EdCamp Ukraine

The EdCamp Ukraine movement is supported by a non-governmental, non-profit public organization of the same name, which focuses on improving the Ukrainian education system.

For example, in 2019, two independent sources estimated that the de-bureaucratization reforms EdCamp Ukraine lobbied for decreased teacher paperwork by 20 to 30%.

[22][23][24] The members of the organization are called "white crows," describing people who seize change in their community and are not afraid to try alternative techniques.

[31][16] Main topics included new technology, an anti-discrimination approach in education, community integration, and English language as national priority.

[16] International speakers at the event were: Oskar Brenife, author and philosophy Ph.D. from Paris, France; Eva Rambala, lecturer and trainer in non-violent communication, from Budapest, Hungary; and Esther Wojcicki, journalism teacher and media arts program founder from Palo Alto, California, USA.

[33][13][38] British author, speaker, and international advisor on education Ken Robinson addressed the unconference in a 10-minute video message.

[42][43] Ukrainian and international public figures took part in the flash mob, including Liliya Hrynevych, the Minister of Education and Science; Hadley Ferguson, co-founder of the original EdCamp movement in the US; Caspar Peek, representative from United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine; and Yaacov Hecht, Israel educator and founder of democratic schools.

[42][43][44] Speakers included Yaacov Hecht,[44] Liliya Hrynevych,[35][24] and Esa Sinivuori, a Finnish expert from Lumo Education.

[50] Due to a scheduling conflict, the President couldn't attend, but addressed the EdCamp Ukraine team and members in a letter.

[20] Liliya Hrynevych, as well as several other Ukrainian public figures and international guests such as Giovanni Porchellana from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), and Israel educator Yaacov Hecht, took part in the flash mob.

[15] Experts included the Dalai Lama, a Nobel Prize winner; Yuval Noah Harari, historian, teacher, and bestselling author; Anthony Salcito, Microsoft vice-president in regard to education; Andreas Schleicher, developer of the Programme for International Student Assessment; Yaacov Hecht, Israel educator and founder of democratic schools; and others.

[62] The event was attended by 30 world-renowned scientists, educators, psychologists, thought leaders, whose research and practice relate to the phenomenon of joy.

This is the world educational expert and developer of international PISA testing Andreas Schleicher (Germany), education specialist, documentary film producer, venture investor and writer Ted Dintersmith, psychologist, writer, founder of the teaching program at Williams College Susan Engel (USA) teacher Shalva Amonashvili (Georgia).

[4][25] In 2016, the EdCamp Ukraine team held a competition for educators to hold official mini-EdCamps in their cities, and received 25 applicants.

The project provides competition winners with necessary documentation, support, and funds to hold a regional unconference in different Ukrainian cities.

[4][3][23] In 2018, the I National summit-challenge "EdCamp-Angels in Action" was held in Odesa, Ukraine, and was visited by 100 mini-EdCamps coordinators from across the country.

[41] In October 2021, the EdCamp Ukraine team presented a course titled Educators' Professional Development: New Regulations And Possibilities, on the Ukrainian online course platform Prometheus.

[77] Since February 24, 2022, EdCamp Ukraine has been implementing a number of anti-crisis initiatives to support educators, parents, children and youth during the war.

[16] This reform initiative became the main subject of discussions between Ukrainian educators and government through EdCamp Ukraine unconference 2017.

[3][4][33][13][38] That year, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine released a document publishing the main concepts, aims, and reform stages for the New Ukrainian School.

[88][3] Oleksandr Elkin, the founder and head of EdCamp Ukraine with vice-president Olena Massalitina co-authored the New Ukrainian School Reform concept.

The whole process is funded by government or local budgets, which is the essential rule of another newly established principle, "money follows the teacher.

[100][101][99] The Ministry of Education and Science created a group to work on professional development topics which included EdCamp Ukraine founder and president Oleksandr Elkin and vice-president Olena Massalitina.

[105] In 2021, EdCamp Ukraine together with #GenerousTuesdayChildren (#ЩедрийВівторокДіти) and a specially selected team of authors developed a manual for the formation of a culture of charity in the educational process: "Lessons of kindness: ideas and tips for the school year".

[107] The EdCamp Ukraine team has close relationships with educators in the US, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Israel, and Singapore.

During the sixth annual Global Dignity Day celebration in 2020, the organization attracted Ukrainian schools to participate by holding lessons and discussions in online and offline formats.

[110][111][112] In 2017, EdCamp Ukraine introduced a new branch of activity: international trips aimed at researching education in different countries, called EdTrips.

[120][6] In 2017, EdCamp Ukraine won first prize at the 5th National Competition of Public Non-Government Organizations (Ukrainian: V Національний Конкурс Публічних Звітів Організацій Громадянського Суспільства).

[122] In 2020, the vice-president of EdCamp Ukraine Olena Massalitina was awarded Woman of the Year in the Secondary Education category within the "Ukrainian Women" contest.

[127] "The biggest number of locations to join an online educators' flash mob" was registered in the Ukraine Record Book.

EdCamp Ukraine team meeting with Dalai Lama XIV (2019).
EdCamp Ukraine team meeting with Dalai Lama XIV (2019)