Report

Dream Big!Educational Expedition to Israel 2017

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Ukraine’s comprehensive transformation will last for years. To make it effective, the future generation of leaders should learn about the international experience, explore world best practices, and build their knowledge on previous discoveries.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE — ISRAEL

Israel is a great country to gather insight from as it holds many parallels to the Ukrainian reality. In the last 70 years Israel has managed to build a prosperous economy and the rule of law notwithstanding permanent military threats surrounding it. The state developed a robust agricultural industry amidst the desert, and became world renown in creating, attracting and retaining startups, thus being dubbed the “Start-up Nation”. Lastly, Israel has built a rich experience in nonformal education, through the establishment of youth leadership academies.

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Expedition in figures

The Academy spent a total of

8 days/192 hours in Israel during the

expedition. There were 224 participants in total:

178 students

We are proud of the quantity and quality of our experience, and find it best to present it in the following numbers:

A total of 1,820 hours of agricultural work in the fields by students and staff

42 Israeli Leadership Programs Mechinas visited

100 students participated in Shabbat home hospitality with 70 families

150 people involved in the preperation committee from the Israeli side

More than 100 passersby joined the street campaign “Uncounted Since 1932”

The expedition was joined by the official delegation consisting of three Members of Parliament, two Deputy Ministers of Education, and Youth and Sports, and a head of Governmental Reforms Centre. The officials visit was held upon the invitation of the Minister of Education of Israel and supported by WNISEF.

27 team members of ULA regional branches

12 team members from the national office and lecturers

7 media and PR people

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Key objectives of the expedition

Discovering Israeli identity and history (visiting the Western Wall and Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, Jerusalem Christianity Tour, learning ways to develop dialogue and building trust within society, hiking Masada mount, visiting the Dead Sea, observing educational processes at Yeshiva, participating in Shabbat celebrations etc.). In addition, the group had meetings with two MPs at the Knesset, each of them also holds few ministerial positions: Zeev Elkin, who serves as the Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and the Minister of Environmental Protection, and Yoav Galant — the Minister of Housing and Construction.

Key takeaways:

– Israeli’s principle of transforming weaknesses into strength was learnt;

– Dream big and bold about our Motherland;

– Attitude towards history;

– Developing unity within society: dialogue and building trust within society to respond to internal and external challenges;

– Developing effective public-private partnership to cope with social challenges;

– Best practices in fighting against corruption explored;

– Every member of the society matters;

– Striking patriotism and national identity of Israeli people.

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Key objectives of the expedition

Communicating Ukraine and thinking about our Ukrainian identity (self-reflections on the Day of Freedom and Dignity during Masada hiking trip and taking personal commitment for the sake of Ukraine’s future, celebration of Dignity Day via laying out the word "Гідність" (dignity) on the desert hillside, organization of a street campaign “Uncounted Since 1932” to commemorate and communicate about the Holodomor).

Key takeaways:

– Thinking outside the box about Ukraine and our experience is crucial for our success;

– Ukrainian youth has the same potential as Israeli youth, they speak the same language. The difference between two countries is that in Israel developing youth is one of key priorities and preconditions for the strong state, long-term economic prosperity and defense;

– Public diplomacy is an effective tool for promoting and communicating Ukraine to the world, Ukrainian storytelling needs to be developed;

– Importance of learning how to transform our weaknesses into strengths;

– Learning, understanding, preserving the past to build Ukraine’s current and future.

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Key objectives of the expedition

Exploring desert agriculture (understanding of preconditions for desert agriculture development in Israel, dive into the technical side (drip irrigation) and discussion of technological-innovations sphere with a farmer from Hatzeva, work on the field as a practical assignment and a part of the fundraising campaign).

Key takeaways:

– Nothing is impossible!

– Lack of resources can act as a restriction or vice versa — act as a catalyst for new approaches and innovations;

– Talent and tech innovations lead to efficient and competitive agriculture sector.

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Key objectives of the expedition

Discovering Israeli non-formal education and its support by the eco-system within society (operation of the leadership programs Mechinas, volunteer movements that work with elderly people, disabled, train youth with autism; discussing leadership during a crisis; partnership with local and national authorities, entrepreneurs, Jewish diaspora across the globe and various foundations).

Key takeaways:

– Informal education as a tool to develop and empower most motivated youth of Ukraine;

– Work hard: we know that our students are talented, they need to see their own talent in action — that they are capable of changing things and creating the new Ukraine, starting from own personality and contributing to the development of local communities while in the ULA;

– Many other practical tips to be implemented at home.

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Practical ideas and plans

Introducing a practice of ending the week with an emotional exercise to remember and reflect (Saturday nights).

Developing meaningful stories for international communication about Ukraine and our chapters of history.

Considering 2-3-day visits of potential students to ULA branches. Extend next ULA students selection process with one day of agricultural volunteering work.

Work with lonely and elderly people, building connections and bridges between generations, listening to their stories, teaching youth to take responsibility.

Strengthening self-governance and students’ involvement in program planning and agenda-setting. Students intended to contribute to Academy’s operational activity improvement.

Introducing military leadership and patriotic education activities.

Motivation to improve English and introduce new tools: speaking clubs, speed-dating etc.

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More team-building activities and projects based learning. Attract parents of our students as volunteers.

Introducing days of specific values to reflect on; introducing weeks of deep discoveries of specific topics (urban-planning, business etc).

Reaching out to businesses to agree on students’ internships.

Introduce entrepreneurship as part of social change in Ukraine and teach students how to develop business, empower connection between youth and Ukraine’s young successful entrepreneurs. The more start-ups in Ukraine, the less “brain drain”.

Introduce and implement systematic approach of ULA Alumni support and relations management to empower them, increase their contribution to the development of communities, sustain Alumni network across the country and abroad. Each Alumnus is important.

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Commemoration of Ukraine’s historic events

Holodomor Remembrance

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ULA organized a street campaign “Uncounted Since 1932” by opening a one-day ‘pop-up restaurant’ in Tel-Aviv where only one dish was served — the ugliest bark soup. This was one of a very few ‘meals’ available for Ukrainians during Holodomor, a starvation in 1932-1933.

Knesset hasn’t yet recognized Holodomor as a genocide of Ukrainians, and very few Israeli people know about it.

Key idea was to commemorate and communicate and explain Holodomor to the world. More than 100 passersby from 10 countries (apart Israel — Italy, Germany, Austria, Great Britain, Brazil, U.S. and others) participated in the campaign.

The campaign was organized with the support of Gres Todorchuk PR Agency & local Israeli activists.

CREATING YOURSELF — CREATING UKRAINE!