EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL MISSION OF SCIENTIST MARIA KITSIUK IN SHAPING THE UKRAINIAN IDENTITY OF DIASPORA CHILDREN

Abstract

The Ukrainian diaspora in the United States has made a significant contribution to the preservation of national identity and the formation of subsequent generations of Ukrainians, who have been nurtured in the traditions of language, culture, and civic engagement. A key element in this process was the establishment of Saturday and Sunday schools dedicated to the study of Ukrainian culture. Among the educators who devoted their lives to advancing Ukrainian education in emigration, a distinguished role belongs to Dr. Maria Kitsyuk, a Ukrainian-American teacher and community activist who served for many years as the director of the School of Ukrainian Studies in Yonkers, New York. She was actively engaged in educational and cultural initiatives of the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States. Diaspora periodicals (Svoboda, Surma/ Nova Gazeta) have highlighted her significant contribution to both the school and community. Her life stands as an exemplary embodiment of dedicated service to the Ukrainian language. At the same time, her worldview reflects a profound sense of national identity and a genuine commitment to Ukrainian education in the diaspora. Her life is an exemplary embodiment of service to the Ukrainian language, and her worldview reflects a national identity and a genuine concern for Ukrainian education in the diaspora. Having worked for many years within both the American and Ukrainian educational systems, Dr. Maria Kitsyuk developed her own approaches to teaching English and Ukrainian as foreign languages. In her pedagogical practice, she employed traditional methods, carefully adapting them to the specific context of the American educational environment. Distinctive features of Dr. Maria Kitsyuk's methodology: the application of comparative analysis ( particularly through the study of Ukrainian and American literature, as well as historical figures of Ukraine and the United States); the integration of multicultural discourse in the educational process (incorporating song, embroidery, folk traditions); an emphasis on the development of critical thinking with students engaged in essay writing and classroom discussions; the inclusion of extracurricular activities as an essential component of learning, such as excursions, concerts, and collaboration with Plast scouts. In the context of a new wave of migration at the turn of the 20th and early 21st centuries, the role of the Ukrainian studies teacher acquired heightened significance and complexity. Educators faced the dual task of integrating newcomer students into the school and cultural environment while simultaneously sustaining the interest of children with varying levels of Ukrainian language proficiency. Through their personal example, as well as their educational and cultural activities, these teachers contributed to shaping the self-awareness of Ukrainian youth abroad and instilling in them a sense of belonging to a great nation.