The following was written by Marla Swanson, a program associate for the Network Women's Program.

From July 30–August 12, 2001, some 100 young people and adults, researchers and practitioners, Ukrainians and guests from thirteen different countries, gathered in Karpaty, a small, picturesque town in the Zakarptska (Transcarpathian) region, in western Ukraine to participate in the first international Empowering Education Summer Camp. The summer camp served to encapsulate the essence of previous work, as well as provide a basis for future strategic planning for participants of the program. The camp also provided an opportunity for interested beginners to become acquainted with the Empowering Education model and possibly join the program in the future.

The Camp succeeded in bringing many different cultures together. Camp participants were able to share their cultures during special evening events showcasing their cultural diversity, which included folk music, performances, and comedic skits, with participants wearing colorful national dress. The Network Women's Program (NWP) and the Burma Project brought together a unique delegation of Southeast Asian participants, from Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, and Laos, to experience the methodology firsthand by taking part in Empowering Education classes, for possible future inclusion of Southeast Asian countries into the program. The camp provided a unique multi-cultural experience -- for all of the Southeast Asian participants, it was their first time visiting a former Soviet country, and for almost all other participants at the Camp, it was a first and rare opportunity to meet and talk to someone from Southeast Asia. The delegation explored the innovative methodology hands-on, by participating in actual training sessions, which were held in English (instead of Russian, Georgian, Kyrgyz, Lithuanian, Tajik, Uzbek, Azeri, Romanian, Kazak, or Ukrainian) for the first time.

The Summer Camp sessions demonstrated various topics within the Empowering Education model, which led to curriculum development and new teaching materials. (The) main areas covered in demonstrational training sessions were: basic principles of Empowering Education and successful communication, basic gender concepts, equity and equality, human rights, and democracy. Among the topics trainers discussed at the Camp were how to strengthen the network, strategies for future geographical expansion, new themes, different kinds of courses, and continuing joint work on the network and international level. After the Camp, a listserv was created for participants to exchange new ideas, experiences, and materials. On the constantly updated Empowering Education website (www.empedu.kiev.ua), one can also download materials in several languages, learn about projects and events in different countries, as well as access other information.

What is Empowering Education?
Empowering Education is an innovative participatory educational program, which prepares both girls and boys for roles of mutual support, social activism, and democracy-building in society. For girls, it creates an awareness of their potential in society, and their possibility to fully realize it. For boys, it shapes their awareness, attitudes and values, providing them with a sense of social responsibility. For both boys and girls, Empowering Education promotes self-esteem by instilling them with values of mutual respect and understanding for all people, regardless of age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, etc.

A small team of trainers achieves these goals by guiding a group of between 12-15 people through a variety of participatory, experiential, small and large group activities using "icebreakers," discussions, brainstorming, case studies, role-playing, and creative work (such as drawing, song-writing, etc.)

The Empowering Education program currently operates in secondary schools and in some universities, not only in Ukraine, but in eight other countries of the former Soviet Union. Empowering Education presents an alternative approach of cooperation among schools, NGOs, teachers and human rights activists who understand the importance of talking about human rights and gender sensitive education with children and teenagers.

Participants have developed many activities in collaboration with educators, researchers and young people from different countries and cultures, among them training courses for high school and university students, presentation trainings for educational authorities and people involved in educational policy making, trainings for trainers, development of educational materials, publications, website development, research, etc. Although the main target group is secondary students, other groups also participate. New groups are being developed all the time. For example, currently, kindergarten classes are in the works, due to demand from educators, administration, and parents. Even Muslim leaders in several countries, such as Tajikistan (in which this Program has been particularly successful) participated in trainings.

How did Empowering Education start?
Empowering Education grew out of a true grassroots movement, when Olena Suslova, (the founder of Empowering Education and the NGO, Women's Information Consultative Center) and her colleagues saw that gender sensitivity, human rights education, and participatory student-centered learning were much-needed components, absent in the Ukrainian educational system. Although gender sensitive and equitable education are badly needed in schools in the region, they are not always a priority or realistic option in the curricula. For that reason, they set out to start a program addressing the emergent needs of their own children. This grew into the current successful program which encompasses many new components and nine countries - and it is still growing.

Perhaps soon, Empowering Education may expand out of the countries of the former Soviet Union to include other countries, for example in Southeast Asia. The first program started in 1996, in three Ukrainian cities, Kyiv, Simpheropol and Uzhhorod. The Program started on the network level in April, 1999. Now, in addition to Ukraine, the Program includes cities and towns all over: Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Kazakhstan. At present, there are approximately 200 trainers in the participating countries and over 3000 students who have participated in the project.

The Program has recently found approval in many governmental institutions—schools, colleges, universities, educational institutions, educational administrative units, and other branches of government. In Ukraine, Empowering Education was officially certified by the Ministry of Education, which is a significant accomplishment, as it was the first time a Ukrainian NGO (Women's Information Consultative Center in Kyiv) has been recognized by the state as a an educational institution.

To learn more about the Empowering Education or the Summer Camp, please contact:
Olena Suslova, Director
Phone/Fax: 380-44-212-4875
Email: wicc@public.icyb.kiev.ua
Address: 12A/11 Saksahanskoho Street, Kyiv, UKRAINE, 01033
Website: http://www.empedu.kiev.ua