On 20 November, the Swedish–Ukrainian Programme Polaris held a webinar entitled “Project Management and Educational Grant Writing — Tools for Developing a Modern Educational Institution”.
Ninety minutes of intensive work, real examples, and professional dialogue became a powerful resource for participants seeking to strengthen their institutions through high-quality projects and effective resource mobilisation.
School principals, teachers, education project managers and representatives of hromadas joined the online session — all those who understand that a modern school advances when it works boldly with innovation, partnerships, and grant opportunities.
Projects as a Development Strategy
The webinar was opened by Olena Rusnachenko, an expert of the Polaris Education Area. She introduced the speakers, outlined the key points of the session, and emphasised that project-based work is no longer an “optional extra” for schools.
“When a school works through projects, it presents itself as a living, active, ambitious institution. Projects shape reputation, move the team forward, and become growth points even when resources are limited. Project work creates new opportunities that make a school competitive,” she stressed.
In her presentation, Olena focused on practical mechanisms that enable schools to use project activities as a development tool. Participants learned which factors influence project success — from the quality, structure and relevance of an idea to effective communication and result presentation.
A separate emphasis was placed on rigorous analysis of project ideas: relevance, available resources, social impact, uniqueness, realistic timelines, and clear result-measurement tools. Olena Rusnachenko noted that even a strong project does not always receive funding, so it is essential to balance scope, resources and time to ensure high-quality implementation.
Grant Writing Without Fear: From Idea to Funding
The next speaker was Marianna Shvardak, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor at Mukachevo State University, and Chair of the NGO “Union of Scientists of Ukraine”. Her block focused on grant writing — explained simply, structurally and without excessive terminology.
“A grant is not about money. It is about how a school turns its dream into a concrete, convincing, viable idea. And if the idea is genuine — there will always be a partner willing to support it,” she noted.
Marianna outlined three levels of grant opportunities — from local to international — and explained donor logic: priorities, mission, selection criteria, expected results and sustainability. She encouraged participants to see financial gaps not as problems, but as investment needs, and to present solutions in applications instead of merely describing difficulties.
Participants received a step-by-step algorithm for preparing a grant application: problem analysis, goal setting, activity planning, budgeting, sustainability, result measurement, risk assessment, and partnership. She also warned about the “salary trap” — an excessive focus on remuneration in budgets, which often decreases competitiveness.
A Team Driving Change: The Experience of Khotyn
The final speaker, Tetiana Yurchak, educational organiser of the Khotyn Support Academic Lyceum, presented an inspiring example of how a small but motivated team can build a strong project management system within a school.
She shared how their institution sets priorities in line with its strategy and development plan, how it seeks relevant opportunities, and how it engages teachers in implementation. Tetiana presented real stories: successful applications that opened the door to partnerships and unsuccessful ones that became valuable lessons.
Participants saw how project activity influences:
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increased parental trust;
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greater student enrolment;
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stronger support from partners;
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the development of the professional team;
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enhanced institutional reputation.
Discussion, Reflection and New Insights
The final part of the webinar evolved into an active discussion. Participants asked about team formation, partnerships, criteria for successful applications, psychological barriers, budgeting, and common mistakes.
They also discussed:
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the role of stakeholder analysis;
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the impact of successful cases on motivation and planning;
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the importance of technical compliance in applications;
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approaches to sustainability and efficiency;
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the value of synergy between teachers, parents and students.
Participants heard examples of successful projects across different areas — from soft initiatives to infrastructure — and received advice on communication, documentation and partnership development.
At the end of the session, participants were invited to provide feedback through an online form, and the programme team opened opportunities for further consultations.
The webinar became an intensive practical platform for everyone who wants their educational institutions to be competitive, modern and open to partnerships. Participants gained a systemic understanding of how to analyse project ideas, plan budgets, work with stakeholders, build teams, avoid common mistakes, develop competitive grant applications and build sustainable partnerships.
The Polaris team will continue supporting hromadas in developing a project-based culture, forming change-making teams, and implementing initiatives that deliver real, tangible results.
