Lviv region welcomes first innovative STEM Education Center for children

A cutting-edge STEM education center has been established at the Stryi building for children's and youth creativity in the Lviv region.

The regional military administration reported this.

What is the problem?

The rise of the Internet has had a profound impact on the society. Nowadays, the economy revolves around innovation, making it crucial to possess "pure" knowledge and facts and understand how to apply them.

Currently, the ideas of the STEM approach to education are supported by many educational systems worldwide. Thus, according to the Concept of the new Ukrainian school, a school graduate must be an individual, a patriot, and an innovator – a person who can change the world, develop the economy, compete in the labor market, and learn throughout life.

"The modern technological world requires critical and analytical thinking, a problem-solving approach to solving problems. Young people's work in the STEM center will contribute to developing their practical competencies in natural and technical disciplines, which they can apply in the future. Holding extracurricular clubs will ensure equal access to quality education training, implementation of ideas, and networking in a comfortable environment," commented the head of Tech StartUp School, Nazar Podolchak.

It should be noted that the development of natural and technical sciences is one of the priorities for developing education in the Lviv region.

What is the solution?

A new educational STEM center recently opened in Stryi, located at the Stryi House of Children and Youth Creativity. This space allows schoolchildren to learn programming, robotics, art, and design using state-of-the-art equipment and under the supervision of highly trained experts.

How does it work?

Schoolchildren from Stryi and neighboring settlements will study in the center. The institution can simultaneously accept up to 12 children for practical classes and up to 30 – for lectures.

Here, children can study robotics, biology, chemistry, and computer technology to become highly qualified workers in their future workplaces.

The center is equipped with modern computers and a biotechnological laboratory.

Classes for schoolchildren aged 10-18 have already started here with:

• 3D modeling,
• Minecraft Education Edition,
• Scratch,
• Python.

On the occasion of the opening, the project mentor, Mykola Lekhnovsky, held a master class, "Science is amazing." Schoolchildren and guests were delighted to observe various phenomena and transformations: experiments with color and aggregate state changes, ultra-low temperatures, and experiments in the dark.

Photo: loda.gov.ua

"Our region has plenty of sports clubs, but the number of technology clubs is significantly lower due to the need for modern equipment. That is why we are very grateful to Unicef, Tech StartUp School, and Lviv Open Lab for implementing this project. Here, children can study robotics, biology, chemistry, and computer technologies to become highly qualified workers in their future workplaces. Without the development of the technological direction, it is impossible to become an innovative state, so we are now actively developing the after-school industry for the well-being of our children in the future," said the head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, Maksym Kozytskyi.

According to the head of the regional military administration, by the end of the year, they plan to open five more similar facilities in different cities of the region.

The Tech StartUp School of Lviv Polytechnic University implemented the project with the assistance of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Office in Ukraine and the financial support of the German government through the German state development bank KfW. Lviv Open Lab provides consulting and mentoring support for the project.

The STEM center will work at the address of 16 Krushelnytska Street from Monday to Friday (9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.)

^{Photo: loda.gov.ua}

For reference:

It should be noted that Ukraine launched the Bring Back Kids UA movement platform for the return of deported children.

Rubryka also reported that the first mobile security class was operational in Kyiv.