A humanitarian project led by Olha Guley, student in Master AIRE Sciences of Learning, and launched the’Planet Learning Institute, received academic recognition from the International Society for Learning Sciences.
Olha Guley and her co-authors and project collaborators, Liudmila Piatnitckaia, Valentin Corneloup, Bénédicte Gallon, and Franck Zenasni, have submitted a practice-oriented article - about the project - to the International Conference on Learning Sciences held in Montreal, Canada, in early June 2023.
Olha adds, “For me personally, it means having the opportunity to share my daily work and struggle with the international community - doing everything to help Ukraine and Ukrainians defend freedom, democracy and territorial integrity, as well as the importance of volunteering for good causes.”
MORE THAN 100 VOLUNTEERS AND OVER 75 TONS OF HUMANITARIAN AID SENT TO UKRAINE
On February 24, 2022, Ukraine is invaded by Russia. In response, “Paris Help Ukraine”Olha Guley, a second-year Master's student in Learning Sciences at the Learning Planet Institute, immediately launched the project. As civic activities are at the heart of the Master's program and of the Learning Planet Institute, they supported the humanitarian action in favor of Ukraine.
The project aimed to collect, sort, pack and send humanitarian aid to Ukraine in cooperation with Plast - Scouts d'Ukraine en France and the Ukrainian Embassy in France. It involved opening a collection point at the Learning Planet Institute, assembling a team of volunteers, designing a learning program for volunteers and ensuring active communication within the community and with the media.
In four months, the project has involved more than 100 volunteers, to establish more 40 partnerships with organizations in France (local authorities, schools, educational communities, logistics companies, various businesses, NGOs, etc.) and over 15 ONG in Ukraine, and to send more 75 tonnes of humanitarian aid. This represents 6,754 cartons packed by volunteers from many countries around the world (Ukraine, France, USA, Poland, Italy, China, India, Sri Lanka, Peru, Russia, etc.).
THE APPLICATION OF LEARNING SCIENCES IN A HUMANITARIAN CONTEXT
Olha declaresThe fact that the article has been accepted means that the work of the community of volunteers involved in our initiative to help Ukraine has contributed to the work of the International Society for Learning Sciences. It's living proof that learning happens where you least expect it. It also means that student initiatives are valuable and have a real impact when administered wisely.“
The “Paris Help Ukraine” initiative is an example of the successful creation of a community of practice and the implementation of the concept of collaborative learning and service learning at institutional level. The project is an example of an active and impactful community of practice, which can inspire other educational institutions to engage in civic activities.
The document analyzes the project creation and management process, and defines the learning outcomes for the community of volunteers involved in the project.
Olha Guley and her co-authors have used thelearning paradigms of communities of practice and service learning to describe and indicate the essential stages of the project. The result of this practical work is a pedagogical guide for a humanitarian project within an educational organization. It documents best practices, suggests improvements and reflects on the educational value of the activity for participants and the host organization. The whole process is described by the characteristics of a community of practice: domain, community and practice, making it easy to replicate in other educational establishments.“
The project also enabled students to take full advantage of the Learning Planet Institute's dynamic ecosystem - they had the opportunity to interact regularly with researchers and staff at the Institute, as well as with volunteers and activists from outside the organization. The project's learning outcomes had an impact on several areas, such as entrepreneurship, project management, communication, event management, education management, self-development and professional development.
The project illustrates the Institute's commitment to fostering community involvement and promoting civic initiatives, as well as its ability to collaborate with other organizations such as the Ukrainian Scouts of France (Plast) and theUkrainian embassy. The Institute's contribution demonstrates its dedication to civic and student engagement, community building and the application of learning sciences in real-world contexts.
ABOUT THE ANNUAL LEARNING SCIENCES MEETING
Visit annual meeting of the community of learning sciences combines the Learning Sciences Conference (ICLS) and Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) programs. The theme of the 2023 meeting is “Building Knowledge and Sustaining Our Community”, focusing on the changing educational and social climate and the role of technology and distributed communities. The event aims to strengthen the theoretical basis for teaching and learning practices in these conditions. The International Society for Learning Sciences (ISLS) is dedicated to innovation and knowledge production, and the meeting offers the community an opportunity to share findings and renew links.
ABOUT “PARIS HELP UKRAINE”
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This publication is part of the UNESCO Chair in Learning Sciences, established between UNESCO and Université Paris Cité, in partnership with the Learning Planet Institute. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of UNESCO. UNESCO cannot be held responsible for them.
Thanks to Olha Guley for taking the time to answer all our questions.
