In Vinnytsia region, 11 educational institutions are equipping laboratories and classrooms for STEM education as part of the Modern Learning Spaces project.

The creation of modern educational spaces is part of the state’s systemic investment in education and the modernization of school infrastructure. The Modern Learning Spaces project is designed to help educational institutions equip laboratories and classrooms according to unified approaches and guidelines developed for modern STEM education. The project covers 250 general secondary education institutions in 22 regions of Ukraine.

In Vinnytsia region, work has been underway since the end of July 2026, including at Ladyzhyn Lyceum No. 4. Biology and chemistry laboratories are being renovated here. The spaces are being actively prepared for the installation of the necessary equipment and their launch.

Olena Kandyba, principal of Ladyzhyn Lyceum No. 4, believes that the natural sciences are a key area for the development of specialized secondary education and its future reform. Therefore, based on the planned upgrades to the spaces, the lyceum aims to create a modern, high-tech educational environment where children can move from being passive listeners to active participants.

“It is also important that the region is home to major enterprises in agriculture and biotechnology. The local labor market creates demand for a young, highly qualified and sought-after generation. We expect that our modernized environment will encourage children to pursue education in these fields and return to their home region after graduation to contribute to the development of their communities in the future,” added Olena Kandyba, Principal of Ladyzhyn Lyceum No. 4.

Lidiia Korchova, a biology and chemistry teacher at Ladyzhyn Lyceum No. 4, is convinced that the upgraded spaces will provide a strong practical component, creating more opportunities for students to experiment and work with laboratory equipment.

“Modern science classrooms equipped with everything needed for laboratory work will help children immediately record every stage of their research: prepare a microscope slide, examine it under a microscope, and see the product they have created themselves on an interactive whiteboard. This practical, visual approach will change children’s attitude toward the subjects and school as a whole, while allowing them to understand complex terms and processes more easily,” said Lidiia Korchova, biology and chemistry teacher at Ladyzhyn Lyceum No. 4.

As part of the project, educational institutions work with the Implementation Support Team (IST), a dedicated implementation support team. It helps lyceums navigate all stages of creating modern educational spaces — from planning and organizing renovation works in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to installing equipment and launching laboratories.

The work of the IST has been supported by the project’s strategic partners — DTEK and Metinvest, which have invested approximately UAH 11 million to ensure the quality implementation of the reform at the local level. East Europe Foundation is responsible for the implementation and coordination of the project, establishing the IST team, providing expert and methodological support, and ensuring quality control. Big City Lab developed the guidelines and design solutions for the educational spaces.

“We firmly believe that today’s schools should prepare children for the challenges of the future. That is why, through Modern Learning Spaces, we are creating an environment where children can explore, ask questions, experiment, and see how their knowledge can be applied in practice. We believe that this approach helps children develop the skills they need to thrive in the future while also laying the foundation for the development of Ukraine’s human capital,” said Vira Nedzvetska, Vice President for strategic partnerships at East Europe Foundation.

The project is currently in an active implementation phase. Starting from September 1, the upgraded 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 within the World Bank’s “Learning Accessibility and Resilience in Times of Crisis in Ukraine” (LEARN) program, funded, among other sources, through the Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund (URTF), in cooperation with East Europe Foundation and socially responsible Ukrainian businesses. The project’s partners are DTEK and Metinvest, members of SCM Group, EPAM Ukraine and Quantum Systems Ukraine. Big City Lab provides advisory and expert support to educational institutions in implementing the project.