Description
Ukrainian Roots Challenge — Year 1: Seed
A 12-Week Video Storytelling Journey for Growing Ukrainian Identity
Product Description
Plant the First Seeds of a 12-Year Cultural Journey
Ukrainian identity is under attack. Museums bombed. Archives destroyed. Villages occupied. Elders passing without their stories recorded. Language fading with each generation in diaspora.
This challenge is a response: create videos, preserve culture, build a permanent digital archive that can never be destroyed.
What This Challenge Is
Ukrainian Roots Challenge is a 12-week guided video storytelling program that runs from February 15 to May 21, 2026 (Vyshyvanka Day). Participants create short videos each week on themed topics—documenting their identity, preserving their heritage, and connecting across distance.
Year 1 is about discovering—learning what exists, naming what you love, finding your foundation.
This is Year 1 of a 12-year journey. The same 12 themes return every year, deepening with each cycle. Someone who starts at age 8 completes the journey at 20. Someone who starts at 88 completes it at 100.
Three Paths, One Journey
🌻 Ukrainian in Ukraine Path
For Ukrainians living in Ukraine—documenting, preserving, sharing. You are the primary source. Your voice matters most.
🌻 Ukrainian Diaspora Path
For Ukrainians abroad reconnecting with heritage—reclaiming language, recording Elders, building children’s cultural identity. Distance doesn’t erase identity.
🇺🇦 Stand with Ukraine Path
For allies learning alongside and showing solidarity—understanding Ukrainian culture, supporting Ukrainian communities, keeping attention on Ukraine. Your learning is an act of solidarity.
All three paths use the same 12 weeks. All three paths matter.
The 12 Weeks
Phase 1: ЛЮБОВ (Love) — Weeks 1-4
Discovering What You Love / What You’re Learning
- Week 1: Identity — Who are you? What makes you Ukrainian?
- Week 2: Land — Where are your roots? (includes February 24 Resilience Day)
- Week 3: Words — Your Ukrainian language journey
- Week 4: Poetry — Shevchenko’s birthday, Women’s Day
Phase 2: ТУРБОТА (Care) — Weeks 5-8
Discovering What You Practice / What You Support
- Week 5: Music — Songs that connect you to Ukraine
- Week 6: Food — Recipes, traditions, family dishes
- Week 7: Learning — How you’re growing your knowledge
- Week 8: Holidays — Ukrainian celebrations and traditions
Phase 3: ДІЛИТИСЯ (Share) — Weeks 9-12
Discovering What You Share / How You Stand in Solidarity
- Week 9: Traditions — Family customs, regional practices
- Week 10: Art — Vyshyvanka, pysanky, creative traditions
- Week 11: Community — Your Ukrainian networks
- Week 12: Future — Your vision and commitments (includes Rushnyk of Unity Day)
Celebration Week: Vyshyvanka Day — May 21, 2026
What You’ll Receive
Complete Workbook (44 pages)
- 12 Weekly Modules with prompts for all three paths
- Three Video Levels for each week (15 seconds to 6 minutes—choose your level)
- Special Date Observances with dedicated prompts (February 24, Women’s Day, Shevchenko’s Birthday, Spring Equinox, Rushnyk of Unity Day, Mother’s Day, Vyshyvanka Day)
- Ukrainian Vocabulary integrated throughout
- Achievement Badges for tracking progress
- 12-Year Journey Overview showing the full path ahead
Practical Features
- Detailed prompts for each path and level
- Ukrainian phrases and words to learn
- Cultural context and background
- Suggestions for what to explore
- Flexible participation—any level counts
Who This Challenge Is For
- Children discovering heritage
- Teens building identity
- Adults reconnecting with roots
- Elders preserving what they know
- Language learners growing skills
- Allies standing in solidarity
- New diaspora/refugees rebuilding far from home
- Ukrainians in Ukraine documenting living culture
Everyone starts at Year 1, regardless of age.
How It Works
- Choose your path (In Ukraine, Diaspora, or Stand with Ukraine)
- Choose your video level each week (Sprout: 15-60 sec / Branch: 1-2 min / Root: 2-6 min)
- Create and share your video using the prompts provided
- Connect with others using #UkrainianRootsChallenge
No special equipment needed. Phone videos are perfect. Imperfect Ukrainian is welcome. The goal is participation, not perfection.
The 12-Year Vision
Year 1 is just the beginning. The same 12 themes return each year, deepening:
| Year | Badge | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🌱 Seed | Discovering — What exists |
| 2 | 🌱🌱 Sprout | Naming — Learning names |
| 3 | 🌱🌱🌱 Rootlet | Connecting — Personal connections (Record Elders!) |
| 4-6 | 🌿 Stem → Bud | Practicing, Understanding, Deepening |
| 7-9 | 🌻 Flower → Harvest | Creating, Mastering, Sharing |
| 10-12 | 🌳 Seed-Bearer → Garden Keeper | Teaching, Leading, Legacy |
12-Year Completion: Українець/Українка Назавжди — Ukrainian Forever
Why Video?
- Videos create permanent archives — culture that can never be bombed or burned
- Videos capture voices — especially Elders who won’t be here forever
- Videos cross distance — connecting diaspora and homeland
- Videos prove existence — Ukrainian culture is alive and continuing
- Videos accumulate — thousands of participants create an undestroyable record
Every video is cultural resistance.
About the Author
Dr. Oleksandr (Sasha) Kondrashov is a Ukrainian-born Canadian professor at Thompson Rivers University. With research spanning social work education, trauma-informed practice, and Ukrainian diaspora studies, he has taught more than 70 unique courses across multiple Canadian universities since 2005. Coordinator of Stand with Ukraine Kamloops weekly vigils since February 2022, his commitment to Ukrainian solidarity continues through DROKACADEMY.
Access
Pricing:
- Full Access: $9.99 CAD
- Hardship Consideration: Free access available
Email drokacademy@gmail.com. No one turned away for financial reasons.
Format: PDF workbook, 44 pages, printable
Contact
Email: drokacademy@gmail.com Website: krasun.ca | drokacademy.ca
Tags: #UkrainianRootsChallenge #ВічнийСад #EternalGarden
A Final Word
“Every video is cultural resistance. Every story is proof Ukrainian culture cannot be erased. Every year, the roots grow deeper.
Someone who starts at 8 finishes at 20. Someone who starts at 88 finishes at 100. The garden grows with you.”
Слава Україні! Героям Слава!
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