Project Description

“In the World with English” was launched March 25, 2012 in the city of Kherson, Ukraine. This project was a pilot for this city’s Children’s Library as part of their English Club program, initially organized by a Peace Corps volunteer two years prior. Established in 1924, the Kherson Oblast Children’s Library serves 20,000 users annually. Resources include 100,000 books, periodicals, videos and compact discs in addition to free use of eight computers with Internet access.

The English Club provided language lessons in English for many children. The library director, Anna Ivanivna Bardashevska, was very enthusiastic at the prospect of a SKYPE online club as a way of expanding the English language sessions to include special needs children. The project goal was to establish a functional Online English Program. Using the Ann Foundation model, which is accessible to children with special needs, the project’s goal was to increase their educational opportunities by the end of 2013.

This was a first for 30 special needs children in the city.