Mercer Times

For students at Sumy University in northeastern Ukraine, life has been challenging due to the ongoing conflict. However, a TCNJ professor and his students have been providing some relief through cultural exchange activities. Stuart Carroll, an associate professor of elementary education at TCNJ, is part of the U.S. State Department’s Virtual English Language Educator Program and teaches English to 75 Ukrainian students.

Carroll has facilitated a weekly conversation club and invited Ukrainian students to engage in projects with his TCNJ classes. "It's been so fantastic to have these connections," he remarked.

In one project, students from both countries created videos sharing popular fairy tales as part of a virtual cultural exchange. Yana Zhylenko, a student from Sumy who aims to become an interpreter and translator, participated by acting out a Ukrainian folktale. She found the experience beneficial for practicing her speaking skills and learning about American traditions.

Polina Kuchmieieva, another Sumy student, noted that fairy tales were effective tools for sharing cultural insights. Despite frequent interruptions due to air raid sirens during classes, Carroll continues teaching virtually each week.

The Saturday conversation club on Zoom offers a platform for light-hearted discussions where participants focus on topics like jobs, school, holidays, and food rather than the war. Justin Holliday ’24 from TCNJ shared that it was interesting to learn about their way of life.

Sumy students are now working on creating original fairy tales which Carroll plans to share with refugee students in New Jersey and Pennsylvania schools.