“Creation of the Favorable Informational Environment for Further Development of Inclusive Model of Education in Ukraine” Project

Ukrainian Step by Step Foundation started implementation of the “Creation of the Favorable Informational Environment for Further Development of Inclusive Model of Education in Ukraine” Project, supported by the International Renaissance Foundation. This project was developed with consideration to the results of the “Implementation of Inclusive Education in Ukraine” Project, implemented by Step by Step Foundation during 2007 with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation jointly with the Ministry of Education and Science, Institute of Special Pedagogy of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, non-governmental organization, educational and informational programs of the International Renaissance Foundation, and also considering other previous Projects of Ukrainian Step by Step Foundation. This is the next step in inclusive education model development in Ukraine, which was and still remains one of the main goals of USSF since 1998.

The Project aims to solve a problem, which lies in absence of a favorable informational environment for inclusive education model implementation (a model, by which children with special needs receive quality education in a general learning institution); low level of social awareness of the inclusive education model as a way of ensuring one of the main rights – a right to education – for children with special educational needs and main democratic value of any democratic country; absence of readiness of key persons to it’s implementation, and also existent stereotypes about children with special needs.

The goal of the Project is to “Create a Favorable Informational Environment for Further Development of Inclusive Model of Education in Ukraine” – spreading knowledge about the inclusive education model, as a natural right of every child and values of a democratic society among Ukrainian communities; development of necessary skills and attitude among mass-media representatives for implementing this model of education in Ukraine.

The goal mentioned above will be realized through the following objectives:

• Preparation of mass-media representatives for comprehension and correct vision of the inclusive education model in mass-media sources
• Highlighting of the best practices of inclusive education model implementation in local and national mass-media
• Spreading the results of the project on the local and national level by highlighting then in mass-media sources

Term of implementation: October 2008 – May 2009.