Formation and modern development of the Ukrainian pedagogical diaspora in Canada

Abstract

The article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the genesis and evolution of the Ukrainian pedagogical diaspora in Canada, which for over 130 years has acted as a fundamental stabilizer of national identity in a foreign cultural environment. The study reconstructs four historical stages of development: from the pioneer period of the late 19th century to the modern transformation caused by the challenges of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Particular attention is focused on the period of 1897–1919, when, under the Laurier-Greenway Agreement, the Ukrainian language gained official status in public schools in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The reasons for the regression of these programs under the pressure of nativism policies during World War I are identified, and the community's subsequent adaptation through the development of an autonomous network of "Native Schools," bourses (student residences), and private institutes is analyzed. The paper examines the process of institutionalization of Ukrainian education in the second half of the 20th century, particularly the role of the "third wave" of emigration in the founding of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) and the Ukrainian Language Education Centre (ULEC). The methodological heritage of M. Lupul and O. Bilash is analyzed in detail, specifically the innovative educational series "Nova," "Tut i Tam," "Collage," and "Budmo," which are based on the communicative approach and the concept of "engaged scholarship." The role of digital transformations and the oomRoom.ca educational portal in the modernization of diaspora learning is highlighted. A separate vector of research is dedicated to the realities after February 2022: the arrival of over 300,000 displaced persons under the CUAET program led to a rapid increase in demand for Ukrainian education, while simultaneously highlighting the problem of adapting programs for native-speaking children. The phenomenon of pedagogical resilience and the activities of the World Council of Ukrainian Educational Coordinating Councils (WCUECC) under the leadership of O. Vynnytska-Yusypovych regarding the implementation of trauma-informed pedagogy are investigated. The study concludes with the transformation of the role of diaspora education in Canada: from a center for preserving identity to a subject of the modern educational process that ensures methodological and institutional interaction with the educational system of Ukraine.