Ukraine's Future
The Day After: The return to Kyiv and finally, to Rhode Island, was a whirlwind that included a 26- hour trip between Hotel Rus in Kyiv to the airport in Providence. It's taken me another full day to unwind and although processing all that transpired in the past two weeks will take longer, here are my initial thoughts.
Ukraine's vivid culture is evidenced throughout Kyiv and Crimea. However, it is a newly independent state, a toddler crawling away from it's soviet past. Market capitalism has not benefited the masses yet and this is evidenced in poorly paid teachers and other workers, and a crumbling infrastructure. However, the youth, who are bright and eager, are Ukraine's biggest assets. The young people I met are gifted and persistent in making and meeting personal goals. When they approach their careers with the same enthusiasm, they will help propel their country forward, and will, I believe, make Ukraine shine.
Although this is the end of my trip, it won't be the end of the experience. We still have to iron out details, but next year will be one in which my JSEC students will engage with learning opportunities with their Ukrainian and Chicago peers. I look forward to our collaboration!
Welcome home Polly!!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts and can connect with the feelings you experienced! Trips like this can be overwhelming, both in terms of schedule and emotions. What an excrutiating travel back home!!! You have given me insight into a culture and place that I know nothing at all about. Your students enjoyed reading your blogs with me each day I was in your class, I wish that I had been able to do more of that on my trip. I am so excited to see how you continue the connections with students next year and would love to work with you on that as well. So glad you had such an amazing experience and that our school and students will have the benefit of all that you have learned.
ReplyDeleteMy students were amazed and chastened when I showed them the video of the 10th form introducing themselves. They definitely got the message loud and clear that students in Ukraine take education very seriously as a door to opportunity. If that is the only message we can pass on to our students here, that may be enough.
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