The TEA Alumni Conference took place in Kyiv on Nov.29, 2008 at the Hotel Bratislava. About 50 people, including 41 TEA alumni, IREX staff, and guest speakers, participated in the conference.Conference participants were representatives from different parts of Ukraine.The conference began with welcome remarks and conference overview by Joseph Bednarek, IREX Director in Ukraine.

Karen Robblee, Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer from the U.S. Embassy, greeted TEA Alumni and wished them all the best in their work and their future endeavors. Liliya Shylo, from the Information Resource Center in the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy, encouraged TEA Alumni to take advantage of all that the resource center can offer. She also encouraged alumni to write articles to be published in the PAS newsletter "Visnyk." 

Oksana Kovalenko, who is Senior English Language Specialist in the Ministry of Education and Science, talked with TEA alumni about the most important issue for Ukrainian teachers at the moment - preparation of their students for standardized tests in English. This test will be launched for the first time in Ukraine this school year. The ministry representative received a lot of questions from the teachers and gave firsthand information on this issue.

The main part of the conference/workshop consisted of TEA alumni conducting presentations of micro-lessons, demonstrating numerous interactive methods of teaching their students. Some of the most notable presentations were "Around the City" by Tetyana Pavlenko (TEA'07) and "Teaching English through History" by Nataliya Nayavko (TEA'07), two lessons that got all the alumni involved in lesson activities.

Mary Martin Lane, the Senior English Language Fellow working in Ukraine this year, presented an interactive game about teaching elementary level students about the Bill of Rights. That game and other activities showed the possibility of teaching history and civic education in a pleasant and exciting way, which is very important for small children.

Other presenters included Maryna Denysenko, the editor of the TESOL newsletter in Ukraine. She told the TEA alumni about the work of TESOL in Ukraine and encouraged them to become members of this organization.  Nataliya Pokladova, the coordinator of the English Teachers Resource Center located at Kyiv Mohyla Academy, gave information about the center's facilities and resources and encouraged conference participants to become members of the center.

In the late afternoon, Liliya Kholod, IREX Alumni Coordinator, explained how to apply for TEA Alumni Small Grants and answered questions. Ms. Kholod's presentation was followed by a presentation by Valentyna Tumasova, a Small Grants Program award winner, who shared her experience of developing, writing, and implementing a grant.

Lastly, Oksana Havryliuk (TEA'06) and Olena Svyrydenko (TEA'06) shared their experiences of hosting the U.S. teachers at their schools. Following this presentation, staff, speakers, and participants proceeded to O-Panas Restaurant in Kyiv, for a reception, where the alumni exchanged ideas about further alumni activities.