The Legal Development Network’s educational and career guidance programme “Update: South” has been launched

Publication date: July 16, 2024

In July 2024, the Legal Development Network (LDN), with the support of the Global Giving charity platform, launched the “Update: South” educational and career guidance programme for adolescents from de-occupied frontline communities in Mykolaiv Oblast. The project aims to develop social skills in high school students, such as teamwork, reflection, critical thinking, public speaking, media literacy, communication skills, analysis of their own emotional state, and their strengths for further informed career choices.

20 students from seven villages (Zelenyi Hai, Novohryhorivka, Liubomyryivka, Tsentralne, Vavylove, Znamianka, Novokyivka) of the Shevchenkivska rural community in Mykolaiv Oblast will take part in a five-day training intensive in Kyiv in August. It will be preceded by a day of acquaintance with the organizers and mentors in Mykolaiv.

“We focus not only on the community itself, but also on remote settlements that rarely use the services provided by the community. These are isolated cases where young people get opportunities. The goal of our programme is to open doors of opportunity, find talents and unlock the potential of young people. We plan to involve young people not only in community processes, but also in cooperation with young people in Mykolaiv and other regions we work with, such as Ivano-Frankivsk region,” says Timur Kanataiev, GlobalGiving project manager and programme director of the Legal Development Network.

The educational and career guidance programme includes classes on career guidance, media literacy, art therapy, non-violent communication, excursions, film screenings, and other interesting activities.

“Teenagers from the de-occupied communities of the South are different from teenagers from the capital. With our project, we want to break the widespread stereotype that a person’s place of birth or residence determines their life opportunities. We will show teenagers that everyone has opportunities, that the world is open if you really want something and strive for it,” says Victoria Pidlisna, the author and coordinator of the project.

After the educational sessions are over, the Update: South programme will continue its work in the form of youth initiative groups in communities, which will later grow into networks. The young people whose resource capital will be strengthened will become drivers of change in their communities, and in the long run — at the level of the region and the country as a whole.

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