Schools for Democracy

We are dedicated to upholding the right of all children to a safe and inclusive learning environment, and we have years of experience to contribute to making this happen for Ukraine’s refugees. In sorrow we watch the war unfold, but we do not stand by. We stand with Ukraine!

Schools for Democracy: Supporting education reforms in Ukraine aims to support democratic reforms in school education by promoting democratic culture and democratic citizenship in policy and practice. 

In close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Schools for Democracy aims to support systemic democratic transformations in the country. In particular, the programme supports the development and implementation of new policies. We facilitate re-training of teachers and school heads, and we support schools building safe and inclusive learning environments. Innovative teaching and learning materials, including digital, are also developed within the programme. 

Read more about the background of the project

Programme components

Policy Support

EWC contributes to the development and implementation of key policy documents facilitating education reforms in Ukraine in line with key principles of democracy and human rights.

Democratic School Development

EWC supports reforms in secondary education and strengthens national dialogue and social cohesion between different regions of Ukraine. The activities are based on the whole school approach and focus on strengthening democratic culture and fostering development of democratic competences at school.

Learning for Democracy Online

Learning for Democracy Online aims to prepare more than 450 000 teachers in Ukraine to implement reform and develop civic competences through the use of online learning and digital resources.

Building Capacity of Education Professionals

The programme supports teacher trainers, leaders of educational NGOs and education professionals working with policy documents in their professional development in the field of education for democratic citizenship and human rights.

Regional Cooperation between Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova

The aim of this regional project is to strengthen the regional cooperation and dissemination of best practices while also building a professional pool of experts in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, with a focus on democratic citizenship and human rights education.

Pre-school education reinforcement

EWC continues to support the ongoing educational reforms in Ukraine with a newly launched project aimed at pre-school education.

Related stories

Trainers gathering at wartime

Kindergarten as an oasis of safety in Kyiv

Record number in blended courses

A tribute to the courage and endurance of our Ukrainian trainers

A recess from the war

When Russia invaded Ukraine, our Schools for Democracy team looked for ways to help. The trainers decided to organize meeting places integrating internally displaced children and their families with the local population.

The Wounded School

“The children are scared, I can see it. They have grown up and turned silent. They used to joke around during the lessons, and now they are too somber. They talk about where they live now, but without any enthusiasm. Their trauma is apparent”.

Schools for Democracy Final Report 2017-2021

“Schools for Democracy: Supporting Education Reforms in Ukraine” Programme implemented by the
European Wergeland Centre (EWC) aims to support democratic reforms in school education in Ukraine by promoting democratic culture and democratic citizenship in policy and practice.

Ukrainian schools use and develop toolbox

Developed for and by teachers, the Schools for Democracy toolbox has become a success: “I am especially pleased to see the practical experience of colleagues who skilfully find ways to develop civic competences of students both in the classroom and in extracurricular activities”, says Svitlana Bratoshevska, deputy head and physics teacher in the Mykolaiv Secondary School №29

A new curriculum for democratic competences in Ukraine

Ukraine recently approved a new competence based curriculum for basic secondary education. “The main change is that students will be offered the possibility to influence more the way things are being taught and that the teachers will have a chance to accommodate the students’ requests, says Roman Shyyan, deputy director of the Reform support team in Ukraine

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