Project name: Creative Inclusion, Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Toronto Branch (November 2022 – To date)
Objective & Scope:
The main objective of Creative Inclusion is to welcome newcomer families and volunteers from Ukraine, providing a tolerant and accepting environment for participants of all abilities. To date, the project has embraced approximately 100 families, inviting them to participate in regular inclusive art classes and various cultural outings for children.
Creative Inclusion originally began in November 2022 as a vital initiative for displaced Ukrainian children to artistically express themselves and develop lasting friendships within their new community, while proudly preserving their heritage, language, and culture. The project operates under the auspices of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Toronto Branch, and currently runs across three different locations provided by its hosting partners.
Program Components & Management:
To ensure genuine integration, children with and without disabilities participate together, creating a balanced and supportive atmosphere. In addition to mixed-gender inclusive creative classes and special events celebrating major Ukrainian and Canadian holidays, the project features several specialized programs. These include dedicated girls’ and boys’ groups, classical music evenings for families, traditional straw art workshops, and youth-led technology classes focusing on computer programming and graphic design. Creative Inclusion is currently managed by two dedicated volunteer coordinators, Olena Diachenko and Svitlana Syshchenko.
Project name: 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear tragedy – Commemoration Concert
Scope: On April 26, 2026 the Vesnivka Choir & the Canadian Bandurist Capella presented a Commemorate Concert on the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear tragedy.
Project name: Ukrainians in North York
Scope: The Opening Ceremony of the 1st ever Ukrainian Summer camp in North York for kids JK to grade 8! This initiative is organized by the non-registered, non-profit organization “Ukrainians in North York”. The camp is offering a unique opportunity to engage in educational and cultural activities while enjoying a fun-filled summer. The camp is run by parent-volunteers & community members, during 2 weeks of July.
Project name: Creative Inclusion, Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Toronto Chapter, 2022 – Present
Scope: Creative Inclusion project was started in November 2022 by two avid volunteers, Liz Zur and Olena Diachenko as a way to allow displaced children to artistically express themselves and develop friendships. To ensure inclusion of children with special needs, a number of spots were reserved for children with developmental disabilities. This project currently runs on the weekend at three different locations in Toronto, offering two groups for younger children from 3 to 7 years old and one rapidly expanding group for older children from 8 to 13 years old. This project operates under the auspices of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Toronto Chapter, that’s been especially attentive to supporting newcomers arriving with disabled children.
Alignment with TUF identity: Education
Partners: Ukrainian Canadian Congress Toronto Chapter, Taras Shevchenko Foundation, St. Martin’s In The Fields Anglican Church, St. George on Yonge Anglican Church, Anglican Church of the Redeemer
Objective: Welcome 50 newcomer families from Ukraine to participate in regular inclusive art classes for children in a tolerant and accepting environment for participants with special needs. In addition to that, families enjoy outdoor events in public parks and beaches in the summer as well as complimentary trips to local museums. This project focuses on introducing displaced Ukrainian children with and without disabilities so they can enjoy spending time together and enrich each other’s lives.
Recurring Projects
Project name: “Yearly Remembrance Day Commemoration”
Scope: An afternoon event on the Sunday closest to the date of November 11th held at the Ukrainian park on Scarlett Road near St. Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic Church, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Holodomor Awareness and Education Initiatives
Scope: The Holodomor (literally “death by hunger”) is the modern name of the artificial famine that was imposed on the Ukraine Soviet Socialist Republic in 1932-1933 to break opposition to Russian authority and to maximize collection of grain that could be sold abroad to raise money for industrialization.