Lviv, Ukraine, 30.11.2015.
To whom it may concern

Declaration of collaboration

The URCCYL  is looking  forward to actively participate in the project proposed by  the “ABCXXI-All of Poland Reads to Kids “ Foundation within the grant provided by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The best leaders of the reading-to-children campaign in Ukraine established in 2013 - experts in the children’s literature, librarians, teachers – will gladly participate in study visits and educational conference in Poland to get more knowledge of how to develop  the national reading campaign and how to wisely raise children in contemporary world.  Especially participation in the National Week of Reading to Children in Poland on 1-7 June, 2016 would be helpful to get acquianted with effective methods of implementation of reading to children in schools, kindergartens, clubs of reading families, libraries and at reading events.  We hope for long-lasting collaboration with the Foundation “All of Poland Reads to Kids” and for financial support of our social activities because of very bad economic situation of the parents in Ukraine.

URCCYL would appreciate if the project will meet our below mentioned needs and expectations:

• Experience exchange, trainings, seminars, workshops, conferences, symposiums, translations, visiting trips, printings, publishing, media supporting, buying the books for children – all related to the reading- to-children campaign. Also office equipment…. 
  
  
• The URCCYL is interested in translations into Ukrainian language of two important educational books: “Education through Reading” and “Guiding the Child into the World of Values”, written by the leaders of the “All of Poland Reads to Kids Foundation - Irena Koźmińska and Elżbieta Olszewska. Both books were very positively evaluated by Ukrainian specialists.  The URCCYL will make a wide use of these two books among academics, teachers, librarians, parents, provided that the costs for translation, editing  and making them available for an Ukrainian  reader will be covered . Members of URCCYL would help in adopting recommended titles of children’s books into the Ukrainian culture

• On 7 – 10 of April 2016, the URCCYL is organizing in Kyiv the 7th International Symposium “Literature. Children. Time”, where members of URCCYL who are also the leaders of the national movement “All of Ukraine Reads to Kids” (established in 2013) will participate.  The partners of the Symposium in Kyiv are the National Library for Children’s Literature and the Universities. It would be very helpful if the representatives and experts (3-5 persons) of “All of Poland Reads to Kids” Foundation could attend our Symposium and introduce the project “All of Europe Reads to Kids”. Due to the drastic shortage of money, it would help the URCCYL to host the Polish group if costs the flights, accommodations and translation for Polish guests would be covered by the Polish partner.

• “All of Ukraine Reads to Kids” is working at the developing of the “First Book for my Baby”. The URCCYL would need the financial support in publishing it. The content of the book and illustrations will be provided for free by the members of URCCYL who are specialists in the children’s literature and in the pedagogy and methodology in Ukraine.

• In 2015, we created the socio-educational reading center “To Kids”. A big amount of parents and children come to our center. A big part of them are single mothers, low-income. They come to us, because our volunteering work can give to their children an education, which parents do not have money for. In the socio-cultural center “For Kids”, interactive lessons for children are being organized every week. They include creative reading, multilingual reading and family reading. These lessons are based on new and very effective methods of reading for children.  We need help in providing our center with:  library of recommended books (http://urccyl.com.ua/english/golden-list-of-recommended-books-ukraine/); stationery; computers; interactive boards, advertising materials.

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Ukraine, which is a big, multicultural country with the old family tradition, where the most important place is given to the child, needs to develop effective methods to promote reading books. “All of Ukraine Reads to Kids” is looking for all possible examples and tools to make it possible to develop the reading culture in the whole Ukraine.  Sharing experiences, observations, discussions and visions with “All of Poland Reads to Kids”,  “All of Czech Reads to Kids”, “All of Slovensko Reads to Kids  is necessary for Ukraine. It is urgent and important especially today, because of a very difficult political, economic and emotional situation caused by outsider occupants. While parents are downloaded by the whole negative information, coming from the media and the realities of every-day-real-life-survival, children are also suffering.  Psychotherapists from all over the world would not be able to help all these people. However, good and beautiful books and stories read to Ukrainian kids before they go to sleep could help to save their healthy nervous system and mental health of the young generation. Books can convey hope and peace of mind, they also have a big potential to heal emotional wounds and make children happy.

So in collaboration with “All of Poland Reads to Kids” within the project “All of Europe Reads to Kids” the Ukrainian Research Center of Children’s and Youth Literature is very motivated to make parents understand that the book is an important tool of forming child’s personality and character, and the most important role is played by parents. We will support innovative methods of reading to and with children to raise their interest and love of books, which will lead to better education.  In our developing country only well-educated young generation can lead Ukraine to a higher level.

URCCYL considers important to participate in the conference in Poland on topics like raising children in the contemporary world, the media influence on children, reading benefits etc. with the lectures by foreign specialists. URCCYL would like also to present our methods of “Creative Reading”, “Multilingual Reading”, “Around the Book” – developed  for teenagers, sociocultural center “To Kids”, “Interactive Reading:  emotions, intellect and creativity”.

Creation of the www.AllofEuropeReadstoKids.eu with the aim of sharing ideas and materials will help
to share ideas, experiences and also start and develop the reading-to-children campaign in other countries. It will give the opportunity to unite people of all European nations, including Ukrainians, into the useful network of positive emotions about reading the good books.

URCCYL input into the project - URCCYL can provide lectures’ rooms in Ukrainian cities where its members are working (Lviv, Kyiv, Rivne, Ivanofrankivsk and other) and volunteers for organizing the meetings with the Polish experts of “All of Poland Reads to Kids”. The URCCYL is also declaring to adopt for free the content of two Polish educational books translated into Ukrainian language into Ukrainian culture - which means replacing titles of books for children and adolescents which are recommended in Polish editions, but are unknown in Ukraine, with titles accessible in Ukrainian language.

Dr. PhD Uliana Baran,
President, Ukrainian Research Center of Children’s and Youth Literature,
Coordinator of sociocultural project “All of Ukraine Reads to Kids”