‘First Blog’: pupils at an inclusive school are producing their own episodes

The first academic term of the ‘First Blog’ inclusive school for bloggers, attended by children and teenagers with hearing impairments, has come to an end in Ukraine. Throughout July and August, they learnt how to create video content independently — from coming up with ideas and preparing footage to editing and publishing the finished videos on YouTube. The initiative was organised by the non-profit organisation ‘Growing Up Healthy’ with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.

Details

“Many children with hearing impairments grow up in isolation. We set up this project so that they can communicate with one another and engage with society. We are also trying to raise public awareness of the fact that, over the years, no system for the early diagnosis of hearing loss has been established in our country,” noted project leader Iryna Lysenko at a press conference at Ukrinform.

The training programme covered the entire process of creating a blog. Participants decided on the themes for their own channels, worked on the text and visual design, learnt how to perform in front of the camera, developed their acting and presenting skills, and familiarised themselves with the technical aspects of video production — lighting, filming, editing, subtitles and graphics.

Experts from various sectors of the creative industries joined the training programme. In particular, sessions were led by Ruslana Lotsman, Honoured Artist of Ukraine and Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences; cinematographer and director Dmytro Hlukhenkyi; and Kirill Nechmonia, the project’s creative producer and head of the MIR&CO PRODUCTION studio. YouTube producer Andriy Kapranov, children’s author and screenwriter Anastasia Lavrenishina, film editor Mykola Bazarkin and other guest experts also shared their experiences.

‘We explain how and where to start a blog, how to create your first video, and how to find a topic. We encourage every child to explore a wide range of things they can share with the world. The foundations laid by this project will give children the opportunity to build their future as bloggers. Every child already has their own YouTube channel, and we are also setting up a shared channel where we will post videos of all the participants, filmed in a professional studio,” said Ruslana Lotsman at the project’s presentation at Ukrinform.

Children from the Kharkiv, Poltava, Chernihiv, Cherkasy and Mykolaiv regions, as well as from Kyiv, have joined the school. Working together on content has given the children the opportunity to get to know their peers from different regions, share experiences and collaborate on creative tasks.

As part of the school, each participant created their own YouTube channel and produced their first videos for it. The next stage will be a joint project channel, where the team plans to publish the children’s work created in a professional studio. The knowledge and skills gained during the course can form the basis for further development not only in blogging, but also in related creative professions — videography, editing, screenwriting, acting or graphic design.

Why this is important

‘First Blog’ is a continuation of the work carried out by the ‘Growing Up Healthy’ NGO on inclusive cultural and educational initiatives. The project helps children with hearing impairments not only to master new creative and digital tools, but also to find their own way of expressing themselves and engaging with society.

Source

Press release from the ‘Growing Up Healthy’ NGO.