Eng
Eng
On June 6–8, Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops (Canada) hosted a large-scale International Scientific and Practical Conference “Educating for Tomorrow: Social Work Values in a Global World” with the participation of representatives from all over the world in person and on the Zoom platform.
Education, pedagogy, and social work professionals from 23 countries (Canada, Ukraine, South Africa, the USA, Bangladesh, the UK, India, Australia, Nigeria, Germany, New Zealand, etc.) joined forces to discuss common challenges and exchange effective practices. In total, 67 participants joined the event, including experienced scientists, practitioners, and young researchers.
The conference became a kind of platform for intercultural dialogue. Thanks to the flexible format taking into account different time zones, the event was convenient and accessible to participants from all continents. Delegations from Canada (28%) and Ukraine (21%) were particularly actively represented, which testifies to the active involvement of both countries in the international educational and social discourse.
Over 40 presentations and reports were presented during six thematic sessions. Participants had the opportunity not only to present the results of their own research, but also to discuss real cases from the practice of social work and educational projects, inclusion and accessibility. Among the key topics were cultural inclusion, social justice, new pedagogical approaches and problems of adapting education to modern challenges.
This conference once again confirmed that global challenges cannot be overcome alone. Only cooperation, exchange of ideas and joint work will contribute to the sustainable development of the social sphere in the world.
An important part of the program was the report of the associate professor of the Department of Social Sciences of Odessa National Medical University Tetyana Podkupko “Innovative pedagogy and cultural inclusion: integrating Ukrainian festivities into patriotic and educational work with youth with special educational needs through the example of “Easter Monday (polivanyi, volochylnyi monday)”. Her speech was dedicated to innovative approaches in involving ONMedU applicants in patriotic and educational events, popularization of Ukrainian culture and traditions among youth and children with special educational needs of the NGO “Special Children”. In particular, she presented the experience of integrating Ukrainian traditional Easter holidays using the example of the ritual of Polivany Monday into a patriotic and educational environment. Such an approach contributes to cultural inclusion, the development of empathy, social significance of all members of society, and a sense of national identity among youth.
The conference participants came to a common conclusion: global challenges in the field of education and social work require collective solutions. It is through the exchange of experience, joint research and open dialogue that the foundations for sustainable development of society can be laid.
The conference became a vivid example of how professional solidarity and international cooperation can change social reality – step by step, for the better.
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