Canadian educators map strategy (12/14/97)

Canadian educators map strategy

WINNIPEG - Ukrainian educators from across Canada meeting in Winnipeg during the weekend of October 24-25 adopted a common action plan, including plans for an advocacy campaign, a nationwide needs assessment and collection of needed data.

For the first time in 30 years, representatives from universities - Profs. Danylo Husar Struk (University of Toronto), Frances Swyripa (University of Alberta) and Natalia Aponiuk (University of Manitoba) joined educators from schools of Ukrainian studies and the state school sector to discuss critical issues in Ukrainian education in Canada.

Nadia Kostyshyn-Bailey guided the 17 participants from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. They were given the task of following through on the resolutions and vision created for education at the 18th Congress of Ukrainian Canadians in October 1995.

Sonja Bejzyk, second vice-president of UCC, Nadia Prokopchuk (Saskatchewan), Volodymyr Melnyk (Manitoba) and Prof. Swyripa took on the leadership of the reinvigorated UCC National Education Committee. Ann Biscoe will take the lead for a nationwide needs assessment and collection of vital data, and Luba Zaraska (Ontario) is taking the lead in developing an advocacy campaign for expanding the use of the Ukrainian language.

The cooperation at the conference led to a division of labor between the UCC (national and provincial), the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, the Ukrainian Canadian School Board of Toronto bilingual program, parental organizations and educators. The conference ended with a concrete plan of action with timelines set for results to be presented at the 19th Congress of Ukrainian Canadians in October 1998.

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