Freedom Diaries presented to Ukrainian educators in Bulgaria

The Freedom Diaries team continues introducing the project to the European educational community. After London, Vienna, Bologna and Cambridge, the next stop on the map became Varna, Bulgaria.

Over the course of two days, the team worked together with Ukrainian educators and children at UA Radiance Varna. More than 20 teachers joined the meetings offline, while around 50 educators connected online from different cities across Bulgaria and Romania.

Among the participants were representatives of Ukrainian schools and educational spaces from Varna, Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Constanța and Sofia.

Freedom Diaries creative director Mariia Proshkovska and project producer Alina Kochemasova presented the project methodology, the structure of the lessons, and ways the Freedom Diaries materials can be integrated into the educational process of Ukrainian schools abroad.

A special focus during the meetings was placed on preserving Ukrainian identity for children currently living far from home. Freedom Diaries was created as a modern, free and flexible tool for educators working with themes of memory, emotions, culture and connection to Ukraine through art and shared experience.

The second day was dedicated to working directly with children. An open lesson for a 1-B class took place at the school, centered around the theme of a “memory suitcase.” During the session, children shared stories about important people, objects and memories they associate with home and Ukraine.

One of the most meaningful outcomes of the meetings was seeing how ready educators already are to start implementing the Freedom Diaries graphic workbooks in their schools and educational spaces.

The team also received words of support from the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Bulgaria, Olesia Ilashchuk, who emphasized the importance of educational initiatives like this for strengthening connections between Ukrainian communities abroad and preserving unity among Ukrainians around the world.

The Freedom Diaries team also expressed sincere gratitude to school director Liudmyla Demianova for the warm welcome and for creating a space where Ukrainian children can stay connected to their language and culture, even while living far from home 🕊️