2021 Cobblestone Freeway Foundation Update
We created the Cobblestone Freeway Foundation, to support and inspire communities in Ukraine and around the world, which keep intangible cultural heritage alive.
Our aim is to improve the circumstances which allow traditional culture to flourish and thrive in our ever changing modern world. The K-9 school in Bukovets, Ivano-Frankivsk Region, Ukraine is our first project and is in need of such support.
You can read more about the and school and the project here:
https://www.cobblestonefreewayfoundation.ca/projects/bukovets-school
During our Donation Appeal in the fall of 2020, donors sent in used cell phones, laptops and tablets for the children of Bukovets, to help them study from home where necessary, and to help them to continue to learn and grow as global citizens.
We’d like to sincerely thank all our donors for their donations, they are already making a huge difference to this small community.
All the electronics are en-route to Ukraine, but in the meantime, one of our founders Vincent Rees, along with some of our Ukraine team, personally travelled to the school this summer to check in on improvements, reconnect with the school director, Slavko, and to present some of the electronics to the school and the schoolchildren.
It was an emotional event, with the whole school gathering to see the incredible generosity of our donors and, as always, to welcome us as old friends.
We handed out ipads to teachers, who, up until this point, were using their own mobile phones to show media and videos to their classes.
These electronics will help the teachers of Bukovets provide a better education for their children, and help the children have access to the wealth of resources that can be found on the internet. No child should be without the access to fuel their imagination and creativity.
Thank you again to all our donors.
What else has been happening at the school?
Apart from the electronics donations, monetary donations have gone towards buying some much needed equipment for the school.
We purchased new whiteboards for the classrooms, which were long overdue an update.
We also purchased a projector and screen for shared use across the classrooms! They’re being put to good use already!
On our Bukovets Work Trip in 2019, our volunteers worked on updating the school’s bathrooms, and today they are looking better than ever!
They also replaced some doors and windows, and repolished the gym floor - look at the transformation!
Psst. we’ll be holding another work trip in 2022, click here for more information!
Some of you may remember the glaring crack in the basement wall – the final scene in the award-winning documentary “School in the Clouds.”
Look at the difference now!
Watch our documentary to find out more about the school and the community in Bukovets.
What’s next?
The main purpose of the CFF is to support and inspire communities in Ukraine and around the world, which keep intangible cultural heritage alive. The Bukovets School captured our imagination - especially the village community, who work so hard to keep and preserve their ancient Hutsul culture. However, until very recently the school did not have a Ukrainian Dance program.
In collaboration with the school director we proposed creating a dance group within the school to help the students learn traditional Hutsul folk dances, funded by our Foundation.
We want to make sure these children have the chance to be exposed to and engaged with the rich traditions of this passionate land.
Step 1 - COMPLETE
Our first step was to find a dance instructor to come to Bukovets once per week and instruct the students in the traditional dance forms. We made contact with Masha, a local instructor who has trained and danced with the well-known Iliuk family collective!
In late November, she joined the director and went from class to class inviting the students to join the program. They had so many students sign up - it was overwhelming. Since then she has been teaching the students and they are making great progress in their dance classes!
We are so excited and so proud to have begun this initiative to bring Ukrainian dance to Bukovets.
Next, we want to make sure the kids don’t just learn to dance, but have the facilities and equipment to do it safely and properly.
Perhaps one day they will be able to represent their village and even perform somewhere!
Here are the next steps we’d like to take:
Step 2: Every dancer needs a costume, and we will work with the local community to create traditional outfits for the dancers as well as special footwear for training and performance.
Step 3 : Purchase mirrors and dance barres to assist in the training and contribute to the development of the students.
We will be seeking sponsors for different parts of these steps in the near future.
If you or your group are interested in sponsoring a part of the school’s dance program, get in touch by messaging: info@cobbletsonefreewayfoundation.ca
Meanwhile, if you’d like to donate to this program, click the button below and select “Bukovets Dance Program.”
Thank you again to all our supporters, donors and volunteers. This would not be possible without you..
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