Keep the Volunteer Spirit Alive
Need new Host site in Ukraine ASAP!!
Greetings all. I am sorry for not staying in better contact and giving updates about the student groups I am taking to Ukraine. The problem is that I have had to put out a ton of fires on the ECE/ESL program for next summer. To make a long story short, I have had to end cooperation with a site in Lviv. Right now I have 2 faculty and 10 students that still want to go for one month next summer but no place to send them.
Details on what we need:
1. Housing (dormitory or host families) for 10 students 1 single faculty, and another faculty member + director (my wife and I).
2. orphanage or summer camp with at least 20 children where the students can complete their practicum experience. A few will be working on a ESL project (they are earning their MA in TESOL), the others on an Early Childhood Education project.
3. Classroom space. The day will be broken into 3 parts: morning classes, lunch/meetings, then 3-4 hours of work on site with the children or administrators, teachers, etc. Or vice-versa, work then classes.
If you have good contacts that I can work with, please let me know ASAP! Eventually, should we find a place to cooperate with, I will need ot schedule a flight over to view the site/housing and meet with all people involved. Due to this liability requirement, I need to get things arranged very quickly or risk having to send this group somewhere else.
This is also a great project to help fund since it seems the other proposed projects are already receiving money. All of these students are from Appalachia and the first in their families to go to a university. All are working overtime to make the money needed for this and can use the help. I cannot think of a greater experience to round out their education than spending some time in Ukraine.
Thanks for any help.
Bill
Details on what we need:
1. Housing (dormitory or host families) for 10 students 1 single faculty, and another faculty member + director (my wife and I).
2. orphanage or summer camp with at least 20 children where the students can complete their practicum experience. A few will be working on a ESL project (they are earning their MA in TESOL), the others on an Early Childhood Education project.
3. Classroom space. The day will be broken into 3 parts: morning classes, lunch/meetings, then 3-4 hours of work on site with the children or administrators, teachers, etc. Or vice-versa, work then classes.
If you have good contacts that I can work with, please let me know ASAP! Eventually, should we find a place to cooperate with, I will need ot schedule a flight over to view the site/housing and meet with all people involved. Due to this liability requirement, I need to get things arranged very quickly or risk having to send this group somewhere else.
This is also a great project to help fund since it seems the other proposed projects are already receiving money. All of these students are from Appalachia and the first in their families to go to a university. All are working overtime to make the money needed for this and can use the help. I cannot think of a greater experience to round out their education than spending some time in Ukraine.
Thanks for any help.
Bill
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Harry Stevens on -
Bill, I had journalists from three Ukrainian cities -- one of which was Yalta where I had been a PCV in 2000-2001 -- visit Austin, MN, for one week in 2005 under an Open World grant from the Library of Congress to "study independent media." In 2003, I made a special trip to Ukraine just to find a sister college for Riverland Community College here in AustinMN. We visited four universities in Simferopol and one each in Sevastopol, Yalta, Lutsk and Kherson, where as a PCV I taught in 1999-2000. You are already in contact with Lutsk & Kherson via electronic mailto:SisterColleges@yahoogroups.com
I am inviting someone in Simferopol to join this forum and to respond to you here.
-
Permalink Reply by heidi on -
Bill, is this organisation then donating the space or is there funding to cover that? I sent it to a friend of mine in Lviv who used to work with CARITAS who might have some contacts or know something....I will let you know if I hear back.
-
Permalink Reply by Bill Holmes on -
Heidi,
Thanks for doing this. Hopefully it will help out. But to answer your question, we will pay for housing be it with host-families or in empty dorm rooms. Of course the price could sink us if too much is expected. I prefer home-stay since it will help add economically to locals. As for class space, we would hope that this would be given in exchange for the teaching part. For example, what we had prepared was that the orphanage would host us and provide our 2 needed classrooms (of course we just need a place to gather. No technology needed) and we would, after classes, work directly with the kids and administrators the remainder of the day. Normally it is 9-11 class; 11-1 lunch; 1-4 supervised work.
In case your friend needs details, these are students earning their MA in TESOL. They must take a 3 credit hour course on-site but then also complete a supervised practicum. The classes they would offer Ukrainian students, faculty or administrators are the exact same classes they would have if they were here for an intensive summer at our ESL Institute. They are very good.
I hope you can find something out quickly. Due to liability issues i have to have a proposal done soon and then plan a pre-program site visit in February or March to come over and see the site, housing, etc.
Again, thank you so much for trying to help.
Bill
-
Permalink Reply by Harry Stevens on
-
Bill,
Ross, as FoU President, and the FoU Board are interested in supporting this effort.
Please get a free http://skype.com/ account and then please skype him and maybe Heidi and/or me ASAP -- okay?
About
Badge
© 2009 Created by Gregory Mullen on Ning. Create Your Own Social Network
