Ukraine: Lviv

• The city: Lviv, founded in the middle of the 13th century, is one of the largest, oldest, and most beautiful cities in Ukraine. It is home to many famous writers, artists and political figures and is a great contemporary intellectual center. Lviv is fast becoming an industrial and scientific center, producing television sets and agricultural machines. It is known for its skillful brewers, confectioners, and glass blowers too. Tourists come to visit the many castles, cathedrals, parks and gardens.
• Local Partner #1: The Academic Gymnasium.
• Coordinator: Natalia Bordun, a teacher of mathematics, is a graduate of Lviv State University, where she was also active in social work and a member of the student organization "Studentske bratstvo."
• The Volunteers: 22 young volunteers from the Lviv Academic Gymnasium participate in the program, mostly girls with an average age of 15 years.
• Sample Projects: The group is active in 2 main areas: nature preservation and assisting the visually impaired.
  1. Volunteers work with the National Landscape Park "Znesinnja" once a week, helping catalogue and document the flora and fauna of the park.
  2. In partnership with a boarding school for the blind and a youth organization called "Wings of Hope," the group has organized a project called "All the Children are the Same.” Volunteers walk with the handicapped children through Lviv and attend a concert in the central square. For many of the handicapped children it is the first time in their lives in the Lviv city center.
• Quotes: "I try to be more than just a teacher to the students. I like to provide them with different competitions, performances, and field trips. In the past 7 months, I took part in a women's exchange program between Canada and Ukraine. The experience and knowledge that I have gained from this exchange has pushed me towards new projects and new ideas. The first step for me is to organize a volunteer group in which they will help other children."

• Local Partner#2: Secondary School #28, in partnership with the All-Ukrainian Association of Teachers of History, Civic Education and Social Studies "Nova Doba" and the Association of Local Self-Government in Lviv.
• Coordinator: Svitlana Kuchak
• Volunteer Group: 15 permanent members with 5 students joining in the activities occasionally. The group’s average age is 14.
• Sample Projects
  1. "Children Help children." Volunteers found out which orphanages needed help, prepared and gave presents to children from these orphanages, including a Christmas play for orphans.
  2. National Census (held on December, 5-14, 2001). Young volunteers visited their neighbors, explained the necessity and importance of the census, and helped the census employees register the population
  3. Parliamentary Elections (March 2002). Volunteers studied elections in a democratic society. They prepared posters, encouraging adults to vote, and held simulations of elections in their school. They also made presentations of results from these mock election in front of parents, teachers, and local citizens.