From May 7 to 9, 2025, the European Conference “Education for Democracy in Schools: Living and Teaching European Values Today” was held in Weimar, Germany.
The event brought together 200 participants from 20 Erasmus+ Programme countries. Among them were representatives of Erasmus+ National Agencies, eTwinning support offices, the National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine, as well as educational institutions engaged in early childhood, school, vocational, higher, and adult education.
The conference served as a platform for uniting educators, media, and expert communities to exchange ideas on how to teach European values in a rapidly changing world.
Ukraine was represented at the event by Svitlana Shytikova, Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine; Tetiana Kalyniuk, Head of the Department of German Language at Kamianets-Podilskyi Ivan Ohiienko National University; and eTwinning Ambassadors Yana Tsykunova and Svitlana Yakiviuk.
Throughout the conference, the Ukrainian delegation actively showcased their initiatives at the partnership fair and sought new opportunities for collaboration.
Participants learned about successful educational practices from various European countries and took part in a series of thematic workshops covering the development of critical thinking, countering information manipulation, addressing controversial topics, and strengthening civic competences.
In her presentation, Svitlana Shytikova spoke about the challenges faced by educational institutions in wartime Ukraine, highlighted key cooperation priorities, and outlined the specifics of implementing the EU Erasmus+ Programme. A central focus of her speech was the invitation to form partnerships and engage in active collaboration with Ukrainian educational institutions, including the implementation of joint projects.
Svitlana Yakiviuk and Tetiana Kalyniuk shared insights into the realities of the educational process during the war, their participation in international eTwinning projects, and the challenges currently faced by Ukrainian educators.
The conference proved to be an effective platform for professional development, the exchange of best practices, and the establishment of new contacts and partnerships within the Erasmus+ Programme and the eTwinning community.
https://erasmusplus.org.ua/news/
https://etwinning.org.ua
Department of German Language