In Poltava region, modern laboratories and STEM learning classrooms are being established in 10 educational institutions. This is part of the state’s systemic investment in the development of education and the modernization of school infrastructure.

The Modern Learning Spaces project helps educational institutions create modern learning environments based on unified approaches and guidelines developed to meet the needs of STEM education. Overall, the project covers 250 general secondary education institutions across 22 regions of Ukraine.

In Poltava region, work has been underway since the end of July 2026. One of the participating institutions is the M. V. Gogol Dykanka Lyceum, where robotics and 3D modeling laboratories are being renovated. The spaces are actively being prepared for the installation of the necessary equipment and their launch.

Nadiia Horiachun, principal of the M. V. Gogol Dykanka Lyceum, explained why the institution has made the development of modern science learning spaces a priority, using state budget subventions and local co-financing.

“Within the framework of the New Ukrainian School reform, this subvention provides an opportunity to upgrade the lyceum’s STEM space, which is essential for integrating practical skills into children’s learning. It is also an opportunity for the community to create and develop a modern learning hub for local children as well as students from 11 nearby villages who attend the lyceum. Such an educational environment will help prepare competitive students for higher education and become a magnet for attracting young professionals back to their home region after graduation, contributing to its development,” says Nadiia Horiachun.

Bohdan Vasylchenko, an IT and economics teacher at the M. V. Gogol Dykanka Lyceum, believes that the upgraded spaces will increase students’ interest in learning by strengthening its practical component.

“In the 21st century, children are interested in everything. Today, simply looking at a board and working at a desk is not enough for students. They need more research-based learning, where they can apply and model the knowledge they acquire in practice. That is why our lyceum is actively developing a project-based learning component, particularly in robotics and 3D modeling,” says Bohdan Vasylchenko.

Lidiia Yakovets, an IT and mathematics teacher at the M. V. Gogol Dykanka Lyceum, has a concise vision of what she expects from the renovated spaces:

“First and foremost, as teachers, we want children to feel that they belong here when they come to our school for their lessons. We want them to be eager to come here and gain knowledge that will help them develop a clear professional goal — the desire to become an engineer or programmer and work with robots and other modern technologies,” says Lidiia Yakovets.

It is also worth noting that during the implementation stage, when communities move from funding to the practical delivery of a project, there is often a risk of losing momentum or compromising quality. That is why the project’s strategic partners — DTEK and Metinvest — supported the work of the Implementation Support Team (IST), investing approximately UAH 11 million to ensure the high-quality implementation of the reform at the local level.

East Europe Foundation is responsible for the implementation and coordination of the project: it establishes the IST team, provides expert and methodological support, and oversees quality assurance. Big City Lab developed the guidelines and design solutions.

The project is currently in the active implementation phase. Starting from September 1, the renovated learning spaces in Vinnytsia Region will gradually open their doors to students.

Modern Learning Spaces is a project supporting the development of modern educational spaces in academic lyceums across Ukraine. It is implemented by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine as part of the World Bank-supported program “Enhancing Education Accessibility and Resilience in Ukraine under Crisis” (LEARN), funded, among other sources, through the Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Multi-Donor Trust Fund (URTF), in partnership with East Europe Foundation and socially responsible Ukrainian businesses.

The project partners include DTEK and Metinvest, part of SCM Group, as well as EPAM Ukraine and Quantum Systems Ukraine. Big City Lab provides advisory and expert support to educational institutions in implementing the project.