Ukraine

Contact
NOVA DOBA – Vse ukrainska Asociacija Vikladačiv istorii ta suspilnich disciplin
All-Ukrainian Association of Teachers of History, Civic Education and Social Studies

Petro Kendzor

Vul. Halytska 1-5
UA - 79008 Lviv
Phone: +380-322 74 34 55
Fax: +380-322 97 66 89
Email: center@novadoba.org.ua
Homepage: http://www.novadoba.org.ua
About the organisation
Nova Doba was officially registered in the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine in April 2001. Nova Doba is the legal successor of the Regional Association of Teachers of History and Social Studies "Doba". The new organisation took all obligations and responsibilities of Association "Doba" and continues all direc­tions of its activities. The centre of Nova Doba remains in Lviv. Up till now there are 19 local branches of Nova Doba. The aim is to create more possibilities for the members from different regions of Ukraine to develop various activities and raise the organisation's prestige.
The history competition
The program "Slidami istorii " was started in 1997, running a history competition every second year. Working in schools, one often comes across the passive attitude of pupils towards the subject of history. They are often reluctant to analyse historical facts critically. Despite the considerable influence that democratic changes in Ukraine have on the content of history didactics, e.g. the interpretation of different historical events, style and methods of teaching history in Ukrainian schools have not undergone any significant transformation.
Other activities
Nova Doba is organising various projects in the field of civic education and history education. This includes teacher training seminars all over the country as well as social and political discussions for school students.
Requirements
There are several principles established for competitions:

  1. Contact with a specific researcher or group is direct
  2. Participation is voluntary
  3. Interpretation of every historical fact or event is democratic
  4. Researchers choose themes and tutors independently
  5. Competitions are open to a wide range of participants including students from the elite educational institutions to the pupils of the secondary village schools.

In most cases our young researchers were assisted and advised by history teachers and by their parents on how to collect the necessary data and how to design their works. They need to tell us the name of the tutor(s) who helped them most. Pupils must not be older than 17 (graduation age) at the time they enter the competition. Most participants are about 15 years old but they can also be younger. Group submissions are accepted. There is no page limit for submissions. As long as the topic is described adequately and it is within the limit that pupils aged 14 - 17 are able to accomplish, then that's fine with us. There is no restriction regarding the materials that pupils can hand in. Often, they send enclosures such as photos, videos, cassettes, and some historical artefacts.
Jury
The jury consists of scientists, members of the Academy of Sciences, of the Ministry of Education and Science, historians, and members of Nova Doba. There are certain criteria that every entry should fulfil. They are for example: to work independently, work with contemporary witnesses, and a critically assess the topic.
Award
There are three first prizes, six second, ten third, and twenty encouraging prizes. We also search sponsors' help to establish this year the super prize - a computer for the best group research paper. All prizes are either TV sets, cameras, tape recorders or book prizes. Every participant of the competition receives a certificate for participation and a book with contributions to the contest. All winners (except fourth prize winners) are invited to Lviv to the final seminar, the presentation of awards and the cultural program