#Teach4Dem: A Flagship Online Course on Democracy Education in Ukraine

The goal of the project is to change approaches to teaching mentorship, participation, and critical thinking—so that democracy in Ukrainian educational institutions becomes not just a lecture topic, but a living practice.

The first session was opened by Ievgeniia Shelest, coordinator of the “Organizational Development” and “Islets of Progressivity” направления, who highlighted the alignment of the course with the mission of the NGO “Progressive&Strong.” The focus is on supporting veterans, educators, internally displaced persons, and students—communities for whom education and democracy are especially important.

Liudmila Kornuta, HR coordinator of the NGO, stressed that the experience shared by educators must continue to live on. This is how young people develop an understanding of why it is important to be engaged in democratic processes.

Course speaker, PhD in Political Science and founder of the NGO “Progressive&Strong,” Bohdan Ferens, spoke about democracy as a value rather than something guaranteed. A particularly meaningful moment was a conversation with visually impaired veteran Artem Bondarenko, who shared his perspective on “Why democracy matters for the veteran community,” illustrating it with personal examples about the importance of being heard and included in societal processes.

Guest Speakers Included:

• Vitalii Chornenkyi — Head of the NGO “Association of Civic Education Teachers,” PhD in Law, Deputy Dean of the Law Faculty, Associate Professor at the Department of Constitutional Law, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv
• Zoriana Zazuliak — Board Member of the NGO “Association of Civic Education Teachers,” PhD in Political Science, Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Lviv Polytechnic National University

Mariia Hrynova, PhD, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Philosophy of Education at the Odesa Academy of Continuing Education, focused on the topic of the participation of children and youth—a concept widely used in non-formal education.

Day 2: Artificial Intelligence and Democracy

The second day of the online course focused on artificial intelligence and its impact on thinking, decision-making, and democracy—highlighting the crucial role of education.

If democracy is changing under the influence of technology, then education for democracy must also transform.

The speaker of the second day, Dmytro Chumachenko, co-coordinator of the “Online Events” direction, Associate Professor at the Department of Mathematical Modeling and Artificial Intelligence at the National Aerospace University “KhAI,” and head of the “AI + Education and Science” subcommittee at the Ministry of Digital Transformation, set an important framework:

With the emergence of AI, education has not become better or worse—it has become different.

This “different” education presents new challenges:

• democracy requires citizens who do not delegate their thinking to algorithms;
• AI must remain a tool controlled by humans;
• digital literacy and conscious use of technology become key priorities.

Day 3: Foundations of Responsibility

The third day focused on a fundamental idea: responsibility does not appear in adulthood—it is formed through education from the earliest years.

Speakers:

• Oleksandr Krasnokutskyi — Professor at the Department of Philosophy, Public Administration and Social Work, Zaporizhzhia National University
• Vladyslav Kovtunenko — Teacher of World Literature, Kryvyi Rih Gymnasium No. 62
• Rostyslav Perekhozhuk — Traveling teacher, TOP-50 preschool educators (Global Teacher Prize 2024)

They guided participants through the full educational journey—from preschool to university—demonstrating how responsible citizens are shaped.

Key insights:

• democracy in kindergarten begins with the right to choose a toy or a game;
• a teacher is not a controller but a partner (“beside,” not “above”);
• safe expression matters: students should not fear making mistakes or holding different opinions.

This session reinforced that democracy is not only about institutions—it is about everyday decisions learned from childhood. Educators are key agents of change.

Day 4: From Knowledge to Action

The fourth day was highly practical—focused on how to move from knowing to acting in daily life, education, and civic participation.

Speakers Yurii Myronenko (assistant to a Member of Parliament) and Volodymyr Pominchuk (lecturer, expert, civic activist) combined theory and practice to demonstrate that democracy works only when we use its tools.

Key takeaways:

• tools of civic participation are the foundation of an active society;
• advocacy is a real mechanism of influence, not an abstract concept;
• simulation games help experience democratic processes firsthand;
• knowledge is important, but practice builds skills;
• case studies, project work, and debates create an environment for active citizenship;
• educational simulations (e.g., creating an NGO model) are among the most effective ways to “try on” the role of a democratic participant.

Main insight: democracy cannot be learned from a textbook alone—it must be experienced through action.

Final Day: International Experience

The final day focused on international case studies of countries that have already integrated democracy into education—and what Ukraine can learn from them.

Speakers:

• Ivan Balykin — Co-founder of the NGO “Progressive&Strong,” history and law teacher
• Hanna Ostapenko — Co-founder of the NGO, law lecturer at the University of Bedfordshire (UK)
• Lesia Yurchyshyn — Best Civic Education Teacher (Global Teacher Prize Ukraine 2020), expert and trainer

They demonstrated that democracy in education is not a separate subject—it is a system.

In focus:

• Germany: “3-in-1” model (democracy as a subject, practice, and environment)
• Austria: specialized democracy workshops and deep study of EU institutions
• United Kingdom: integration of democracy into life skills and mandatory volunteering for applicants

The #Teach4Dem course once again proved that education for democracy is not just a section in a textbook. It is a transformation of the learning approach, where every student becomes an active participant.

Thank you to all speakers and participants for your energy! Together, we are creating an environment where free and responsible citizens grow.