Five schools in western Ukraine transform computer rooms into robotic labs

The project organizers shared the information with Espreso TV.

Here, children will study the structure of robots and program them to perform specific movements. At the Halych lyceum named after Yaroslav Osmomysl, students are already being shown how a brand-new robot car maneuvers and overcomes obstacles.

These technological changes in schools became possible thanks to the initiative of teachers who took part in the innovative education and computerization project Leave No One Behind Partnership.

As part of the Ukrainian-Taiwanese project, a total of 33 educators from 20 schools in the Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Poltava regions completed advanced training in teaching STEM, Python, and robotics. Participants of the educational program studied for seven months at the Ukrainian Catholic University and are now receiving sets of equipment for their computer science classrooms.

In Prykarpattia, new laptops and robots have already been delivered to the Mykola Sabat Lyceum in Ivano-Frankivsk, Kalush Lyceums No. 6 and No. 10, the Halych Lyceum named after Yaroslav Osmomysl, and the Burshtyn Lyceum named after Olha Basarab.

“It felt like studying abroad. It wasn’t easy to balance work and studies at one of the most advanced universities. It was real mental work - we often stayed late and came to exams exhausted. But when we read messages from our students saying, ‘We’re rooting for you,’ we knew we couldn’t give up,” recalled Vitalii Horbachov, a teacher at the Halych Lyceum named after Yaroslav Osmomysl. Together with his colleague Serhii Savchuk, they secured 16 laptops, 16 robotics kits, and a projector with a screen for their school.

Borys Melnyk, deputy director of Kalush Lyceum No. 10, teaches computer science. The school has hosted a robotics club for ten years, and even third-graders compete in tournaments. A new robot, which teachers received during their training at the Ukrainian Catholic University, already won first place at a regional olympiad. Now, with many such robots available, teachers are confident that students will achieve even more victories and gain more knowledge.

“I discovered new teaching methods through the project and learned different ways to communicate with students and colleagues. As a teacher, I probably changed a lot over these seven months,” Borys Melnyk admitted.

“We were thrilled to join the project - not just us, the teachers, but all the students too. After all, this new equipment is primarily for them,” emphasized Tetiana Yazlovetska, a computer science teacher at Burshtyn Lyceum named after Olha Basarab.

According to Uliana Pak, coordinator of the Leave No One Behind Partnership project, each school’s equipment set is worth up to half a million hryvnias.

“This is very modern equipment - laptops with artificial intelligence and Arduino robotics kits. But the most important thing is that computer science teachers now have the skills to work with this equipment. They’ll pass that knowledge on to the students. We also hope these innovative teachers will share their experience with colleagues from other schools - by being invited to lead training sessions in robotics and programming,” emphasized Uliana Pak.

As part of a separate project initiative, high school students also participated in entrepreneurship and innovation camps. That’s how a student team from Kalush Lyceum No. 6 earned their school’s equipment. Tenth-grader Sofiia Fronzei shared that their lyceum is implementing a social project called Smart Microgreens Garden. The students independently order seeds, grow the plants, and sell the produce in the city.

“We do practice entrepreneurship, but the camp was really exciting. Six teams were tasked with creating their own innovative product. We learned how to negotiate, came up with startup ideas, and discussed concepts. These were very practical activities that gave us a deep understanding of business fundamentals - something that will definitely help us in the future,” Sofiia explained.

The Leave No One Behind Partnership project for innovative education and computerization is being implemented by the NGO All-Ukrainian Democratic Forum with support from Taiwan and with the assistance of Member of Parliament Mykola Kniazhytskyi.

“We are computerizing around a hundred schools thanks to the support of the people of Taiwan. This is an example of a partnership between democratic countries that recognize the threat of dictatorship. To endure and win, we must develop technology, educate ourselves, and create innovations. That’s why we are training teachers, educating students, and making Ukrainian education high-quality and modern, while also making schools more comfortable for our children,” emphasized Mykola Kniazhytskyi.