Gymnasium No. 13 in Chernihiv, which had previously been damaged by Russian shelling, reopened after undergoing major repairs. Funded by the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE project and co-financed by the local authorities, the educational space, kitchen unit, and bomb shelter were repaired and modernised.

The project covered an area of 3,600 square metres. Over UAH 64 million was spent by the DECIDE on refurbishment and additional equipment, and the local council contributed UAH 10 million. Not only will pupils from Gymnasium No. 13 attend the gymnasium, but pupils from two nearby schools that were destroyed by Russia will also go there. In total, 800 pupils will benefit from the facility.

 

Front of Gymnasium No. 13

 

‘We want children to be able to continue their education during air raid alerts, which unfortunately occur quite frequently in this region. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the children who came to this school on 1 September makes me feel that we are on the right track. I am pleased to acknowledge the participation of the Swiss people in rebuilding this school and in supporting Ukraine’s education sector,’ said Felix Baumann, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Swiss Confederation in Ukraine.

In the photo: H.E. Felix Baumann, Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation, Ilona Postemska, Senior Programme Coordinator at the Embassy of the Swiss Confederation, Valentyna Poltorak, Manager of the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE project, Vasyl Bilohura, Head of the Education Department of the Chernihiv City Council

 

The project team collaborated with the Chernihiv community for over two years. During this time, they set up 16 modern laboratories and classrooms, equipping them with state-of-the-art multimedia equipment and teaching materials. In particular:

• chemistry and physics laboratories;
• biology classroom with a climate chamber;
• two IT classrooms;
• household and creative skills classroom;
• engineering and practical technologies workshop;
• STEM laboratory with robotics;
• art workshop;
• classrooms for geography, history, the Ukrainian language, mathematics, foreign literature, interdisciplinary studies, and the English language.

 

Art workshop

 

For example, students can do experiments in chemistry class, study plant growth, soil and microelements in biology class, and work with LEGO sets.

 

STEM laboratory

 

In addition, there are now socialising spaces on each floor and a refurbished gym.

Socialising space in the school corridor

 

Rather than a traditional assembly hall, there is a multi-purpose space for conferences, training sessions and other events, which can easily be transformed into a co-working area or theatre studio. There is also a comfortable staff room where teachers can work, relax, drink coffee, and socialise. The kitchen unit was designed in accordance with the principles of school nutrition reform.

 

Kitchen unit

 

In addition, 600 square metres of the school’s bomb shelter have been equipped, with the contents devised in collaboration with teams of pupils. The specially equipped educational centres within the bomb shelter now have comfortable furniture, books, board games, tablets and projectors, enabling pupils to study during air raid alerts.

 

IT classroom

 

‘The idea is to create a comfortable learning environment for children, despite the war. In Chernihiv, as in many other Ukrainian cities and towns, children spend more than three hours in bomb shelters every day. It was therefore important for us to make this space comfortable and safe, and to enable children to continue their education during air raid alerts,’ says Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager.

 

One of the modern laboratories in the gymnasium

 

In addition to working on infrastructure, the DECIDE and the school team:

• created a development strategy for the ‘School of Active Democracy’ based on a shared vision and partnership between teachers, school management, students, and parents;
• introduced a course called ‘Learning to Live in a Community’ for Years 8–9, covering local self-government, civic responsibility, and the ability to develop and implement projects;
• implemented a course for teachers and school psychologists called ‘Becoming Stronger Together’ – about democratic citizenship, human rights in wartime, and how to create a democratic atmosphere in the classroom and integrate children who have come from other communities and regions.

This academic year, the gymnasium will also join the national pilot career guidance system and will have the opportunity to work with the best Ukrainian and Swiss experts to get children interested in choosing their future profession.

As previously reported, five bomb shelters have been restored in Chernihiv, located at Schools No. 19, 22, 32, 34, and 13. Two career guidance hubs have also been established in vocational schools. This is all happening as part of the implementation of the community’s education development strategy.