This situation is being addressed by Teach For Ukraine fellows from the Teach For Ukraine Fellowship program, organized by the Teach For Ukraine NGO. As part of the program, young specialists move to villages and small towns for two years to personally teach children and share their experience with fellow educators.
In 2017, Ukraine became the 41st country to join the global Teach For All network. Currently, the Chair of the Supervisory Board of Teach For Ukraine NGO is Oksana Matiyash. She completed her studies at Oxford University, where she was inspired by her peers participating in similar programs in the UK and India.
“I was deeply impressed by their stories and realized that such programs are a powerful tool for shaping Ukraine’s future. Since the focus is on expanding opportunities for children who lack them,” explained Oksana Matiyash.
The Chair of the Supervisory Board spoke to Osvita24 about the Teach For Ukraine Fellowship program, participants’ motivation, and why it is important for every child to have equal access to quality education.
The program follows a model called the “Formula for Change.” Organizers recruit graduates of the best Ukrainian universities—young professionals who may not have formal teaching degrees but possess strong knowledge of one school subject and are ready to move for two years to teach in a small community, either a village or a small town.
During this period, they become full-time educators, receive an official salary, and a monthly stipend from the organization that covers basic needs (food, housing, etc.). Throughout their participation, fellows receive mentoring support. They also have opportunities for exchanges abroad to see how schools operate in countries such as Belgium, the UK, Spain, and Austria.
Since most fellows do not have pedagogical education, they simultaneously study part-time in a specially designed master’s program at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University. After completing the fellowship, each participant gains qualifications to continue developing in the education sector.
This formula has been successfully operating in the USA since 1989 under the program “Teach For America”, from which the idea originally came. The effectiveness of this model is confirmed by numerous international studies.
“The program’s idea is to help students realize their potential through classroom and extracurricular activities. When a young person joins a school, they bring energy, initiative, and a desire to integrate new teaching formats — project-based and experimental learning, interdisciplinary approaches, and organizing various extracurricular initiatives, which are essential for the development of a child and their talents,” says Oksana Matiyash.
In the Ukrainian context, this is especially crucial: on average, there is a 2.5-year learning gap between urban and rural students. The program aims to close this gap by attracting the most talented individuals to assist school teams in small communities, where resources are objectively scarcer.
During the first year, fellows integrate into the local community and build relationships. The second year delivers the most significant impact. Some become class leaders, organizing clubs and extracurricular initiatives.
Since 2017, 25 fellows have taught in 18 schools across Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa regions. On February 10, 2021, a new recruitment campaign launched aiming to find 50 talented people to serve as role models for children in 25-30 schools. Multiple fellows often work in one school because studies show this increases effectiveness.
The process starts with applicants submitting a form explaining their motivation, knowledge of the subject they want to teach, and other details. Next, they attend an Assessment Center where they perform a lesson simulation and other practical tasks before an expert panel. The final step is the Summer Institute, an intensive 5-week training on practical teaching and leadership skills. Successful graduates become teachers in schools starting September 1.
The program works with a preliminary database of schools but recently opened applications for educational institutions. Key factors include the school leadership’s motivation to accept fellows who may not have formal education backgrounds. It is crucial the school integrates these newcomers into their team.
Also important is the school’s location — the program focuses on schools in small settlements. Vacancy availability must align with applicants’ subject expertise.
According to Oksana Matiyash, many candidates express a long-standing dream of becoming teachers and enjoying working with children but had to choose other professions.
“Unfortunately, teaching is still among the least popular professions in Ukraine, and young people often pick it last. So, many study specialties they’re not passionate about. The Teach For Ukraine Fellowship becomes a bridge into education. It’s work that truly lets you feel your impact and see results from day one,” says Oksana Matiyash.
She adds this is a global trend: fewer talented youth choose education worldwide.
In the UK, for example, Teach For Britain has been among the top 100 employers for graduates for 10 years, raising the prestige of teaching.
Nearly 90% of Teach For Ukraine alumni continue their work in education, even if they didn’t initially plan to teach. The experience inspires them to keep making educational changes and initiate new projects.
Teach For Ukraine NGO is a partner of the international Teach For All network, which unites 59 independent organizations worldwide. Its goal is to ensure every child, regardless of location, can realize their potential and access quality education.
Fellows move for two years to small settlements, teaching in local schools and organizing extracurricular activities for children and the community. Though not certified teachers by background, they are experts in their fields and undergo a 5-week intensive before starting. Each receives mentoring, gains unique experience, and joins a global network.
In 2020, Teach For Ukraine paused recruitment to reflect on three years of experience and plan for 2021.
This year, part of the Summer Institute will focus on digital skills development and working with various learning platforms. Partners experienced in distance learning will conduct workshops for fellows and teachers.
Education today is not just about subject knowledge but also soft skills and extracurricular initiatives. Fellows organize festivals, English classes for children and parents, ZNO preparation, and even create school Instagram pages and robotics clubs. Nearby schools join in, and children eventually self-organize extracurricular activities.
Fellows organize festivals, English classes for children and parents, ZNO preparation, and even create school Instagram pages and robotics clubs. Nearby schools join in, and children eventually self-organize extracurricular activities.
When possible, fellows take students on excursions. For children from small settlements, even trips to the region’s capital or another city are full of new discoveries and inspiration.
One fellow noticed parents were barely involved in their children’s education and began holding art therapy classes involving both children and parents. Effective education involves active participation of various stakeholders, not just teachers.
Surveys show that for many children in small settlements, school is often the only space where they can develop or feel they are learning something new. Supporting children in developing talents and interests beyond classes is crucial.
Often, fellows come from small towns themselves and set an example that birthplace doesn’t determine one’s future; education opens opportunities regardless of where you live.
“I really want to show society that young people in Ukraine want to take responsibility for local change. They don’t need to wait for someone else. They are ready to act themselves. Our goal as a program is to form a strong community of alumni who will transform the education sector,” explains Oksana Matiyash.
Maria Kimpinska completed her master’s program at UCU and moved for two years from her hometown Lviv to the village of Zhuky (Vyshhorod district, Kyiv region) to teach history at a local school as part of the Teach For Ukraine Fellowship.
Maria explains that after finishing her studies, she wanted to work in education because her family had always seen her as a teacher:
“This idea kept me going, and I wanted to try myself in the education field to understand if it was really my calling or not. That’s when I heard about the NGO Teach For Ukraine, told my friend about it, and we decided to try together.”
According to Maria, at first it was difficult because she had studied and lived all her life in her hometown with family. Suddenly, she had to completely change her social circle and environment. At the same time, she needed to quickly get familiar with all the teaching programs and master new pedagogical practices and methodologies.
In her first year, Maria taught only in the senior classes — grades 9 through 11 — and the following year, from grades 6 through 11. The difference was not only in the age groups but also in class sizes: senior classes had few students — 4, 6, and 9 — while younger classes had about 20 students each. So she had to adjust, learning more about working with children of different ages:
“In senior school, the problem was that students were afraid to express their opinions during lessons. You’d think 4 students make a comfortable setting for discussion, but no. With younger students, it was the opposite: they wanted to share everything happening in their lives, so I had to steer the conversation in the right direction. And in 45 minutes, manage to both cover the subject and listen to their stories and support them.”
From funny moments, Maria recalls how she was constantly mistaken for a student. At Olympiads, excursions, and even at school — other teachers would come into the classroom asking where the teacher was. But she was lucky with colleagues:
“The staff welcomed me warmly, and we worked well together. Somehow, more was expected from us (the Teach For Ukraine fellows — 24), even though we said we had no prior teaching experience. But there was support from teachers: when something didn’t work out the first time, they reassured us and said everything would be fine, explaining the situation.”
Maria still keeps in touch with some teachers and students. After finishing the fellowship, she worked for some time in a private school in Lviv. Currently, she decided to take a break and changed her professional field. Still, on a volunteer basis, she helps students from other regions prepare for the External Independent Testing (ZNO).
Author: Svitlana Popova, journalist at 24 Kanal
