On 17 June, Lviv hosted a workshop “Reform of specialised senior secondary education: Opportunities and challenges for the community”, which became the final event in a series of specialised advanced training programmes for community leaders, their deputies, and heads of education departments. The professional development programme was approved by the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service and is worth 0.6 ECTS credits (19 hours). Keynote speakers at the event included:

Career guidance from vocational schools used to look like this: a team of recruiters would come to the school, hand out leaflets and calendars – which the schoolchildren would throw away within a few minutes – and talk about the benefits of free education. These days, Brovary Vocational College has replaced such activities with welding simulators, virtual truck driving experiences, and a real modular house where students can see how the electricity, water, and heating systems

Practical solutions for forming a network of academic lyceums and implementing the reform of specialised senior secondary education were addressed by the participants of the strategic hackathon “Network Map: Transformation of Senior Secondary Education”, which was held on 12 June in Hatnenska community in Kyiv region, hosted by the Hatne Lyceum. The event brought together over 80 community leaders, their deputies, and heads of community education departments. The event was or

Until recently, the building was a typical Soviet-era canteen, with worn-out windows, damaged walls, and the atmosphere of a bygone era. Today, however, students who come here from secondary schools across the city and surrounding villages are stunned by what they see, describing it as a “spaceship”. Higher Vocational College No. 7 in Kremenchuk, in Poltava region, opened a modern DECIDE career guidance hub. This article is of how the college’s team, together with its partner

On 10 June, an analytical review “Experience of Regional Development Planning in European Countries”, written by Myroslav Kosheliuk, the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project expert, was presented in Kyiv. The event brought together Jean-Luc Bernasconi, Head of International Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland to Ukraine; Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine; Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager; and representatives

Formerly, the building, constructed in 1854 on the territory of the Pivnichnyi Vocational College in Savran, Odesa region, housed a russian headquarters with a casemate, and later served as a command post. During the World War II, it was home to the Romanian police and a torture chamber with a gloomy basement. For many years, this building scared off passers-by: a collapsed roof, damp and cracked walls, the smell of neglect and a gruesome history. It was impossible to legally

Due to the security situation, communities of Luhansk region are unable to apply for the general selection process for the implementation of summer clubs. In the meantime, thousands of children and young people from Luhansk region are currently living in different regions of Ukraine and need opportunities for development, social interaction, social adaptation, and professional self-discovery. For this reason, the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project is announcing a special selectio

On 2 June, a workshop “Reform of specialised senior secondary education: Opportunities and challenges for the community” was held in Romny – the final event in a series of specialised advanced training programmes for community leaders, their deputies, and heads of education departments. Representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Sumy Regional Military Administration, the Sumy Regional Council, and experts from DECIDE, 47 communities in Sumy regio

The national piloting of a career guidance system is ongoing in Ukraine to ensure that every pupil can make a conscious choice about their future educational and career path. The pilot is implemented by the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. One of the key stages of the pilot project was the training of specialists who will implement the new career guidance system in communities. More than 400 career coordinato

The second Career Festival at the Expocentre of Ukraine became just that, with the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project as its official partner this year. During four days, the Festival brought together schoolchildren and students, parents, educators, veterans, employers, HR specialists, and all those who are looking for new professional opportunities and seeking career growth. The Career Café, organised by DECIDE Project, was one of the most notable novelties of the second Career

On May 7, a workshop titled "Reform of the Senior Specialized School: Opportunities and Challenges for the Community" was held in Kyiv, which was the final part of the training program. The event was attended by heads and deputy heads of specialized schools from 41 communities in the Kyiv region. The advanced training program is approved by the National Education Service and is calculated for 0.6 ECTS credits (19 hours) The participants discussed the issue of implementing the

The Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project continues its selection process and invites communities from all regions of Ukraine to join the national stage of the selection process for communities wishing to jointly develop networks of academic lyceums through inter-municipal cooperation agreements (IMCAs). Based on the results of the selection process, up to 50 communities will receive: expert support in the process of developing and concluding inter-municipal cooperation agreements;

The Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project has completed the selection of communities to participate in DECIDE Summer Clubs 2026 Initiative “We Are at Home – in Ukraine”. This year, interest in the initiative has once again exceeded all expectations! The Project team received more than 80 applications from communities in the partner regions of DECIDE, which, together with us, aim to create a safe and interesting space for children and teenagers to spend their summer recreational time

On 22 May, the Career Festival at the Exhibition Centre in Kyiv hosted a panel discussion entitled “Career guidance for everyone: how to create an inclusive system of career support for children and teenagers”. Every child has the right for support in choosing their own educational and career path – regardless of their life circumstances or special educational needs. This was the topic of discussion among the participants: how to create a modern career guidance system that ta

At the end of April, representatives from the Swiss Embassy visited the culinary career guidance hub created at the Vocational College in Vasylkiv within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project. The event was attended by 39 people: a delegation from the Swiss Embassy, DECIDE Project team, team from Vasylkiv Vocational College, college students, and pupils of Grade 8 from Vasylkiv Gymnasium No. 7. During the visit, the participants learned about the work of the cul

«The number of children in academic lyceums – an important factor of the quality of education» The reform of specialised secondary education, which will be fully launched in 2027, is not merely another set of regulatory changes, but an irreversible shift towards a new standard of education. At the heart of these changes lies the right of every pupil to an individual educational path, where the choice of specialisation serves as a practical tool for preparing for professional.

Imagine a room with standing water 365 days a year, where the smell of damp and mould has become so deep-seated in the walls that it seems no chemical could ever remove it. This is exactly what Nataliia Yurchyshyn saw in 2020 when she was appointed principal of the Sokal Vocational Lyceum in Lviv region, the future DECIDE culinary career guidance hub. Nowadays, béchamel sauce is prepared here with modern equipment, and chefs from top-class restaurants are amazed by the hub’s

Experts of DECIDE Project, representatives of communities, heads of education authorities, members of the ‘Education’ Platform of the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities, and other experts discussed cooperation between communities as a tool for implementing the reform of specialised senior secondary schools. The event was organised by DECIDE Project, the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities, the Ministry of Education an

The joint activities will focus on strengthening the capacity of communities to develop transparent and ethical administration in education, and on increasing public engagement – particularly among young people – in decision-making at the local level. The document was signed by Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, and Viktor Pavlushchyk, Head of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention. ‘Education reform is impossible without trust. And trust begins with transparen

On 2 May, Khmelnytskyi region hosted the Annual Summit of the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities, dedicated to the presentation of the updated legislative agenda – a holistic document with a list of necessary changes for the development of communities. The event was organised by the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities (VAG) with the support of the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project. More than 200 participants from all over Ukraine participated in the event: community l