On 28 May, a regional forum titled “Gymnasium of the Future: Key Vectors of Development” took place in the Velyka Omelyana hromada, Rivne oblast. The event brought together heads of education departments, directors of existing and prospective gymnasiums, educators, and experts from three oblasts – Rivne, Ternopil and Khmelnytskyi.
The forum marked the culmination of months of work by the Swedish-Ukrainian Polaris Programme, which over the past six months has carried out a series of expert consultations, simulation games, strategic sessions, and forums for educators from a wide range of hromadas across different regions. The goal: to develop a shared vision of the modern gymnasium as a key link in Ukraine’s ongoing educational reform.
From Vision to Action: Expert Work at the Forum
Throughout the day, under the facilitation of Polaris education expert Vyacheslav Dolid, participants explored strategic directions for gymnasium development. Discussions focused on practical cases, social challenges, and new approaches to managing school networks.
The programme included:
• A presentation of the operational model of Velyka Omelyana Lyceum (by the Lyceum Director Iryna Lytvynchuk and Head of the Hromada Education Department Nataliia Kapustina);
• A panel discussion on the optimisation of school networks as a challenge and opportunity for community development;
• A World Café dialogue session, where educators and administrators co-created visions for the gymnasium of the future;
• Practical workshops led by experts from Rivne Oblast Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education on strategic planning, career guidance, and internal quality assurance (featuring Nadiia Melnyk, Olha Voron and Nataliia Minakova);
• A closing expert session by Polaris Programme’s Oleg Fasolia, which served as a powerful call to action for educational policy at the local level.
Practical Tools That Work
Participants of the forum noted that, thanks to the Polaris-led initiatives, their understanding of the roles played by communities, school leaders, and teachers in shaping a modern educational network has significantly evolved. Where schools were once viewed as isolated institutions, they are now seen as integral parts of the community – hubs of social impact, creativity, and value formation.
During the workshops, attendees learned practical algorithms for developing school development strategies, internal quality assurance models, and career guidance tools that reflect today’s labour market realities.
“We’ve already started revising our internal quality systems in gymnasiums. The methodology shared by Olha Voron has formed the basis of our new pedagogical support model,” shared a participant from Ternopil region.
A Partnership That Delivers
The Gymnasium of the Future forum was not only an educational event but also a platform for strengthening partnerships between hromadas, education departments, postgraduate institutions, and the Polaris Programme. Many participants described the programme’s events as sources of inspiration, idea exchange, and tangible improvements in education management practices.
Oleh Fasolia, Team Leader of the Education on Local and Regional Level of the Polaris team, summarised the event’s message:
“The NUS reform is not only about primary or specialised upper secondary education. It is first and foremost about establishing gymnasiums as the solid foundation of Ukraine’s secondary education. Hromadas must recognise that gymnasiums are becoming a pivotal part of the system, and we are ready to support their development in every region.”
Looking Ahead
Following the forum, participants agreed to continue cooperation at the regional level. A similar event is already planned for educators in the Slavuta hromada this summer, alongside the development of a standard model of a gymnasium as a space for personal growth and community engagement.
