On October 2, 2026, the YSU Pedagogy and Education Development Center hosted a ceremony titled "I Am a Social Pedagogue" to mark International Social Pedagogue Day.
Professor Nazik Harutyunyan, Director of the YSU Pedagogy and Education Development Center, congratulated students on their professional holiday, emphasizing that the noble and honorable calling of a social pedagogue is, above all, a mission of the heart and soul. She noted that this mission is aimed at ensuring children's happiness, overcoming barriers to socialization, and effectively addressing psychological, emotional and behavioral problems.
The event also featured a formal oath-taking ceremony for first-year students. In keeping with tradition, fourth-year students presented their younger peers with neckties and badges, symbolizing the passing on of professional experience and values and marking the beginning of a new and responsible stage in their education.
The students then delivered presentations on topics related to social pedagogy, followed by a shadow theater performance.
International Social Pedagogue Day was established in May 2009, when the 17th International Conference of Social Pedagogues, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, adopted a decision to mark the occasion annually on October 2. Since then, thematic educational and cultural events, professional conferences and seminars addressing current issues in social pedagogy have become a tradition in countries around the world.
