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21 May 2009 20:02

Second All-Ukrainian Doing Good Starts with You Charitable Projects Competition Summed Up

May 21, 2009, a plenary session of the Doing Good Starts with You National Charitable Forum was hosted by the Kyiv Children’s Academy of the Arts.

The forum completed the Second All-Ukrainian Doing Good Starts with You charitable projects competition. Its organizers and partners are the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation, Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, Education Management University, Shkilny Svit Publishing House, Pozaklasny Chas journal, and other state and public institutions dealing with developing and supporting socially active children and young people

The Forum’s key subject is forming an effective mechanism to revive the traditions of philanthropy and encouraging children’s charitable initiatives. Over Ukraine 3000 Foundation participants, both children and adults, from all Ukraine’s oblasts take part in its events.

The morning plenary session features the Ukraine 3000 Foundation’s educational projects. Additionally, the Forum participants presented their charitable projects and educational events, sharing their experience in their implementation.

Also, the first part of the Doing Good Starts with You competition awards ceremony took place, with 16 laureates receiving their awards from sponsors and partners.

The second part of the plenary session was attended by special guests: Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation Kateryna Yushchenko, Minister for Family, Youth, and Sports of Ukraine Yuri Pavlenko, Deputy Minister for Education and Science of Ukraine Pavlo Poliansky, President of the Academy of Pedagogical Science of Ukraine Vasyl Kremen, Deputy Head of the Kyiv Oblast State Administration Valeriy Kondruk, other representatives of state, public, and charitable organizations, and principals of educational institutions.

Mrs. Kateryna Yushchenko expressed her high opinion of the Forum participants’ charitable work. Speaking about the Doing Good Starts with You competition, she expressed her satisfaction with the fact that it becomes more popular among Ukrainian schools. Mrs. Kateryna gave some examples of the most interesting, in her view, projects presented to this year’s competition and gave a brief analysis of those projects.

Kateryna Yushchenko thanked the Forum participants for their care about their neighbors, respect for their native country’s history, culture, and ecology.

Mrs. Yushchenko presented the Foundation’s new initiative, the Light of Goodness badge of honor. It will be awarded to organizations and persons giving considerable support to children’s charitable initiatives and taking an active part in their implementation. The badge will be awarded on the annual basis during the Doing Good Starts with You National Charitable Forum.

The first Light of Goodness badges were given to MacDonald’s Ukraine Company and Kremenchuk School No. 12, Poltava oblast.

After that, the awards ceremony resumed. The prizes were given to the top three participants in the Social Projects, Economic Projects, and Cultural Projects nominations. In addition to diplomas and money certificates, the winners received certificates for educational literature, gifts, and certificates for partial educational fees from the National Academy of managements and tours to the Artek ICC.

Also, the winners were announced and presented with awards in the competition for the best instructor’s manuals for a Doing Good Starts with You educational event and laureates of the I, Citizen of Ukraine competition.

The Doing Good Starts with You charitable project was launched by the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation jointly with the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine in 2007-2008. It envisages holding a competition of charitable projects between school or individual groups. Best projects are accepted to the second stage – implementation. In the end of an academic year, an awards ceremony is held.

220 charitable projects were submitted to the first competition, with 112 being selected by organizers for implementation. Based on the first contest’s results and materials submitted by participants, a collection of charitable projects and manuals on their implementation was published.

The second competition was launched in October 2008. 324 charitable projects were submitted from all Ukraine’s oblasts, with 100 being selected for implementation. This year saw the first competition for the best instructor’s manuals for a Doing Good Starts with You educational event.