On 20 August, Zhytomyr hosted the August Forum “Educational Polissia 2026/27: We Teach. We Inspire. We Succeed”, which brought together representatives of the authorities, educators, administrators, and partners for a joint discussion on the development of education in the region and preparations for the new academic year.

 

The speakers at the event were:

• Vitalii Bunechko, Head of the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration.
• Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, Deputy Head of NGO DOCCU.
• Oleh Dziubenko, Acting Head of the Zhytomyr Regional Council.
• Nataliia Osypovych, Director of the Department of Education and Science at the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration.
• Viktor Yevdokymov, Managing Director of the Education, Science and Innovation Division at BGV Group Management.
• Serhii Yatskovskyi, DECIDE National Expert, Coordinator for Advisory Support to Local Governments in Implementation of Specialised Secondary Education Reform.
• Nadiia Balabust, DECIDE National Expert, Coordinator of Development of Career Guidance System.
• Mariia Mishchenkova, DECIDE National Expert, Coordinator of Strategic Planning for Regional Development in Education, Educational Statistics and Analytics.

 

Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager and Deputy Head of NGO DOCCU, opened the event with a welcome address and outlined the scope of the Project in Zhytomyr region for the coming academic year:

• support for the implementation of the reform of general secondary education (establishing a network of academic lyceums and providing consultations for communities);
• support for the implementation of the vocational education reform;
• enhancing cooperation between communities to jointly establish lyceums (with grants for new laboratories);
• assistance in updating the strategy for regional development of education in Zhytomyr region;
• development of agglomerations with a focus on quality educational services;
• development of a career guidance system for children and adolescents, as well as grants for the establishment of career guidance hubs;
• internship programmes for young people in regional state administrations and local councils;
• implementation of DECIDE Summer Clubs “We are at home – in Ukraine”;
• professional development programmes for community leaders, heads, and employees of regional education departments.

Nataliia Osypovich, Director of the Department of Education and Science at the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration, described the next steps for the development of education in Zhytomyr region in the 2026/27 academic year.

The keynote presentation was devoted to the theme “Community development through education”.

 

Topics covered by the Project Expert Team included:

• Implementation of the reform of specialised senior secondary education, in particular the establishment of a network of academic lyceums;
• Financial autonomy for general secondary education institutions, timing and specific aspects of its implementation.
• Development of a career guidance system for children and adolescents as a precondition for the implementation of the reform of specialised senior secondary education.

 

DECIDE works closely with communities in Zhytomyr region. This cooperation has resulted in:

• 28 communities have been consulted on establishing a network of academic lyceums;
• 18 communities have joined the pilot project for the career guidance system;
• 43 schools have trained career advisers;
• 53 communities regularly participate in the “Education in New Communities from A to Z” campaign;
• 124 community leaders, deputies, and heads of regional education authorities completed training in 2026 on implementing the reform of specialised secondary schools;
• within the framework of the “Get Stronger Together” initiative, 921 teachers and specialists from inclusive resource centres underwent training;
• DECIDE Summer Clubs engaged more than 1,500 children from three communities in the region.

 

In the coming years, the cooperation between DECIDE and Zhytomyr region will focus on supporting communities in developing partnerships, establishing and developing a network of academic lyceums, introducing tools for democracy through education, and supporting community-led education management. At the regional level in Zhytomyr region, the Strategy for the Development of Education in the Region will be developed and support for the implementation of vocational education reform will continue. All these initiatives aim to strengthen the development of quality education in Zhytomyr region!