Conference Program

The claim to fame of the quiet town of Ellenville, nestled in a valley between the Catskill and Shawangunk Mountains of New York State, is that located on its territory is CYM's acclaimed resort and camp center (known simply as our oselia). Traditionally, the site has often hosted CYM's major U.S. events as well as such gatherings as the CYM World Congress. But the Spring of 2000 in Ellenville marked a giant leap into cyberlife for the Ukrainian Youth Association.

Over 100 delegates from Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Brittain, Ukraine and the United States gathered at Ellenville's Oselia for the first World CYMnet Conference, an event organized to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and knowledge about new technologies and their application to CYM's ongoing projects. Computer professionals instructed attendees in technical disciplines including the creation of Web sites and computer graphics, as well as such topics as Ukrainianization of personal computers. Educators and counselors shared experiences and proposed projects involving use of computers and the Internet in CYM's youth programs. CYM's webmasters conferred about strategic directions for the development of CYM's worldwide and local Web sites. The range of topics and sessions was quite broad, providing interest and fascination for all delegates. Most longed for even more time in the computer lab than the two days of the Conference allowed, to use the skills that they had just developed during the many sessions and tutorials. Most left the conference having created web pages, custom graphics and much more!

CYM youth (ages 13 to 17) made up a large number of Conference attendees, as computers and the Internet seem to be a natural interest for ever-growing numbers of young adults. They left the Conference full of ideas and energy, ready to return to their locales and implement that which they had learned and heard about in Ellenville!

The Conference Planning Committee, made up of U.S. CYM members, and the newly appointed Oselia Administration deserve high credit for their great lengths in designing and professionally organizing a truly world-class event. Thanks go also to the sponsors of the Conference without whom it could not have taken place!

CYM continues to be the leading organization of Ukrainian youth by providing innovative and leading edge programs such as CYMnet to take its membership into this new century. Ukraine can surely be proud of its CYM yunatstvo and druzhynnyky who are armed with knowledge and ready in the service of their ideals which, first set forth by CYM's founders in the 1920's, are as alive today as they were 75 years ago!