Albany-based groups opens teacher resource center in Donetsk (02/09/03)

Albany-based groups opens teacher resource center in Donetsk

by Julianne N. Shepelavy

ALBANY, N.Y. - Americans for Democracy in Ukraine (ADU), an Albany-based non-profit organization, is anticipating the opening of its seventh Teacher Resource Center in Donetsk.

ADU, which has been in existence since 1990, in cooperation with Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y., has sponsored summer seminars in methodology for teachers of English in Ukraine. Each seminar is coordinated by Dr. Lydia Tarnawsky of Siena College, who leads a team of teachers in conducting the instruction. The seminars focus on student-centered education methods and the incorporation of technology into the curriculum. Since its inception, the program has trained over 200 teachers in modern methodology. In turn, these teachers have held seminars for over 1,000 teachers in Ukraine.

As a follow-up to the summer workshops, teacher participants have organized associations and teacher resource centers in six Ukrainian cities: Chernihiv, Kovel, Myrhorod, Uzhorod, Odesa, and Ohktyrka. Donetsk, which was the site of the most recent summer seminar, is in the process of organizing its association and center.

Each center is equipped with approximately 2,000 English books, audiotape equipment and tapes, a video player and cassettes. Some centers have a computer with Internet access planned. Thus teachers in the area have resources available for their teaching needs. Each center is organized and run by the teacher volunteers.

The ADU/Siena College program has recently reached an agreement with the Peace Corps to have four ADU centers the basis of operation for four Peace Corps volunteers. Through the efforts of Dr. Tarnavsky the Peace Corps personnel are to be ESL (English as a second language) specialists and will be an added resource for the English teachers in Ukraine.

In addition to learning modern methodology, the teachers of English in Ukraine have learned the skills necessary to form an association with responsibilities for the centers. Many of the teacher-participants have competed in and won international competitions for teachers and, as a result, have been selected for English language programs in the United States.

An AIDS education seminar was also held this past summer in Myrhorod with five teachers from each center participating. ADU secured funding for the program through a grant from the TEAL Charitable Foundation of Canada.

Most of the funding for ADU's programs comes from contributions from the Ukrainian community through an annual appeal. In addition, ADU is seeking larger donors for specific projects, such as funding for the purchase of a center or a computer system for an existing center.

Inquiries may be sent to: Taras Shepelavy, 1360 Wemple Lane, Niskayuna, NY 12309; or e-mailed to [email protected].

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