In the face of modern challenges arising from Russia's full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine, the protection of social human rights has become critically important.

With the support of the Council of Europe, and within the framework of the project “Enhanced Social Protection in Ukraine,” the public organization “Association of Innovative and Digital Education,” in collaboration with the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, implemented an initiative aimed at raising awareness among educators and students about social rights in accordance with the standards of the European Social Charter.

This project marks the first step within the Global Initiative for the Mental and Cultural Transformation of Ukrainians Towards Democratic Values, launched in partnership with the Office of the Ukrainian Ombudsperson.

The following activities were carried out as part of the project:

1. Professional Development Course for Educators: A course on "Basic Rights and Principles of the Individual in Accordance with the Articles of the European Social Charter" was developed. As of July 2024, nearly 6,200 educators have completed the course.
2. Educational Program for Schools: The program titled "Children's Rights According to the European Social Charter" was designed to enhance students' awareness of their social rights and develop their skills in protecting these rights. Approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, this program is being implemented in general secondary education institutions. Since April 2024, over 10,000 students have participated in the program.
3. Information Campaign: A comprehensive information campaign was conducted, reaching over 1,000,000 people. This campaign played a key role in promoting the course and disseminating information about social rights.

Representatives of the Association of Innovative and Digital Education have summarized the results of the initiative: "Thanks to the project, every citizen of Ukraine, regardless of their educational background or field of work, has the opportunity to access the course on the basic rights and principles of the European Social Charter free of charge. We have received positive feedback from official representatives of the education system, including the State Scientific Institution 'Institute of Educational Content Modernization' of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. They have highlighted the project’s relevance, the importance of knowledge about the European Social Charter, and the accessibility of the information provided, both in the course for educators and in the elective program for students in grades 5-11."

The professional development course is now available in multimedia SCORM format, enabling anyone interested to access it through the provided link.

The Council of Europe project "Enhanced social protection in Ukraine" is implemented within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction" for 2023-2026. It aims to ensure that persons from vulnerable groups, in particular, the population affected by the war, enjoy a higher level of social rights and social protection.