The event brought together local government officials, educators, social workers, and volunteer organizations to find effective ways to support children in the southern region.

The forum was organized by UNICEF and the NGO “Association of NUO Alumni.” The event served as a platform for discussing the state of inclusive education in the Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Kherson regions under martial law.

Honored guests of the forum

UNICEF representatives:

Emmanuel Abriou — Head of the Education Section at the UNICEF Office in Ukraine

Audrey Lecomte — Head of the UNICEF Office in Odessa

Reshma Agarwal — UNICEF education specialist

Konstantin Galak — UNICEF Inclusive Education Specialist

Anatoliy Ignatovich — Coordinator of UNICEF Educational Projects and Programs

Local government officials:

Anton Tabunschik — Chairman of the Mykolaiv Regional Council

Oleksandr Traitli — Deputy Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration

Volodymyr Klyutsevsky — Deputy Head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration

Євген Трушляков — ректор, голова ГО «Асоціація випускників НУК імені адмірала Макарова»

«Актуальність цього проєкту неможливо переоцінити. В умовах війни ми маємо подвоїти зусилля, щоб жодна дитина не залишилася поза освітнім простором. Інклюзивна освіта – це не лише про доступність, це про майбутнє нашої країни, де кожна дитина має можливість розкрити свій потенціал» — Євген Трушляков

What the participants discussed

Successful inclusive practices in communities that continue to operate despite the challenges of war

Findings of a study on the potential for inclusive education in the southern region — a realistic picture of the needs

Opportunities for Children and Approaches to Building Capacity for Inclusive Education as Part of the Project “Bridging the Gap: Building Capacity for Inclusive Education in the Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson Regions”

Overall moderation was handled by Oleksandr Tur (project lead) and Olesia Oleksiuk (project manager).

Session 1: Inclusive Education in Times of War and the Educational Reality in Southern Ukraine

The project team presented the findings of a study on the state of inclusive education in three regions. Kostyantyn Halak (UNICEF) presented a vision for inclusive education in the context of the “New Ukrainian School” reform, outlining strategic directions for the development of an inclusive educational environment.

Session 2: Experiences in Implementing Inclusive Practices in General Secondary and Preschool Education Institutions

Moderator: Alla Velikhovska, Director of the Department of Education and Science of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration.

The following topics were discussed:

Early identification of special needs

The Role of Inclusive Resource Centers in Communities Near the Front Lines

Best practices from communities in the Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Kherson regions

Session 3: School and Family as Safe Spaces for Children with Disabilities

Moderator: Anatoliy Ignatovich (UNICEF).

Session topics:

Experience with online learning

The Work of Mobile Information and Resource Centers

Development of support networks

Improving referral pathways for children with disabilities

Session 4: Wrap-up

Olesya Oleksyuk conducted an interactive poll of participants on the Mentimeter platform

The presentations by parents of children with special educational needs and practicing educators, who shared their stories, challenges, and successes, were particularly valuable.

Emmanuelle Abriou presented the forum’s key findings and outlined next steps for the development of inclusive education in southern Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of a systematic approach and cross-sectoral cooperation.

Each participant received a kit containing supplementary materials for professional development:

Textbooks

Cards featuring photos and success stories of the children

Articles about the difficult journey toward the right to an education without barriers

Thank you all for participating and for the open and productive dialogue! The project is still ongoing!