Imagine an eight-grade student who, instead of the usual workshop lesson, puts on VR glasses to try out welding, or eagerly fills out their own ‘employment record book’, moving from location to location in vocational training. In Chernihiv, career guidance is no longer a formality but has become a living ecosystem where students are the main researchers. Jointly with the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project, the city is piloting a system that helps young people not only obtain a ce

On 20–21 February, DECIDE Project, in partnership with the Development Agency of the Prykarpattia Communities, supported a two-day conference entitled ‘Cooperation, Resilience and Local Development of Communities in the Context of Military Challenges and Prospects for European Integration’, which was held in Kosiv urban community in Ivano-Frankivsk region. The event brought together the heads of communities in Ivano-Frankivsk region. The heads of communities in Zakarpattia an

In place of the old 40-litre pots is now an iVario ‘culinary computer’, and the Soviet tiles have been replaced with porcelain stoneware and modern ventilation. At the Vasylkiv Professional College in Kyiv region, the old 1960s workshops have been transformed into an innovative culinary career guidance hub. Now, not only are students taught here, but schoolchildren are also invited to see what vocational training is like, and chefs from large retail chains hold master classes

Chernihivska community is one of those that consistently and systematically develops career guidance for schoolchildren. Although the 2024/2025 academic year marked the launch of DECIDE: VET initiative, today the city is already confidently working within the framework of the national pilot career guidance system and scaling up successful practices! The results are tangible, and the figures speak for themselves! In just six months of active work within the national pilot prog

Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, and Oleh Hryhorov, Head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, signed the document. Sumy region was selected as a partner region for DECIDE Project. The five-year cooperation includes: support for the implementation of specialised secondary education reform in terms of establishing a network of academic lyceums and providing advisory support to communities; support for the implementation of vocational education reform; streng

Desnianska community in Chernihiv region is special because its centre is the military town of Desna. When the full-scale invasion began, the community was faced with a critical problem: none of its three schools had proper bomb shelters, not even in the basements. With 560 students currently enrolled at the lyceum, ensuring safety is not just a requirement of the times, but also a prerequisite for continuing the educational process and ensuring students’ safety. ‘When the qu

During the year, our four expert teams visited 22 regions of Ukraine. Each meeting was special for us, because each community is unique and requires an individual approach. Today, we are sharing an example from the Zymnovodivska community in Lviv region. There, the expert team – Zinovii Siryk, Maryna Zamfir and Tetiana Tsupra – held a public consultation on the formation of a network of academic lyceums. The meeting brought together representatives of local authorities, educa

Last year, we reported on the opening of ten DECIDE culinary and career guidance hubs in Ukraine. These spaces were created within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project, which is implemented by the NGO DOCCU. To ensure their operation is even more productive and effective, we are training the professionals who work directly in these spaces. Last week, we brought together 10 career guidance hub coordinators in Lviv for a two-day training course entitled ‘Career G

At the Forum on Support for the Network of Inclusive Resource Centres, participants discussed a system in which every child receives quality care, support, and opportunities for development. The Forum on Support for the Network of Inclusive Resource Centres (IRCs) for 2026 was held in Kyiv on 3 February. It was held by the NGO DOCCU as part of the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the All-Ukrainian Associat

The All-Ukrainian Association of Communities and the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project, which is implemented by DOCCU and Zurich University of Teacher Education – International, have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. This document outlines the strategic direction of joint activities within the framework of the DECIDE Project. The Memorandum provides for: coordination of the parties’ efforts in implementing approaches aimed to support decentralisation processes; coordination of

Koropska community in Chernihiv region is situated in a high-risk area due to its proximity to the russian border. The people here understand that ensuring the safety of children is the number one priority. The story of the renovation of the bomb shelter at Atiushivska school demonstrates how community perseverance, cooperation with international partners and student activism can transform a gloomy bomb shelter into a modern educational space in a village. ‘The school, which

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted the relevant resolution on the distribution of subsidies. This refers to support for the New Ukrainian School reform, which will enable comprehensive modernisation of the educational infrastructure and environment. The majority of the funding – UAH 1.3 billion – is allocated to modernising the material and technical base of educational institutions: purchasing modern computer and multimedia equipment, equipment for natural science c

On 10–11 February, the final on-site seminar-workshop ‘Implementation of Specialised Secondary Education Reform: Regional Policy’ was held for heads of education departments and administrations from 20 regions across Ukraine. The second day of the training was devoted to the practical aspects of implementing the new Law of Ukraine ‘On Vocational Education’. Speakers at the event: Dmytro Zavhorodnii, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine; Valentyna Poltorak, DECI

On 10-11 February, DECIDE Project, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, held a final workshop entitled ‘Implementation of Specialised Secondary Education Reform: Regional Policy’ for heads of regional departments and administrations of education and science from 20 regions in Lviv! The key speakers were: Nadiia Kuzmychova, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine; Dmytro Zavhorodnii, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukrai

In 2026, the Government updated the rules for granting subsidies to modernise school kitchen units and canteens. The state budget allocated UAH 1 billion for this purpose. From the moment the Resolution is published, communities will be able to submit applications for the modernisation of school kitchen units and canteens. There are three ways to organise meals: ‘basic kitchen’, ‘hub kitchen’ and ‘factory kitchen’. This model allows communities to choose a solution that is ri

One building of Chernihiv Gymnasium No. 13 was built in 1952, and the other in 1985. ‘Since then, the equipment in the kitchen unit has not been modernised. Cosmetic repairs were carried out, but over time the condition of the premises only deteriorated. The kitchen unit needed a major overhaul: replacement of outdated equipment and communications, ventilation, walls, ceilings, and tiles that no longer met modern standards. It was also necessary to replace non-functional tech

Our team of experts – Yurii Orel, Olena Hulenko and Alla Bondar – held public discussions with communities in Kyiv region: Boryspilska, Tarashchanska, Myronivska, and Prystolychna communities, as well as in Cherkasy region: Korsun-Shevchenkivska, Horodyshchenska, Steblivska, Nabutivska, Mliivska, and Stepanetska communities. At the same time, the second expert team – Yana Brusentsova, Olha Khomenko and Olena Stepko – held meetings with communities in Kharkiv region: Malodanyl

On 3 February 2026, a Forum on Supporting the Network of Inclusive Resource Centres (IRCs) was held in Kyiv. The event was organised by the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities. The Forum brought together DECIDE project experts, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, academics, heads of inclusive education support resource

«‘We develop communities through education.’ How DECIDE is changing Ukraine from within» ‘Decentralisation for Improved Democratic Education’ (DECIDE) is an international project that supports reforms in Ukraine and is deeply embedded within them. For over five years, the Project has been working with communities, helping them to make educational decisions at the local level, establish a new senior school, develop a career guidance system, and implement tools for local democr

Since March 2025, Project experts have provided consulting support to more than 500 communities across Ukraine. In December 2025, our team of experts – Yurii Orel, Alla Bondar, and Olena Hulenko – held a series of consultations in seven communities in Zhytomyr region: Berdychivska, Andrushivska, Korostenska, Malynska, Korostyshivska, Brusylivska, and Chopovytska communities. They also visited three communities in Kyiv region: Dmytrivska, Borshchahivska, and Hostomelska. Repre