The British Council implemented the "Social Cohesion and Resilience Through Schools" Project in 2019 - 2021 years in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and with financial support of the British Embassy in Ukraine. This project is part from the British Council programmes to support the reform of secondary education "New Ukrainian School".
The project "Social cohesion and resilience through schools" consisted of 3 areas: "Learning Hub", "Teachers' Upgrade", Active Citizens and had the aim to enhance the ability of schools in GCA Donbas and Transcarpathia to provide effective and relevant education to young people and to develop young people’s ability, enthusiasm, and opportunities for social action, to contribute to greater social cohesion and resilience and to counter young people’s disengagement in communities affected by or at risk of conflict in Ukraine. 10 secondary schools in the Zakarpattia region and 30 secondary schools in Donetsk and Lugansk regions became the participants of the project.
The results of the project are:
- establishment of 40 “Learning Hubs” in schools as the location for after-school clubs set up and facilitated by teachers but run by young people, fostering leadership skills as well as creating fun and engaging learning and debating opportunities for children and the community. The Hubs also act as centres for teacher groups, providing professional and personal support for teachers, and support for outreach work including, via digital means, to sister schools in other areas;
- establishment of "Teacher Activity Groups" to support the professional development of English teachers. TAGs enable English teachers to set up supportive communities of practice, allowing teachers to engage in meaningful informal professional development and relate to other teachers from other communities;
- representatives of schools - participants of the project had a chance to take part in the following activities: "Core Skills" training, "Dialogue, Negotiation, Debate" training, "Gender Sensitivity", "Conflict Sensitivity/Social Cohesion" and "Active Citizens" training for youth that aims at intercultural dialogue and sustainable social development;
- informal spaces have been formed around participating schools, where active citizens can cooperate and implement social action projects.
