Project team renewal and start of Autumn educational marathon

A three-year network project "Strengthening local self-organization and civic engagement in Ukraine" presented the updated team and announced a start of intensive training.

The project contributes to the social and economic development of Ukraine by mobilizing resources, strengthening self-government and supporting community partnerships with the authorities, the RCC and business in the interests of society.

The renewed team is headed by Olena Shevchuk, who said while introducing the start of work, "Changes in the world begin with internal changes of each person. I believe that communities that master the art of small steps will be able to achieve the most ambitious goals! We chose an ant as a symbol of this project. These are insects-workers who build their home together, protect, take care of it and act unitedly for the common good. Ant is an example of the art of small steps. Our autumn marathon will help each participant to gain the knowledge and competencies to become a superhero, a super-ant, who is able to create great transformations within and around oneself".

As part of the project implementation, training is envisaged to help participants prepare successful project proposals and, consequently, receive money for the implementation of successful social initiatives. This training will begin in fall and will consist of several stages, including trainings, preparation and defense of social action projects (SAPs), mentor support and a guarantee of attracting funding for the best initiatives implementation.

It was also announced that this year's All-Ukrainian Social Forum will be held on November 26. The Forum is a platform for dialogue and exchange of experience of philanthropists, business, Church and activists.

The event will summarize the results of the 2nd year of the project, including the Microgrant Competition and awarding of the winners. The maximum amount of support is up to UAH 20,000. Throughout the marathon, experienced project managers of Caritas-Spes Ukraine, experts and mentors will work with the teams.

The Caritas-Spes Ukraine Mission and the project team encourage participation in community development and invite you to stand up for the common goal of developing the Church and launching social initiatives on the ground.

"We have an ambitious aspiration that the project will be an impetus for the revival of the culture of patronage and charity, because these are the values provided by the Church," added the project manager Olena Shevchuk.

The project "Strengthening local self-organization and civic engagement in Ukraine" is implemented with the support of the German government and ICF Renovabis.

For reference: Olena Shevchuk has extensive experience in managing educational projects, organizing conferences, business tours, worked as a head of MBA programs in leading business schools of Ukraine (IIB, kmbs), cooperated with international and Ukrainian professional associations: PlasticsEurope, AMEPS (Asian Manufacturers of EPS), JEPSA (Japan EPS), is a certified facilitator under the Active Citizens program (British Council). She has expertise in marketing and advertising, and worked in various fields (advertising agency, business school, business association, international projects).