Student Exchange: East Greets West

By Adria Pelensky

On the evening of Monday, March 10^th, 2008, a jubilant group of students, parents and teachers arrived at the Lviv Airport. Their purpose: a two week student exchange with local Lvivyany. Despite the exhaustion from travel and a nine hour time change, the group was destined for an unforgettable trip to Ukraine.

Back in 2002, when most of the participating exchange students attended elementary schools, unbenounced to them, an agreement was made that would have impact on their future. At the time, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein travelled to Ukraine to strengthen the Province’s connections to the country, particularly in the areas of agriculture, business and education. In later years, the bond would be strengthened with further visits from Western Canada VIP’s like Alberta’s Minister of Education, Gene Zwosdesky and Grant MacEwan College President, Dr. Paul Byrne. Viewing the existing programs and meeting with various organizations, businesses and institutions, Alberta’s interest in Ukraine was increasing.

After travelling to many of the local schools and meeting with local officials, representatives of the Province of Alberta and the Lviv Oblast Administration signed an official agreement for cooperation. The collaboration had various facets, including economics, jurisprudence and law, volunteer work/community development, agriculture, health care, art and culture, and one of particular interest - education. With the twinning of the Province of Alberta and the Lviv Oblast, the student exchange idea came about shortly thereafter.

Since some Alberta schools offer Ukrainian Bilingual Programs, the Canadian curriculum and teachers stood to benefit a lot from this relationship. Based on demographics and interest, schools were partnered under the Alberta International School Partnership Program Agreement. Elementary schools with a student-body, defined in socio-economic terms, were coupled with similar Ukrainian counterparts e.g. highly academic high schools were partnered alike. The intention was, through cooperative activities of both schools, for the bonds between these two regions – Alberta and Lviv Oblast– be strengthened, with international friendship and understanding promoted in the process.   

In November 2007, a delegation of eighteen Alberta teachers and administrators came to visit their partnered schools for the first time, for some, despite ancestral heritage; it was their first time setting foot on Ukrainian soil. With an intense program of meetings, school visits and some local sightseeing, the participants were impressed with what the local Lviv schools had to offer. It was here, after school officials visited Ukraine that one school decided to take it a step further and send students.

Edmonton Public School Board consultant, Melody Kostiuk, was along for both November (2007) and March (2008) visits. As a promoter of the student exchange, in an interview she stated, “We want the students to have authentic Ukrainian language and cultural experiences. This is going to be a very vigorous exchange… this isn’t just a tour.”

While in Lviv, the visiting students from Edmonton’s Balwin School stayed with families of students at their partnered school: the Classical Gymnasium [High School] of Ivan Franko. Students will be expected to take classes in the Ukrainian language alongside their local student hosts. Over the last few months, students have been corresponding both in English and Ukrainian, learning about local life, interests and even pop-culture. This exchange visit was the first opportunity for these pen pals to meet. 

The Canadian students were not the only ones who benefited from this exchange, as the local Lviv students had the  opportunity to converse in English. For the Ukrainians, it is likely the only opportunity they will have to communicate with a fluent native-English speaker. For students developing language skills, this is an invaluable experience.

The obligation of the partnered schools is fluid, and is quite open depending on the degree of interest from both administrative teams. While there are several existing partnerships between schools in Canada and Ukraine, Balwin School was the only one to return within the same academic year in hopes of forging greater networks between students.

During this visit, students did not limit themselves just to their host school, the Classical Gymnasium, but also travelled to other Lviv schools that have similar existing partnerships, but unfortunately without an existing student exchange. Due to the age of the students, an exchange between partnered Holyrood Schools in Edmonton and Svitanok Elementary School in Lviv proved near impossible. However, local administration was pleased to invite the travelling Balwin School students, parents and teachers for an afternoon of camaraderie and activities.  

In an interview, Svitanok Principal, Director Lida Mykolaivna Andrushko stated that she was disappointed that her school did not host guests from their partnered school Holyrood, but was pleased that Balwin students had the opportunity to meet some of her English-language students. Despite years of difference in age, Andrushko felt the experience was really worthwhile for her students. With teachers organizing a unique array of activities, students had the opportunity to strengthen their language skills by explaining their choice of answers in critical thinking games. Students also got to learn more about Canada and youth living there through an art activity titled ‘name crest’. Students – Ukrainians and Canadians – were asked to draw different symbols or interpretations that represented different components making up who they are and what is important to them. Although there were slight variances, it was evident that local students were very similar to those from abroad.

Svitanok teacher and program organizer for the Balwin visit, Natalia Kobryn, admitted to being a little nervous before the students’ arrival. Although she had taught for years, this was the first opportunity she had to teach a joint lesson with Canadian students. She felt that the Edmonton children were very impressed, and afterwards acknowledged that she would happily host again.

The Balwin students continued their program, attending lessons at the Classical Gymnasium, visiting schools and seeing some of the significant Ukrainian sites. The two week jaunt concluded in typical Ukrainian fashion with a big vechera and subsequent zabava (dinner and dance). Lasting friendships were forged, and the experience unforgettable. In future, Balwin School hopes they can host their partners from the Ivan Franko Classical Gymnasium, but due to rising costs, the experience may sadly remain only in Ukraine.