By Kira Syrotenko | CEO
Last time, we shared that within the framework of the “STEM: Pathway to Innovation” competition, implemented by the Blagomay Charity Fund with the support of PJSC “Mondelez Ukraine,” two winning schools received a unique prize: comprehensive renovations of their science classrooms.
Today, we are proud to report that by the end of 2025 all renovation works were successfully completed, and the classrooms were officially opened, welcoming students into modern STEM spaces designed to inspire learning, experimentation, and hope for the future.
Rebuilding Learning Spaces in Times of War
In Ukraine, where the war has disrupted education, damaged infrastructure, and forced millions of children to adapt to constant uncertainty, access to quality learning environments is not guaranteed. STEM education plays a critical role in this context: it equips children with analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, and technological literacy—competencies essential for rebuilding the country and shaping its future.
By investing in STEM classrooms today, we are ensuring that Ukrainian children can continue learning, dreaming, and innovating—despite air raids, blackouts, and displacement.
A New STEM Classroom in Kyiv Region: From Vision to Reality
At Novopetrivska Gymnasium of the Petrivska Village Council (Kyiv region), a ceremonial opening marked the launch of a fully renovated Physics and Mathematics classroom, created within the “STEM: Pathway to Innovation” project.
The gymnasium became one of the winners of the national competition with its project “Smart Greenhouse,” earning the opportunity to establish a modern STEM classroom that supports interdisciplinary, practice-oriented learning.
As a result of this achievement, the school received a full-scale renovation of the Physics and Mathematics classroom, with works carried out from late June through the end of August. The renovation included:
In addition, the school received a multifunctional printing and copying device, enabling teachers to prepare and distribute learning materials efficiently. In practice, this was a capital renovation combined with modern technical outfitting.
The classroom was also equipped with new STEM learning tools:
For Mathematics:
For Physics:
This renewed educational space is more than just a renovated classroom. It is an environment where students learn through practice, experimentation, and collaboration, where curiosity is encouraged, and where confidence in one’s abilities grows.
During the opening ceremony, representatives of the local community, teachers, parents, and students expressed heartfelt gratitude to the partners for their support. The new STEM classroom symbolizes not only comfort and quality education, but also belief in the future of Ukrainian children, who can develop their ideas and realize their dreams in Ukraine.
STEM classrooms are an investment in a generation that will rebuild the country through knowledge, technology, and creativity.
Strengthening Science Education in Sumy Region
At the same time, a capital renovation of the Chemistry and Biology classroom was completed at the Trostianets Branch of Lyceum No. 3 of the Trostianets City Council (Sumy region) within the same project.
The upgraded learning space represents another step toward creating a high-quality and accessible environment for studying natural sciences, even in regions close to the frontline. Students can now learn in a modern STEM classroom equipped with:
Expanding Impact Through Modern Laboratory Equipment
Beyond renovations, the “STEM: Pathway to Innovation” competition also provided modern laboratory equipment to other winning schools, strengthening science education across regions.
Lyceum No. 1 of the Trostianets City Council (Sumy region) received a fully updated Biology classroom, including digital and binocular microscopes, sets of micro-preparations, educational models, herbariums, sample collections, and a cardiopulmonary resuscitation training simulator. This equipment allows students to study biology through hands-on practice—working with real samples, observing processes under microscopes, and understanding complex topics through visual learning.
Petrivskyi Lyceum (Kyiv region) received new equipment for Physics and Chemistry classrooms, including a mechanics demonstration kit, laboratory optics sets, instruments for studying dynamics, a dosimeter, demonstration experiments on solubility and metal activity, and a new periodic table. These tools enable students not only to listen to theory, but to conduct experiments, make discoveries, and develop research-based thinking.
Thanks to these opportunities, learning becomes dynamic, engaging, and relevant, and STEM disciplines feel closer to real life.
Empowering Teachers: “STEM in Everyday Life” Competition
Another key activity within the project was the completion of the “STEM in Everyday Life” Best Lesson Competition
The competition united teachers who actively seek innovative teaching approaches and demonstrate to children that science is not abstract formulas, but a practical tool for understanding and improving everyday life.
Key competition results:
In their submissions, teachers integrated mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and technology, showing how STEM works in real-life contexts—from optimizing household energy consumption during blackouts to cooking, ecology, and natural phenomena.
This competition focused on:
All participants also joined a series of applied lectures delivered by STEM professionals to strengthen their professional skills and received a one-year subscription to the Mozaik educational platform.
Four winning schools will receive furniture and equipment sets to further develop modern STEM classrooms and increase student engagement.
Winners:
Sumy region:
Kyiv region:
Why This Matters for Ukraine Today
In times of war, investing in STEM education means investing in resilience, recovery, and long-term development. It ensures continuity of learning for children, empowers teachers to innovate despite challenges, and inspires young people to choose science, technology, and engineering as tools for rebuilding their country.
STEM education is not only about knowledge—it is about hope, confidence, and the belief that the future can be shaped, even in the most difficult circumstances.
Thank You
This progress would be impossible without the unwavering support of our partners. We extend our deepest gratitude to Mondelez Ukraine for their strategic vision and commitment to Ukrainian children. To our community of donors and benefactors on GlobalGiving: your contributions are building more than classrooms; they are building hope!
You are helping us prove that even in the darkest times, the light of knowledge cannot be extinguished.
Join Us in Shaping the Future
We invite you to continue this journey with us. Your support ensures that every child in Ukraine, regardless of their proximity to the front lines, has the chance to become a scientist, an innovator, and a leader.
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