Best in world at overcoming difficulties: Ukrainian school in Poland receives prestigious award

A Ukrainian school in Poland has been recognised as the best in the world according to the annual World's Best School Prizes 2024.

This is the First Ukrainian School in Poland, which won the Overcoming Adversity category.

Source: an online award ceremony held on 24 October

Quote: "What you have done is nothing but incredible," said Vikas Pota, the founder of the award.

Viktoriia Osadcha, president of the Unbreakable Ukraine Foundation, which founded the school, said the award was "a dream come true".

Quote: "When we started, many things seemed unattainable. But we knew why we were doing it. For the children. For the future. For Ukraine. And now I am standing here, overwhelmed with pride, with tears in my eyes. Tears of happiness, joy and pride. This is not just about the school. It's about each of us," said Viktoriia.

The first Ukrainian school in Poland was founded as a charitable institution shortly after the start of the full-scale invasion - in March 2022. Currently, the specialists of the educational space teach 1,500 Ukrainian displaced children in Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw.

According to the event organisers, the First Ukrainian School in Poland not only provides its students with knowledge but also offers individualised education and emotional support to develop resilience and integration into Polish society.

Quote: "It [the school - ed.] implements a curriculum that emphasises creativity, critical thinking and decision-making, which is vital for students who may one day return to rebuild Ukraine," the organisers say.

The students of the First Ukrainian School attend cultural exchange festivals and museums, which facilitates integration into the new society and strengthens mutual understanding and cooperation between Ukrainians and Poles.

The Unbreakable Ukraine Foundation noted that in the 2024 academic year, more than 150 out of 160 graduates entered Polish universities. According to their estimates, up to 50% of students go on to study in Polish schools every year.

The World's Best School Prizes 2024 is an award given by the global community of educators T4 Education.

The best educational institutions are evaluated comprehensively based on the criteria for each category. Participants undergo a rigorous three-stage selection process consisting of an initial review of the application, a detailed analysis of the activities by the commission and the final evaluation by the jury.

In early October, the winners of the annual Global Teacher Prize Ukraine were announced in Ukraine. This year, Lesia Pavliuk, a primary school teacher from Ivano-Frankivsk, won the first prize.

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