96 schools from the Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Poltava regions, where more than 65,000 students study, received new equipment for computer science classrooms and robotics laboratories. 33 computer science teachers advanced their qualifications in STEM teaching, Python programming, and robotics. High school students from 72 schools gained practical experience in teamwork, startup development, and business negotiations.
A year ago, democratic Taiwan supported Ukrainian youth and school education. One million dollars of charitable assistance within the framework of the “Leave no one behind partnership” project was directed to innovative training and equipment for school computer science classrooms in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Poltava regions.
“After visiting Taiwan, I offered my colleagues partnership and cooperation in the humanitarian sphere. After all, this is a country with extremely developed technologies. It is worth borrowing their experience, teaching Ukrainian youth innovatively. Our Taiwanese partners liked this idea, and the non-governmental organization “All-Ukrainian Democratic Forum” started a charitable project of innovative education and computerization “Leave no one out of partnership”. It was important not only to give schools much-needed modern computers and sets robotics, but also to give unique knowledge to children, improve the qualifications of teachers and thus improve the quality of education,” Kniazhytskyi said.
143 schools applied for participation in the project. Two computer science teachers each from 24 schools were selected to participate in the specially developed first educational program “Code&Create” at the Ukrainian Catholic University. Having successfully completed their studies at UCU, educators received certificates of advanced training and sets of new equipment: laptops, robotics sets, projectors with screens for each school. Another part of the schools was involved in a separate educational direction of the project – entrepreneurship and innovation camps. Teams of high school students studied the methodology of design thinking, the canvas of business models and the art of business negotiations.
“Every time at the camps, teenagers surprised with their activity and innovative solutions. For example, proposals for the production of VR glasses for learning, covers for gadgets with air pollution indicators, smart bottles that will remind you to drink water, as well as hotels for animals, ecological farms, drone systems for watering fields and other interesting and useful ideas”, – shares the impressions of the project coordinator Ulyana Pak.
According to her, teachers trained at UCU have already created their own community and are ready to share their experience, knowledge, and the latest teaching methods with colleagues from other schools.
With Taiwan’s support, 96 schools with more than 65,000 students were covered with innovative learning and computerized. These are educational institutions from urban and rural communities, from mountainous areas. All participating schools of the Ukrainian-Taiwan project “Leave no one behind partnership” received new computer science classrooms.
“Technology should be equally accessible to all children,” emphasizes Mykola Kniazhytskyi. “We handed over 1,248 laptops and 420 sets of robotics to schools. The goals of the project have been achieved: from the new school year, students will work with modern technology, and teachers will motivate young people to study information technologies. We have received a lot of feedback and wishes from educational institutions: many more schools need support and new of knowledge. We are working to ensure that the project continues and even expands somewhat. We thank Taiwan for the opportunity to develop young people with technologies and democratic values.”
