FDSSO leadership school: reflections on the previous semester and new horizons

The new semester has already begun, and the FDSSO Leadership School continues its work in its characteristic dynamic rhythm. This is a good moment to reflect on the previous semester and highlight the achievements with which the team has moved forward into new meetings and initiatives.

During the past semester, the Leadership School held nine meetings, four of which were organized and conducted independently by students. This became an important step in developing leadership competencies and the ability to implement their own initiatives.

Throughout the semester, the School addressed a range of important and socially significant topics, including:

• mediation as a tool for strengthening community cohesion;
• innovative models of social service provision at the intersection of social work and preventive medicine;
• personnel management and the competencies of modern leaders;
• community development through innovative social service models;
• support for frontline communities;
• suicide prevention among wounded military personnel;
• nonviolent communication as a pathway to mutual understanding and cohesion.

The themes combined leadership, social responsibility, public health, volunteerism, and community engagement in the context of wartime challenges.

The School welcomed experienced practitioners from various fields, including mediation, human resource management, civil society, rehabilitation, psychological support, and local governance.

Among the speakers were:

• Nataliia Titiiova – mediator, facilitator, and trainer in nonviolent communication, conflict resolution, effective communication, and community cohesion; candidate for international NVC certification;
• Olena Taran – HR business partner, organizational psychologist, facilitator, holder of master’s degrees in Psychology and Public Health (pre-MBA); founder of the Health Coaching & Well-being project and the volunteer art-therapy initiative “Happy Prostir” in children’s hospitals; advocate for physical culture and long-distance runner;
• Bohdan Tkachenko – Head of the Andriivka Rural Military Administration, Berdiansk District, Zaporizhzhia Region;
• Valentyna Triukhan – project manager and monitoring & evaluation consultant in the civil sector, with extensive experience in international organizations and grant programs; mentor in the ICLD (Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy) program; co-founder and head of the Community Building Center “Navkolo”;
• Yelyzaveta Bonchuzhna – civic activist and project coordinator at the NGO YES, supporting communities in Southern and Eastern Ukraine;
• Iryna Shevchenko – psychologist and UNICEF tutor;
• Oleksandr Pasevych – physical therapist (rehabilitation consultant) of the Mobile Rehabilitation Team of the Volyn Regional Organization of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society.

The meetings were practice-oriented and provided students with the opportunity to directly engage with professionals working in communities, international organizations, and social projects.

Participants of the Leadership School also actively joined the National Radio Dictation of Unity on Ukrainian Language Day and conducted sessions for an adult Ukrainian speaking club led by Iryna Sokolova.

In addition, students completed the National Media Literacy Test, demonstrating their readiness to work critically and responsibly with information.

A particularly noteworthy initiative was a volunteer fundraising campaign. As part of developing fundraising skills, participants opened a campaign to repair a vehicle for military medics. With the support of students and university staff, the required amount was successfully raised, and the funds have already been transferred for the vehicle repair.

The activities of the Leadership School are implemented within the educational component “Innovative Models of Social Service Provision” of the Educational and Professional Program “Post-War Social and Psychological Rehabilitation” and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 4 – Quality Education,
• SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities,
• SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

Based on materials provided by Alla Melnychuk,
Assistant of the Department of Social Work and Inclusive Education,
Coordinator of the Leadership School