History

1992 - Summer teams were invited to Ukraine through an agreement made with the head of the English department at Dnepropetrovsk National University.

1993 - The first team to Dnepropetrovsk went in June, 1993 led by Neil Campbell and consisted of 6 teachers, including Ron and Gwen Penner and Elizabeth Rempel who subsequently returned many times. These went out under the auspices of Trinity Western University and the EFCCM. Attending were about 40 students who were mainly teachers of English in various schools in the city. Classes were held at the National University.

1994 - An expanded team and more students filled the rooms allocated to the institute. Some of the students this year were attendees of the University. Two of the teachers, Doreen Sears and Elizabeth Rempel returned after the summer to teach at the University and hold follow-up Bible studies. Also, Ron Koleba, who had been Chaplain that summer, came back with his family to start the International church and Dnepropetrovsk Bible Institute (DBI).

1995 - The institute was held at a larger building - a teacher training facility. The team consisted of about 15 teachers and there were almost 200 students. By this time, the program had expanded to include some Business classes. Also, at that point, it seemed to be a worthwhile project to include a program for children, as several students brought their children to "hear English".

1996 - 2000 - The institutes for adults and children were held at the Mining Institute - a much larger facility. The teams were led by Ron Penner and included several return teachers. There was also expansion to the other side of the river with a team led by Barry Foulds holding children's English camps on the Left Bank. This program was run for a number of years.

2001 - 2002 - The institute again moved location each of these years. (During the 2002 session, Ron Penner was invited by the head of the Department of Education of the Kramatorsk district to hold an English Institute there. An Institute was held there for 5 years.)

2003 to the present - Neil Campbell, Clay Bergen and Daryl Porter have led teams in Dnepropetrovsk. Each year about 120 students have participated. The last two years the Institute has been held at the Radio Instrumentation College.

Over the 18 years that the institute has been held in Dnepropetrovsk, more than 1,500 students have attended with many who have returned and attended multiple times.