The event in Lubny marked not only the conclusion of three months of joint work, but also the beginning of a new stage of inter-municipal cooperation in the educational sphere of Poltava Oblast. The Memorandum opens fundamentally new opportunities for students, teachers and education managers.
This is a story of how two hromadas with different sizes, resources and school networks managed to build a partnership grounded in trust, analysis, strategic thinking and a shared readiness to act together.
From Request to Solution: Three Months of Systematic Work
The partnership began with an official request from the Novoorzhytsia hromada, which needed sustainable solutions for managing its school network, improving service quality and expanding opportunities for students.
In response, the Polaris team launched a three-month process that included:
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analysis of both hromadas’ education systems;
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assessment of the capacity of their existing school networks;
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a series of stakeholder meetings;
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development of a cooperation model and alignment of the Memorandum’s content;
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discussion of the document at local council sessions and unanimous support from councillors.
This process confirmed that inter-municipal partnership is not a formality but a well-considered management decision based on analysis, dialogue and readiness for change.
Polaris education expert Artem Horobets noted:
“The signing of the Memorandum on education cooperation between the Lubny and Novoorzhytsia hromadas is the result of systematic and consistent work in recent months, based on a cluster approach, highlighting the strengths of the hromadas and strengthening the quality of their educational services.”
Signing the Memorandum: A Symbolic and Practical Step Forward
The official signing at the Lubny City Council brought together:
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the hromada heads — Oleksandr Hrytsaienko (Lubny) and Anatolii Titenko (Novoorzhytsia);
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education department leaders — Myroslav Kostenko and Svitlana Serdiuk;
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teachers, managers and the trade union.
The hromada leaders emphasised that the document is not a declaration but a real tool for consolidating resources and expertise.
Mayor of Lubny, Oleksandr Hrytsaienko, stated:
“The Polaris team facilitated extensive work between educators of both hromadas, and this dialogue clearly showed that the student and the quality of their education must be at the centre of all decisions. Children should learn where the best and most comfortable conditions are created for them. Small hromadas, including Novoorzhytsia, often cannot meet the requirements of the senior school reform due to class sizes and material needs — and we are glad to support them.”
Head of the Novoorzhytsia hromada, Anatolii Titenko, added:
“We are sincerely grateful to the Lubny hromada for supporting our smaller hromada. In such a short time, we have managed to build a strong bridge of cooperation for the sake of our children’s quality education — an education that must be in reliable hands. After all, they are the ones who will shape the future of our country.”
Learning Visits: Turning Partnership into Practice
After the signing, education managers from both hromadas visited schools in Lubny to observe progressive practices in action.
Volodymyr Malyk Gymnasium: a school of opportunities
Participants met the student council, explored the “technology route”, discussed the school theatre as a tool for building a human-centred environment, and worked interactively on the “Five First Steps in Partnership” card.
Brothers Shemet Academic Lyceum: innovation and the future
Students and teachers presented the new STEAM laboratory (received in November through Polaris support), digital school services and inclusive solutions. During a mini-workshop with expert Artem Horobets, participants explored how the two hromadas can jointly create educational products.
The day concluded with the signing of a symbolic Short-Term Action Plan for 2026 — the first roadmap of the partnership.
What the Memorandum Will Change: Management and Social Outcomes
The Memorandum lays a strong foundation for a new quality of cooperation. It enables resource consolidation and joint professional development for teachers — essential for modern specialised education. It also launches new educational and cultural initiatives, opens opportunities for joint grant participation, and strengthens inclusive, extracurricular and non-formal education.
Ultimately, the Memorandum signals a shift to a new level of cooperation — when hromadas think not in territorial boundaries but in terms of the strategic development of children and the wider educational environment.
The example of Lubny and Novoorzhytsia demonstrates that inter-municipal cooperation can transform the educational landscape of the oblast — faster, more efficiently and more innovatively than working in isolation.
