On 22 October, the First Gymnasium named after Matviy Nomyss in Lubny opened its doors for a new educational format – the first gymnasium retreat of the Polaris Programme “Gymnasium Opportunities: From Practice to New Horizons.” This event became a platform for educational management, bringing together leaders of educational governance, deputy heads of hromadas, and directors of educational institutions. Around 70 participants from 9 hromadas attended the retreat, including 5 partner hromadas of the Polaris Programme from Poltava, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv oblasts.
The organiser of the event, the Swedish-Ukrainian Polaris Programme “Supporting Multilevel Governance in Ukraine,” offered gymnasiums and hromadas a new format of interaction – an integration retreat that combines learning, practice, and creative collaboration. The goals of the event were clear: to demonstrate the peculiarities of the quality work of basic general secondary education institutions in the context of the reform of senior profile schools, to promote the exchange of experience, and to establish cooperation between hromadas in the educational sphere.
The event brought together representatives from all branches of power in Poltava oblast, showcasing a multi-level approach to self-governance of the Polaris Programme. Among those who addressed the participants were Yuliya Bilokin, Managing Director of the Executive Committee of the Lubny City Council, Angelyna Kushpil, Head of the Department of Education and Science of the Poltava Regional State Administration, Yevhen Sirchenko, Deputy Head of the Lubny District State Administration, Myroslav Kostenko, Head of the Education Department of the Lubny City Council, the team of educational experts from the Polaris Programme, and representatives of the Office of the New Ukrainian School of the Ministry of Education of Ukraine.
In his welcoming speech, Oleg Fasolia, Team Lead of the "Education on local and regional levels" area of the Polaris Programme, noted: “When we talk about educational reform, the New Ukrainian School in primary education or the profile senior school is usually mentioned. However, the basic school, which is the foundation of the entire system of general secondary education, is often overlooked. But the experts of the Polaris Programme's educational team unite those for whom education reform is not just a topic for discussion but real actions aimed at making it more comfortable for children to learn and providing them with more opportunities to succeed. Only together, in professional communities, do we become stronger, more successful, and more resilient.”
“Energy of Unity”: On the Sails of Gymnasium Education Opportunities
The retreat programme included a series of blocks that allowed participants to immerse themselves in various aspects of school life. The “Bridge of Opportunities” became an interactive session with a development map of the gymnasium, while in the block “Energy of Unity,” Tetyana Serhiyenko, Director of the First Gymnasium named after Matviy Nomyss, presented the collection “Trajectory of Change: Optimisation of the Education Network of the Lubny Hromada.”
The first block of the retreat began with a presentation by Myroslav Kostenko, Head of the Education Department of the Lubny City Council, who outlined the value potential of gymnasium education in the hromada – its role in shaping civic identity, developing competencies, and integrating children into community life.
The retreat moderator, Artem Horobets, an expert in local and regional education from the Polaris Programme, conducted a lively discussion titled “Functioning of the Gymnasium: Focus on Opportunities,” during which participants collectively developed a unique “formula for a successful gymnasium.”
The expert noted: “Every school has its unique resources and opportunities. The task of the retreat is to help identify and utilise them for hromada development.”
The conclusion of the block was marked by a presentation from Tetyana Serhiyenko, Director of the First Gymnasium, who shared practical experiences of transitioning from a general education school to a gymnasium based on the example of the Matviy Nomyss Institution. She discussed the stages of transformation, challenges, and solutions that helped the school build a modern management model focused on quality education and student development.
fter intensive sessions, participants engaged in “educational relaxation” – an interactive group activity during which educators sang “educational remixes” of famous Ukrainian songs, creating an atmosphere of inspiration and teamwork.
From Basic to Profile Education: The New Ukrainian School and the Strategic Role of the Gymnasium
The next session, “The Role of the Gymnasium in the Progress of the New Ukrainian School Reform from Basic to Profile Secondary Education,” became the professional core of the retreat.
Representatives from the New Ukrainian School Implementation Office at the Ministry of Education of Ukraine — Antonina Makarevych and Yuliya Romanenko — spoke about the conceptual foundations of transitioning to profile schools, the preparation of standard educational programmes and state standards, as well as practical tools to help hromadas organise quality educational processes in the new conditions.
During the discussion, participants raised several questions regarding management decisions, personnel policy, optimisation of the network, and student adaptation to changes. This block served as a bridge between government policy strategy and local practice.
“Bridges of Experience”: Inspiring Practices
The second half of the day was dedicated to showcasing student initiatives being implemented in the Lubny hromada’s gymnasiums.
In the first block titled “Educating an Active Citizen,” students and educators from the Gymnasium named after Ukrainian Hero Vira Roik presented a comprehensive model of volunteer activity that fosters civic identity in students. They shared examples of collaboration with veteran organisations, social services, and volunteer centres.
- The second block focused on social school entrepreneurship. The student enterprise of the Ukrainian Classical Gymnasium presented its project “School Print: From Idea to Implementation,” in which students created their own business model and produced printed products for school and community needs.
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In the third block, “Theatre as a Space of Beauty and Humanism,” students from the Gymnasium named after Volodymyr Malyk showcased a fragment of their theatrical performance.
“Through the theatre production, we learn to understand others, work in a team, and feel the emotions of our hromada,” said a student from the theatre studio “Kaleidoscope.”
Career Orientation Horizons became an important concluding phase of the retreat. Students from the First Gymnasium presented the interactive “3 Professions – 3 Steps,” during which First Gymnasium students conducted short workshops for educators, teaching creative skills in paper weaving, bead embroidery, and appliqué.
A Step into the Future”: Reflection and New Horizons
At the end of the event, participants gathered in the gymnasium’s courtyard for a reflective circle titled “My Main Insight of the Retreat,” where, passing the “educational lantern,” educators shared their discoveries, ideas, and new professional orientations. The retreat concluded with a group photo titled “Horizons of the Future,” symbolising the unity of the educational community.
“The gymnasium retreat is not the finish line, but the start of new opportunities, a space where one can step out of the usual rhythm, realise new tools and resources for effective gymnasium work, exchange ideas and experiences, transform perspectives, regain energy, and grow both professionally and emotionally,” summarised Artem Horobets.
“Listening to the key features and strategic place of gymnasiums in the educational system of Ukraine, I am once again convinced that we have chosen the only correct and promising path. We continue to work with new strength and clear vision,” added Director Tetyana Serhiyenko.
The gymnasium retreat in Lubny confirmed that an integrated format combined with practical exercises, creativity, and open dialogue can serve as an effective tool for developing the school community and preparing youth for active life in the hromada. It also demonstrates the innovative approach of the Polaris Programme in collaboration with hromadas to enhance the quality of educational services and strengthen the role of the gymnasium in the New Ukrainian School reform.
