“I was finishing school when the Russian full-scale war against Ukraine approached its 1.5-year mark. Every event I attended helped me feel connected to Ukraine, even though I was living abroad at the time,” says Kateryna.
As she prepares to begin her freshman year at a Ukrainian university, she actively participates in multiple discussions organized by the Parliamentary Education Center (PEC) under the authority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Kateryna dreams about the chance to visit the Parliament’s premises on an upcoming excursion organized by the PEC once security restrictions are lifted.
The Education Center, which opened in 2019, promotes civic and parliamentary education and serves as a networking hub for schoolchildren and students who attend the lectures and discussions. Kateryna, along with more than 60,000 of her peers, high school students, and freshmen, joined the cohort participating in PEC events since Russia launched its full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine.
USAID RADA: Next Generation Activity, implemented by Internews Ukraine, assists the VRU Education Center in developing civic and parliamentary education even as the Russian bombing continues. PEC hopes to raise citizens' awareness of the Parliament's role and functions in a democratic Ukraine through openness and a better understanding of the legislative process.
Kateryna, who will begin her first year at university, says that participating in PEC events helped her decide which major to pursue. Now she is trying to decide whether law or political science is the best fit for her, drawing inspiration from the positive impact she witnessed from her role models during a friendly conversation with her peers.
The Russian aggression provided a new angle on ways of promoting the parliament’s role in ensuring victory sooner rather than later. It includes promoting Ukrainian cooperation, including the parliamentary partnership, and explaining it to those active students who, living under war conditions, in addition to school subjects in Ukraine and abroad, choose to stay active and attend discussions with MPs, ambassadors, and Parliament’s leadership.
The participation of international speakers drew the attention of the US and UK Parliaments, and the Ukrainian PEC was given the chance to share their experience in Washington and London. In particular, Olena Kostiniuk presented the achievements of the PEC during wartime and shared valuable reflections on working with teenagers in such challenging circumstances. The Ukrainian PEC was largely based on a British prototype. Therefore, sharing best practices with those who once inspired the Ukrainian Parliament to establish such an institution is an honor.
"It's so important for us to feel the support of international parliaments and their solidarity with Ukraine, including its children. Those who join our events online, particularly abroad, now have fewer opportunities to connect with their peers and put forward a question to a foreign ambassador to a partner country,” says Olena Kostiniuk, adding that this is the least they could do to help Ukrainian children spend their precious time as productively as possible.
After fruitful visits to London and Washington, Olena and her colleagues started to develop their British-like model of parliamentary ambassadors among those working in the field of education. Such ambassadors, mainly teachers and civil society practitioners play a crucial role in maintaining public interest in parliamentary issues through local events, networking, and other means.
Ukraine’s PEC will soon launch this campaign in order to improve ties and understanding between the parliament and teachers interested in serving as parliamentary ambassadors. Through expert and methodological support within USAID RADA: Next Generation, Ukraine’s PEC implements best practices even amid the most difficult times of war.
After four years of operation, three of which passed during the COVID-19 pandemic and full-scale war, Ukraine’s parliamentary education center presented its achievements in July 2023 on a study visit to the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center of the US Congress. They arranged a special excursion for Ukrainians and anyone else interested, which they could not arrange on the premises of Ukraine’s parliament due to matters of security.