On 24–25 February 2026, DECIDE Project team conducted a study visit to Kiliiska community.

Kiliiska community has been a partner of DECIDE since 2021. During this time, thanks to expert, methodological, and organisational support, the community has successfully implemented a number of important decisions for the development of its education sector.

The DECIDE team, represented by Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager; Yuliia Molchanova, DECIDE Coordinator of Component 2 ‘Building Democratic Educational Structures’; and Nadiia Balabust, DECIDE National Expert and Coordinator of Career Guidance System Development Programme, visited the community.

During the cooperation between DECIDE and the community, the following has been achieved:

• the Strategy for Community Development and the Strategy for the Development of the Education Sector in the Community were developed and approved;
• Strategies for the Development of General Secondary Education Institutions were developed and approved;
• a Board of Trustees for the educational institutions in the community was established;
• an optional course entitled ‘Learning to Live in the Community’ was introduced in the schools of the community;
• the international Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system was introduced in school nutrition;
• projects in extra-curricular education were implemented;
• Public Budget for Children’s Dreams initiative was implemented, with the winning projects becoming a real showcase for the community.

However, this is merely a few of the initiatives jointly implemented by the community and DECIDE Project.

Another important aspect of the collaboration has been support for the professional development of educators: numerous training sessions and webinars have been held for school administrators, teachers, and pupils within the scope of the Project. Community representatives have also actively participated in regional, national, and international events organised as part of DECIDE Project.

During the trip, the Project team visited the hub educational institution in the community, learned about the initiatives that have been implemented, and spoke with school leaders, teachers, representatives of the School Board, and students.

During the meetings, special attention was paid to the current areas of focus within DECIDE Project. Participants discussed, in particular, the implementation of reforms in specialised secondary education as the third phase of the ‘New Ukrainian School’ initiative, the establishment of a career guidance system, and the development of educational pathways for students.

We are grateful to Kiliiska community and the Odesa Regional State Administration for their cooperation in the development of high-quality and modern education in Odesa region!

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