Irpin, Kyiv region
Irpin School No 2 has been working for several years on introduction and deepening of democratic practices, with special focus on students.
The school is large, with over one and a half thousand students enrolled. Although the classes are happening in two shifts, it does not interfere with the active extra-curricular life of young citizens. Teachers and the school administration are working hard to create an environment where students can develop and implement project activities aiming at improving the lives of the students and their community.
The school is open to co-operation with and involvement in various non-formal education initiatives. For example, the school has been active in the Democratic School program for several years, which has helped the teaching staff to learn how to develop civic competences in different subjects. The school monitors students' civic competences - and uses results to plan the work of teachers.
In addition, for several years now, the school has been actively involved in the M-18 project, a community-based community education project that promotes active civic position through dialogues with politicians and authorities, the presentation and support of socially significant children and youth projects and initiatives.
Thanks to the support and trust of the teachers and the school administration, student self-government is already so active and independent that it initiates and implements its own projects. For instance, they refurbished the school library, which, according to students, they did not visit too often, into a students' space. Now student self-government uses this space for their meetings, and students spend their free time.
Efforts aiming at building a school community help the school to successfully participate in the city's budget projects. All this would not happen if the school did not learn from and adopt the best practices of non-formal education.
