of our city. The audience’s age varied between 14 and 19, and practically all the participants of the seminar demonstrated their readiness to follow this healthy mode of life, proving high success motivation of the modern young people.

18.11.2005

Nataliya Shvets, the Head of the International Relations Department of Volyn State University held in the IATP access site a presentation at the round-table discussion of the problems and perspectives of international education integration within the framework of the International Education Week. The presentation consisted of the two main parts: mutual acceptance of the international education degrees and diplomas between European countries, the US, and Ukraine; and programs of Volyn State University for international students as well as opportunities of international studies and internships for the students and teachers of the university. Shvets also touched problem of International education financing opportunities with the special emphasis on the travel grants.

10.11.2005

The IATP access site hosted meeting of 13 local ECA alumni with seven Peace Corps volunteers working in Lutsk. Ernesto Borchini, Peace Corps volunteer, who has been living and working in Lutsk for about two years and almost became a Lutskovite, as we often joke, introduced the audience to Peace Corps mission in Ukraine and emphasized importance of cooperation between Peace Corps volunteers and the IATP access sites throughout Ukraine.

28.10.2005

Local ECA alumni visited the IATP access site for celebrating Halloween. Every year at the end of October the ECA alumni gather in the IATP access site in Lutsk and not only carve a pumpkin, play different fun games and look at Halloween Internet sites, but also share their memories about Halloween celebration in the US.

14.10.2005

Vitaliy Lipich (UGRAD 04) conducted in the IATP access site a seminar on searching scholarship online for students of English Language and Applied Linguistics Departments of Volyn Sate University. The participants explored websites of the international organizations offering scholarship for Ukrainian students and paid special attention to UGRAD program administered by IREX.

04.10.2005

The IATP access site started training on computer and Internet basics for teachers and students of Department of Psychology of Volyn State University.

21.09.2005

On the invitation of the representatives of the IATP access site in Lutsk and members of the local ECA Alumni Club, journalists from local independent TV Company AVERS visited the IATP access site. During this meeting they posed questions about activities of the IATP access site for benefit of the local community and IATP future plans. Then journalists interviewed IATP users, ECA alumni, and director of the partner library to make the news coverage of the IATP activities in Lutsk, which was on air in the evening news.

25.09.2005

The IATP access site hosted re-entry orientation for the newly arrived FLEX alumni from Rivne and Lutsk. The meeting was organized upon request of Natalia Salo, FLEX Alumni Assistant for Western Ukraine.

23.09.2005

The IATP access site hosted ECA alumni for a meeting of local ECA Alumni Club. The participants discussed plans of work of the Club and welcomed newly arrived JFDP alumna Myroslava Mushkevych. Myroslava shared her impressions from studying in the US and plans for future. Helen Birtwistle, FLEX Program Hub Director, also took part in the meeting.

16.09.2005

Representatives of the partner library of the IATP access site in Lutsk Maria Makh and Alla Yefremova took part in the online discussion on role of women-leaders. This international chat was initiated by the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy in Ukraine. The participants discussed opportunities for women in business, politics, and public work, compared level of employment of women in different countries, and shared their thoughts about professional development of women in different states.

16.09.2005

The IATP access site hosted meeting of the representatives of the partner library of the IATP access site with representatives of the US Embassy in Ukraine Dolores Hylander and Natalia Yeremeyeva. The participants discussed collaboration between IATP, schools, and libraries.

25.08.2005

The IATP access site hosted meeting of 12 members of the local ECA Alumni Club with Vice Consul of the US Embassy in Ukraine Molly Stephenson and Head of the Public Liaison Unit of Consular Section Nadiya Orlova. Guests explained new US visa procedures and answered the questions of the audience.

20.05.20005

The IATP access site hosted meeting of ECA Alumni Club dedicated to sustainability of the access site after termination of IATP grant. The participants decided to continue activities of ECA Alumni Club. This was also farewell party for Peace Corps volunteer Devon McGuinness, who spent over two years in Lutsk and actively participated in all IATP projects and activities.

19.05.2005

The IATP access site conducted a seminar on computer and Internet usage in rural schools on the request of IATP partner library in Lutsk. Twenty teachers of the rural schools from all districts of Volyn region attended the seminar.

17.05.2005

The IATP access site conducted training on Web design basics for teachers of Lutsk Military Lyceum.

25.04.2005

The IATP access site hosted history teachers of the Lutsk Military Lyceum for online chat dedicated to GUUAM Summit.

18-24.04.05

The IATP access site conducted trainings on computer basics for teachers of the Lutsk Military Lyceum.

19.04.2005

IATP Lutsk Representative Valentyna Uschyna conducted a seminar on the Internet resources for academic research in linguistics for students of Volyn State University. Halyna Bas (FLEX 01) demonstrated to the audience how to use the discussed tools in practice.

13-15.04.2005

The IATP access site conducted trainings on computer basics for nine journalists of Volyn State TV and Radio Company. The attendees also are to attend IATP training on the Internet basics which enable them to use Internet tools in their everyday work.

05.04.2005

The IATP access site hosted Valeriy Sevryukov (CC 98) with a seminar entitled Health and Sobriety Is a Key to Success for the students of Lutsk secondary schools. This seminar touched very important problems of alcoholism and drug addiction among youth. In an interesting and interactive way the lecturer presented a rather useful and educative material. Then he suggested some websites where additional information on the discussed topic could be found (in particular, http://trezvosev.iatp.org.ua).

31.03.2005

The IATP access site hosted regular meeting of ECA Alumni Club devoted to the State Alumni Day. The members of the Club discussed their current community and social projects and plans for the future. They also listened to Vitaliy Lipich who introduced the audience to the current alumni initiatives around Ukraine. Then they visited http://stateexchange.state.gov website.

31.03.2005

Members of ECA Alumni Club of the gathered in the IATP access site to take part in the online chat with representatives of Consular Section of the US Embassy in Ukraine concerning student visas.

21-31.03.2005

The IATP access site conducted trainings on computer and Internet basics for members of Yablunka NGO uniting single mothers.

18.03.2005

Four teachers together with the school director, four ECA alumni and Peace Corps volunteers gathered in the IATP access site to discuss the ways of fundraising for the further realization of IT for Orphans project. First the following levels of the possible financial aid were defined: local, regional, national, and international. Then the participants discussed the opportunities on every of the mentioned levels in detail. The invited guest speaker Nelly Weisbahn (France), who had been working as the European Union consultant for the local government for two years, outlined the potential ways of involving the city and region state administration to the fundraising process. Ernesto Borchini, Peace Corps volunteer, dwelled on the grant opportunities currently open by the Peace Corps in Ukraine. Vitaliy Lipich (FSAU 03) described other grants opportunities for the NGO and other civil initiatives development. Halyna Bas (FLEX 01) offered some of the grant proposal writing hints.

16.03.2005

The IATP access site invited seven people: Maria Makh and Alla Yefremova, representatives of partner library of the IATP access site, Andriy Lets, FLEX alumnus and lecturer of the Volyn State University, Tetyana Grishyna, journalist of “Initiative” newspaper and a member of Volyn Youth Rights Protection Association, Svitlana Sakharuk, doctor of the Volyn regional hospital, Lyudmyla Voznyuk, director of Zabavlyanochka, musical theater for the disabled children, and Oksana Leskova, representative of the Volyn Youth Studio of the Amateur Theatrical Arts «Renaissance” to participate in the online chat with Greendjolly.

09-11.03.2005

The IATP access site conducted training on computer basics for teachers of the local orphanage within the frameworks of IT for Orphans project.

07.03.2005

Lutsk ÅÑÀ Alumni Club members gathered in the IATP access site to celebrate International Women’s Day. They also invited the partner library representatives and Peace Corps volunteers for their party. An interesting discussion concerning a lot of issues connected with the woman’s place in society took place during this meeting. The special emphasis was made on the differences in Ukrainian and American woman’s self-realization opportunities, her own views on family and career and her self-esteem.

04.03.2005

The IATP access site in Lutsk hosted the round-table discussion of the problems single mothers at both national and regional level. Eighteen ECA alumni, NGO representatives, and Peace Corps volunteers shared their ideas during the discussion led by Viktoria Ziborova, head of Yablunka, NGO uniting single mothers. Viktoria started the dialogue with a moving story of Yablunka created 10 months ago and presentation of plans and ambitions of this NGO. Then eight members of Yablunka shared their experience of fighting the psychological, emotional, and financial difficulties which they faced as single mothers.

01.03.2005

The IATP access site hosted local teachers of foreign languages for a seminar, entitled Communication with Students via the Internet: Pros and Cons. IATP Lutsk representative Valentyna Ushchyna started the discussion with the presentation on Internet in teacher-students relations, which was followed by Peace Corps volunteer Ernesto Borchini who described his personal experience as ESL teacher. It’s well known that technology bring computers and Internet to every sphere of modern life. The schools are not left out of this process. It is a long time that in the US schools and universities teachers and professors have been communicating with their students, reading their essays, writing comments, and correcting mistakes. For Ukraine this experience is still uncommon and causes many disputes. During this interactive seminar the teachers expressed their opinions on the problem and argued with each other.

21.02.2205

Lidia Kucevych (TEA 01) conducted a seminar, entitled English Teaching Resources Online, for teachers of foreign languages. At the seminar six teachers from specialized school #1 discovered how to use educational websites, register for services, subscribe for mailing lists, and save and print materials. Participants also learned about international educational network I*EARN and possibilities to carry out educational projects with its help.

15.02.2005

Eight children with hearing disabilities, former participants of Hear Me project, came together again to the IATP access site in Lutsk. IATP volunteer-trainers Olga Vorona and Vitaliy Lipich were extremely happy to see their students and ask about their progress in studies. But the primary aim of the meeting was the introduction of Virtual Campus project - the joint effort of the Ukrainian Distance Learning System and IATP. Students showed great interest in the project and four of them registered right on the spot. Among the chosen specialties were “The Sign Language”, “Computer Science”, and “Business Planning for the Enterprises of the Ukrainian Society of Deaf”

11.02.2005

The IATP access site hosted meeting of the local ECA alumni. The participants discussed an idea of founding an NGO.

04.02.2005

The IATP access site awarded the most active ECA alumni with certificates and candies.

01-07.02.2005

The IATP access site conducted trainings on computer basics for doctors of the Volyn Oblast Hospital. “We also hope to learn how to use Internet. For instance I fm very much interested in finding all the possible information on ozone in medicine topic, and use it in my everyday work”, confessed Yuriy Grishyn, the Head of the Physiotherapy Department.

25.01.2005

ECA alumni and Peace Corps volunteers gathered in the IATP access site to discuss whatever was done about the Internet to Orphans project. As the working group was divided to the three subgroups, the reports were presented in this order. First Peace Corps volunteer Devon Mc Guinness told about her trip to Kivertsi Orphanage. Then IATP Lutsk Representative Valentyna Uschyna told to the audience about her visit to the Lutsk Boarding School for Orphans. At the end of the meeting fundraising group discussed the possible grant proposals with the representatives of the above-mentioned Boarding school and other ECA alumni.

20.01.2005

IATP Lutsk Representative Valentyna Uschyna visited Lutsk Boarding School for Orphans to introduce the school director Anatoliy Dudych to the new project for orphans initiated by IATP in Ukraine and Peace Corps volunteers.

17.01.2005

The IATP access site in Lutsk and local ECA alumni organized the charity party for the pupils of the Lutsk Boarding School for Orphans. This party followed another charity action, entitled Write a Letter to Santa, initiated and implemented by the IATP access site in Lutsk and ECA alumni for the local children. During this action ECA alumni answered letters to Santa from the local children and sent to them sweets and other presents purchased on the money raised in the local organizations and institutions. Since still many letters were unanswered and most of these letters were from pupils of the local orphanage, ECA alumni decided to organize party for orphans to give presents in person. The initiators of the action found sponsor, Metro night club, which provided 120 books for orphans and paid for professional clowns and Santa Claus for the party. Besides, Metro club persuaded Derzhava NGO to donate 120 candies sets for the orphans. At the party orphans sang songs, played games, danced, and enjoyed communication with their guests.

17.01.2005

The IATP access site hosted meeting of the local ECA alumni dedicated to the new joint project of IATP in Ukraine and Peace Corps volunteers on teaching information technology to orphans. In the beginning of the event Vitaliy Lipich introduced the audience to the results of Letter to Santa project. Then Peace Corps volunteer Devon McGuinnes presented the new project for orphans. At the end of the meeting the IATP Lutsk Representative Valentyna Uschyna organized the project working group falling into three subgroups: the first, working with the Lutsk orphanages, another one, working with the orphanages of Volyn region, and the third – fundraising subgroup.

30.12.2004–10.01.2005

Activities of ECA Alumni Club of the IATP access site in Lutsk never stopped for the vacations, even though the IATP access site did not work in its usual regime. ECA alumni (total 6 people, mainly FLEX and FSAU alumni) have been gathering in the IATP access site during Christmas holidays practically every day. They have been answering to the children’s letters to Santa and have been preparing letters and presents for them.

23.12.2004

The IATP access site in Lutsk hosted the roundtable discussion of psychological integration of disabled children. Eleven ECA alumni participated in the event. Lyudmyla Voznyuk, head of Child’s Development Center Regional NGO, led the discussion. She introduced the audience to the strategy of the work with disabled children and emphasized that main approach was concerned with upbringing and rehabilitation process. The participants agreed that such integration helped disabled children to avoid feeling of isolation and inferiority and enabled their adaptation to the society. They also discussed the art-therapy approach used of the Center through Zabavlyanochka Children’s Integrated Rehabilitation Theater, where disabled and healthy children play together. ECA alumni paid special attention to the Center’s volunteer work at all its projects. They decided to join efforts of the Center and ECA Alumni Club of the IATP access site in Lutsk in implementing charity projects for both disabled and healthy local children. In particular, the Center will contribute to the Letter to Santa project held by ECA alumni for the local children, and members of the ECA Alumni Club of the IATP access site in Lutsk will help to create the Center’s website.

Our address:
Volyn Oblast Library for Youth
Voli Avenue, 2
tel.: (0332) 22-72-65
IATP Representative: Valentyna Uschyna, uval@iatp.org.ua
IATP Trainer: Igor Sychev, is@iatp.org.ua