Solidarity with Ukrainian Refugee Teachers and Students in Poland

The following is a report of AFT actions in Ukraine and Poland that were taken as a result of this trip.

Report on AFT Support for Ukraine

This report is a brief overview of AFT activities undertaken in the last five months in cooperation with the Polish teacher’s union, ZNP, the Ukrainian teacher’s union, TUESWU, and the Kosciuszko Foundation in support of Ukraine educators and young people. Most of what we are doing has been made possible by the generosity of our activists who continue to send us funds for this work. We will compile a more detailed report at the end of the summer when the ZNP summer camps have wrapped up. In the interim we are trying to figure out a future partnership with the Ukraine Children’s Action Program (UCAP, Irwin and Karen Redlener).

The following are our 2022 activities to date:

· March: E-activist alert requesting contributions for AFT Humanitarian Relief Fund for Ukraine; raising approximately $150,000.

· March 3: Donation of $10,000 to the EI Humanitarian Fund to support member organizations in East and Central Europe for refugee relief.

· March 29: Direct $25,000 donation to TUESWU (Ukrainian teachers union) support for displaced teachers and their families.

· April 3-6: ZNP invites Randi to visit Poland to see first-hand the situation on-the-ground; briefing with Ambassador Mark Brzezinski, school visits, meetings with teachers and children in the reception center, meetings with Polish mayors and education administrators, and traveling to refugee reception centers at a border crossing near Medyka.

· April 24: AFT agrees to provide support to ZNP to assist Ukraine refugee teachers requiring Polish language instruction to teach in Polish schools: a $25,000 contribution to ZNP to enable 109 teachers (1200 applicants) to complete the course at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw.

· April 22: Donated $5,000 to Israeli Rescuers Without Borders for their medical service on the Polish border.

· April: AFT posts on the internet teaching resources on the war in Ukraine on Share My Lesson and Colorín Colorado.

· May 22: Following up on introduction by Ambassador Brzezinski, the AFT enters into a cooperation with the Kosciuszko Foundation to provide a $25,000 contribution for their summer school program in Poland that will open up to students from Ukraine.

· June: AFT agrees to a $68,000 grant requested by ZNP for a co-venture in opening summer camps Ukraine refuges students and teachers; these camps are administered by the education authorities and are instructions and recreational; thus far 3 of 4 camps have been held catering to 100 people.

· July: As an extension of the partnerships with Kosciuszko Foundation, the AFT was invited to recruit qualified classroom teachers for placements in one of their summer camps in Poland for students transported from Ukraine. Fifteen ESL teachers were selected from more than 100 applicants. Located in Cieszanów Poland near the Ukraine and Slovakia borders. this two-week camp was a joint project of the Kosciuszko Foundation/NATAN/Folkowisco Foundation.

· July 18: At the AFT convention, the Bayard Rustin Human Rights Award is presented by President Weingarten to the two Ukraine teachers unions, TUESWU and VPONU; received on their behalf by Olha Chabaniuk.