A STEM school for gifted youth launched at WUNU
A STEM school for gifted students in Ternopil has been launched by the Education and Research Centre for Communication of West Ukrainian National University. This STEM Lab - the venue of the school - has become the place for the development of a new generation of thoughtful, creative and confident young leaders.
Among the participants were students from WUNU's Vocational College of Economics, Law and Information Technology, students in grades 9-11 from the Ternopil Academic Lyceum ‘Ukrainian Gymnasium’ named after I. Franko, School-Lyceum No. 6 named after N. Yaremchuk, as well as Ternopil general education schools No. 23 and No. 24. The implementation of such an ambitious educational initiative was made possible thanks to the support of a Ukrainian-American project involving the VOVK Foundation, BlueCheck Ukraine, and the International Institute of Communications NGO.
The first day of training began with a Creative Mindset Studio training session dedicated to the psychology of confidence, creativity development, emotional flexibility, and resilience. The participants and trainers got to know each other in a relaxed atmosphere: during interactive activities, the students not only introduced themselves, but also shared their expectations, interests, and hobbies. The session was conducted by Maria Brygadyr, psychologist, psychotherapist, PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor of the Department of Psychology and Social Work, and leading specialist at the WUNU Centre for Communication. As a result, from the very first minutes of training, the team developed trust, openness and a desire to work together.
The next stage of training was conducted by Valentyn Malenchak, a talented computer science teacher at Ternopil Secondary School No. 23 and CodeCraft trainer. The students immersed themselves in the world of computer modelling, examined the concepts and types of models (material, information and computer), and discussed how modelling helps to design, plan and analyse complex objects, phenomena and processes. Special attention was paid to UML (Unified Modelling Language) as a universal graphical language used for designing, visualising, describing and documenting software and business systems. They examined the concept and features of constructing a use case diagram, as well as its constituent elements – actors, precedents, system boundaries and relationships. The session ended with a brainstorming session: participants presented their own ideas for future STEM projects that could be implemented using UML.
While creating an atmosphere of trust and support and combining modern teaching methods with practical exercises, the STEM school trainers were genuinely impressed by the motivation and enthusiasm of the learners. They were inspired by the energy of the group and are looking forward to continuing the classes and developing creativity and teamwork among the participants.
The participants, enthusiastic about continuing their education, eagerly shared their first impressions: ‘It was extremely cool and interesting,’ said Demian Syvak.
"Thank you to the STEM school for the interesting classes! It was fun and inspiring, and I look forward to new discoveries in the next lessons," said Serhiy Kovalskyi.
"I really enjoyed the first class! It was interesting, fun, and the friendly atmosphere helped me quickly get involved in the process. I am looking forward to the next meetings!" – Viktoriia Ishchyshyn.
‘Thank you for the wonderful introduction to interesting STEM classes and the pleasant atmosphere created by the teachers and coordinators!’ – Oleksii Lesyk.
We would like to express our special gratitude to Diana Boiko, coordinator of the STEM Lab of the Communication Education and Research Centre, for her assistance in organising the first class and for creating a harmonious and comfortable atmosphere for the learning process, as well as to Maria Shesterniak, leading specialist at the Communication Education and Research Centre and associate professor at the Department of Accounting, for creating a cosy environment for all participants.
The STEM school is just getting started, but it is already clear that new ideas, discoveries and exciting projects lie ahead, which will be an important step in the development of talented young people in Ternopil.
