Over the past three years more than 120 professionals from across Ukraine completed an eight-module training program in Emergency Pedagogy and received supervision, and nearly 30 of them additionally completed an eight-module training-of-trainers (ToT) program to become instructors. In addition, around 1,680 professionals participated in multi-day introductory courses and practical workshops on Emergency and Trauma Pedagogy. And approximately 2,760 children, adolescents, and adults received emergency- and trauma-pedagogical support over several months through our seven local partner organizations. These figures show what we have achieved together over the past three years—but they do not fully capture the profound human significance of this work.
One of the fundamental principles of Emergency Pedagogy is the establishment of a safe relationship. Minka and Martin Straube, both experienced emergency pedagogues, spent a great deal of time in Ukraine over the last years delivering the training programs: “For us, Ukraine has become a second home. We have met remarkable people there—people who refuse to accept that children and adults fall silent and lose their connection to life after traumatic experiences. Several times a year, participants undertook journeys of up to 20 hours by train in order to learn, in the three-day modules, how to support their clients, students, and patients in rediscovering joy and hope in life.”
The international professionals who traveled to Ukraine despite sometimes critical security conditions are also part of this supportive community. For many participants, it was invaluable during this time of crisis to feel supported by a larger community. This sense of not being forgotten or abandoned provides stability and strength. For us as a project team, it was a great gift to witness how people who were caught in hopelessness or inner paralysis gradually rediscovered their sense of self-efficacy and recognized new possibilities for action.
The Ukrainian Emergency Pedagogy network now spans the entire country—from Odesa to Rivne and from Lviv to Kharkiv. Everywhere where Emergency and Trauma Pedagogy is practiced, people report on its significance and positive impact. One participant in the training-of-trainers (ToT) program shares: “We work with children who are facing challenges far greater than themselves. Often, for various reasons, the adults responsible for them are unable to provide sufficient support. In such cases, the Emergency Pedagogues steps in.”
A nationwide umbrella organization for Emergency and Trauma Pedagogy is currently being established in Ukraine. Its founding aims to create a central point of contact that will connect professionals from across the country. In the future, the association will also consolidate advance trainings and continuing education opportunities, as well as coordinate emergency and trauma-pedagogical work nationwide. In addition, we from the Emergency Pedagogy Department of Friends of Waldorf Education intend—within the limits of available funding—to continue supporting our seven local partner organizations in their work with people who have experienced trauma in their communities. To make this possible, we continue to rely on your donations.
Jessica Prentice and Kseniya Karman Samet