Teachers were trained to teach the course "Our Parliament" at elementary school

With the USAID RADA: Next Generation Program's support, on January 16-20, the NGO "Agency of Education Policy Development" (AEPD) and the Educational Center of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine conducted workshops on the methodology of teaching the optional course "Our Parliament: Research, Understand, Influence" for students of elementary school (3-4th grade). 156 teachers successfully completed qualification training under this program, having received relevant certificates. The training program consisted of three modules:

1. "Democracy and politics: we take part - we take responsibility"
2. "Participation in politics: knowledgeable voters are responsible politicians"
3. "Participation in democracy: Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine - Ukrainian Parliament"

After completing the training, the teacher:

• understands modern directions of civic education, education for democratic citizenship and human rights education, and parliamentary education and can use theoretical knowledge and practical skills for effective organization of the educational process;
• can apply the methodology of teaching the optional course "Our Parliament: we investigate, understand, influence" for students of elementary school (3-4th grade);
• is practically familiar with the possibilities of adapting the content of the optional course to various formats of education, in particular, online education;
• deepened knowledge of education for democratic citizenship and human rights education, civic education, and parliamentary education;
• can implement interactive methods to shape social, civic, intercultural, and communicative competencies of students and individual civic consciousness;
• demonstrates readiness for innovative activities, the use of information and communication technologies, and applying better pedagogical experience and modern methods of civil parliamentary education;
• demonstrates the ability to build personal and professional development strategies and readiness for continuous self-improvement.

According to the final exam results, the participants with a high score received a certificate of professional development, considered during the teacher certification. Such professional development guarantees high-quality implementation of parliamentary education in Ukraine.

The second training session takes place on February 6-10 and provides the program of the teaching methodology of the optional course "Our Parliament" for students of the 8-9th grades.

These activities are carried out with the USAID RADA: Next Generation Program's support, which is implemented by the NGO "Internews-Ukraine" in partnership with the NGO "Agency of Education Policy Development."

The USAID RADA: Next Generation Program assists in building a network of parliamentary educational centers on the basis of secondary schools and extracurricular educational institutions. The program seeks to improve the involvement of citizens in the legislative process, and one of the tools for achieving this goal is the development of parliamentary education in Ukraine.