For five days in September we were pleased to have with us eight visitors from Ukraine who were here to see how the US handles students with disabilities and to see first-hand inclusive education at work. Included in the group was the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) Committee in Science and Education, a psychologist from the Dzherelo (Spring) Rehabilitation Center in Lviv, and a representative from the Ministry of Education.
Our council would like to once again thank Councilwoman Sherri Myers for welcoming our guests and speaking with them about disability laws. We’d also like to thank Mayor Ashton Hayward for taking the time to meet and take photos with the delegates as well as presenting them with mementos from Pensacola. They were delighted to have met all of you.
Following their welcome, the visitors were amazed to see the beauty that is The Global Learning Academy. Principal Sheree Cagle and Susan Cole with Escambia County Exceptional Education were kind enough to take the delegation on a tour of this brand new facility, as well as go over the school’s curriculum and guidelines for inclusive education. They were also thrilled to observe classes, and we thank M.J. Ziemba for making this visit possible.
Following this, our visitors went to the ARC Gateway Pollak Training Center for a tour of the facility and an overview of how the staff at ARC helps young adults with developmental disabilities reach their full abilities. They also observed job training areas and craft rooms. Dawn Von Stein led the group through the center which inspired one participant, whose child is also developmentally disabled, to purchase a wind chime made by a student as a remembrance of her time there.
For their last appointment of the day, the group met with Walter “Bruce” Watson, the Executive Director of Independence for the Blind of Northwest Florida. Here the group was able to see new computer programs that allow blind individuals to surf the web. They also heard about training programs the center coordinates in participants’ houses to make them comfortable with independent living.
Later that night, the Ukrainians were thrilled with an evening of relaxation and camaraderie in downtown Pensacola with friends of the Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council. The group enjoyed watching Monday Night Football at a local pub and getting to know the game and each other better.
The following day the group was simply amazed by the Lacey A. Collier Sensory Complex and Escambia Westgate School. Susie Watson Curriculum Coordinator, Senior Federal Judge Lacey Collier, Behavioral Coach Beth Thead, and Behavioral Technician Joe Denmon met with the group to discuss the school’s approach to inclusive education and to give a tour of the Sensory Complex which engages students at a multitude of levels. The Ukrainians were delighted to see such an unexpected and magical approach to inclusive education. It simply inspired them. Thank you, Principal Susan Berry, for coordinating this visit.
Their following appointment took them to Capstone Academy where they met with Principal Nancy Wolfe, President/CEO Sherry White, and Executive Board member Raisa Overstreet. After a tour of the facility and a discussion on how including pre-k students with disabilities with other children encourages responsibility and respect, the delegation was treated to a wonderful lunch provided by the staff at Capstone. The group was especially pleased to see that Principal Wolfe had made hulubtsi, a traditional Ukrainian dish, known locally as “cabbage rolls.”
Following lunch, the delegation drive out to Molino to The Leaning Post Ranch where Fran and Newman Gersin gave them a tour of the ranch, introduced them to the horses and a few riders and explained their rehabilitation approach through equine therapy. The group thoroughly enjoyed seeing the countryside and such a unique organization such as this one.
On their last night, the Ukrainians, along with our Executive Director, went to Bands on the Beach where they enjoyed a picnic dinner and enjoyed the concert on the white shores of Pensacola Beach right next to their hotel.
