As summer closes, I want to thank every student I had the honour to teach—especially TRU Educating for Social Change students. Together we launched the Invisible No More forum and advanced updates to the course curriculum. Your courage and ideas are already shaping how we learn and act for community change.
Student & Partner Highlights
- Mitacs – Nina: Completed Standing with Strength, Healing with Honour, a dual-track mental health guide for active military and veterans in Ukraine. Your careful, dignity-centred work will serve many.
- Mitacs – Isabelle: Advanced our analysis of how Brazil stands with Ukraine—a nuanced look at diaspora solidarity, diplomacy, and strategic autonomy.
- Joshua: Completed all practicum activities—congratulations and thank you for your commitment to community.
- Trevor: Led a special topics course on Recovery Communities; I’ll share a new course pack soon and invite community feedback.
Curriculum in Progress
- Welcome to Kamloops – continuing the second-edition updates and guide refinements.
- Welcome to University: TRU Edition – expanding dual-track support for new and returning students.
Non-Teaching Term & Annual Vacation
Beginning September 1, I enter my non-teaching term. I’ll be sharing research across TRU communities and beyond, while also taking an annual vacation to rebalance and focus on service and long-planned writing/editing work.
New Course: Unsilenced—Epic Voices of Resistance from Ukraine to Turtle Island
I’m developing a diaspora studies course pairing Taras Shevchenko and Lina Kostenko with Canadian poets to explore how poetry preserves language, defies oppression, and builds bridges across cultures. If you know Indigenous poetry available online, please share links—I’m drafting 12 themed weeks now.
Service & Community
The Second Ukrainian Values Educating for Tomorrow conference is planned for October, alongside other opportunities to share work, resources, and support. More updates soon.
Gratitude & Next Steps
I’m continually inspired by our students’ leadership and our partners’ generosity. This summer was busy and deeply rewarding; now it’s time to turn that momentum into resources others can use—guides, course packs, and open learning opportunities.
If you’d like to:
- offer a poem or resource for Unsilenced,
- review the upcoming recovery communities course pack, or
- collaborate on Welcome-series updates,
please reach out. Thank you for being part of this work.
With respect,
Sasha
Dr. Oleksandr Kondrashov
Leave a Reply