‘When, at the end of each day, a child asks with eyes that light up, “What are we going to do tomorrow?”, you realise that everything has gone well. Our children not only relax – every day they make new discoveries about themselves, their region and their own future in Ukraine,’ says Yuliia Shaposhnyk, a teacher at the Reshetylivka Hub Lyceum run by the Reshetylivka City Council.

In Reshetylivska community in Poltava region, DECIDE Summer Clubs “We are at home – in Ukraine” is now in its fifth consecutive season. These are summer clubs providing leisure activities for children and adolescents in communities across Ukraine.

Even last year, when no nationwide selection process was announced, the community continued to work on its own initiative using tried-and-tested methods. This summer, the activities are focused on career guidance.

‘Even in times of war, children still need a safe space, joy, and psychological support. DECIDE Summer Clubs ‘We are at home – in Ukraine’ are not just about relaxation, but also about taking the first steps to making a conscious choice about their future. It is important to us that children, in a relaxed atmosphere, explore their own strengths, discover the world of professions, and see opportunities for self-fulfilment in their community and in Ukraine,’ emphasises Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager.

 

Children from Reshetylivska community at the summer club

 

This summer, the initiative brought together all 12 general secondary schools in Reshetylivska community, which engaged a total of more than 600 schoolchildren and organised four shifts.

 

Children at the Reshetylivka Primary School during the summer club held in June

 

‘Anyone who tries to organise a summer club even just once will never want to go back to a standard school camp,’ says Karina Yarmola, Deputy Director for Educational Work at the Reshetylivka Hub Lyceum and leader of the summer club.

 

Children from the Pokrovske Hub Secondary School of the Reshetylivka City Council during the summer club held in June

 

Equal access for everyone: 12 schools, 4 shifts, and a new approach to the school holidays

Reshetylivska community deemed it necessary to ensure that absolutely every child had access to summer leisure activities. As the community is rural, club centres were opened at all schools so that children from rural localities would not have to travel kilometres to take part in the activities.

 

Children at the Reshetylivka Primary School during the summer club held in June

 

‘We do not have a single designated venue – the summer clubs operate in each of the 12 general secondary schools. This year, ahead of the summer clubs, the teachers once again undertook professional training provided by DECIDE. Every year, we try to involve new teachers. It is important that the methods they have learnt do not remain unused after the summer is over: teachers use these tools throughout the academic year in their roles as class teachers, educational organisers, and subject teachers,’ says Alla Kostohryz, Head of the Education Department at the Reshetylivka City Council.

 

Children from the Pokrovske Hub Secondary School of the Reshetylivka City Council during the summer club held in June

 

The programme was organised into four sessions: two in June and two in August. Each school had its own special feature during the summer club.

 

Children from the Pokrovske Hub Secondary School of the Reshetylivka City Council during the summer club held in June

 

For example, the Reshetylivka Hub Lyceum successfully adapted future five-graders to school life. Pupils who, from 1 September, will be moving up to the lyceum from the local primary school got to know the school, the teaching staff, and their future classmates during the summer club, and have already had the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities.

 

Children from the Kalenyky School of the Reshetylivka City Council during the summer clubs

 

‘It is very important that roles are clearly defined in our teaching team and that everyone supports one another; there is a real atmosphere of trust and support. This inspires everyone,’ says Yuliia Shaposhnyk.

 

Children from the Reshetylivka Hub Lyceum during the summer clubs

 

The daily routine. An example from the Reshetylivka Hub Lyceum

Every day during the session, the summer club’s activities began at 09:00 with a topic-based morning exercise session. The leader of the dance group devised a sequence of moves which the children learnt each day, fine-tuning the final dance flash mob.

 

 

After the warm-up exercises, the children spent 30–40 minutes on lessons in education for democratic citizenship and human rights education (EDC/HRE) – exploring their own identities, learning to draw up shared rules, resolving conflicts, and understanding their own rights and responsibilities.

The activities then changed: they used musical instruments and organised karaoke.

 

Children from the Reshetylivka Hub Lyceum during the summer club

 

There were also stretching sessions – a local fitness instructor came twice. Every day, an excursion or a career guidance workshop was organised, and at the end of the day there was a reflection session.

 

Children from the Reshetylivka Hub Lyceum during the summer clubs: stretching sessions

 

The student tutoring system has become a source of pride for the Reshetylivka Lyceum. All club members were divided into four groups (based on age and interests). Each group was supervised by a volunteer senior student from the student council.

‘Tutoring is our special initiative that we’re very proud of. The teenagers themselves were keen to volunteer. They organised friendly get-togethers and became real mentors to the younger pupils. Overall, the summer club gave the children a much greater sense of awareness than a typical camp, where there was simply entertainment for 3–4 hours. It gave them an understanding of community processes and a deeper understanding of themselves,’ explains Karina Yarmola.

 

Children from the Reshetylivka Hub Lyceum during the summer clubs

 

Not even air raid alerts disrupted the process: the schools had equipped bomb shelters where lessons continued successfully in safe conditions.

Interactive science and careers guidance: “Soil Detectives”, “Znaimo”, and experiments

The programme of DECIDE Summer Clubs “We are at home – in Ukraine” in Reshetylivka was packed with practice-oriented activities, where children had the chance to test themselves in a wide variety of professions. Here are a few examples:

1. “Soil Detectives” practical. Science teacher Ihor Dmytrenko adapted his lesson plans for Grades 5–6 for a practical soil investigation. The children analysed clay, sand, and chornozem, moulded geometric shapes and rings (nothing came of the sand, whilst the clay produced the strongest ring), and used cut-off plastic bottles and water to measure the rate of water seepage.

 

Children from the Reshetylivka Hub Lyceum during the “Soil Detectives” practical

 

‘When the children saw with their own eyes that chornozem retains water for the longest time, they drew the logical conclusion themselves: thanks to this very property, our soils are so fertile and our harvests so bountiful. Together with the children, we worked out the following chain of reasoning: without the knowledge of an agronomist, there can be no good soil; without soil, there can be no food; and without food, there can be no life. Conducting experiments when the children are truly interested is a real pleasure for a teacher,’ says Ihor Dmytrenko.

 

Children from the Reshetylivka Hub Lyceum during the summer clubs

 

2. “Znaimo” healthy eating lab. Teacher Yuliia Shaposhnyk conducted an interactive session on designing a “healthy eating plate”.

‘The students combined proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, learnt about the benefits of pulses as an alternative to animal protein, and investigated the hidden sugar content in everyday foods – ketchup, sauces, and bread,’ says Yuliia.

3. Field trips and cookery workshops:

• State Emergency Service and police. Fifth- and sixth-year pupils explored the equipment in fire engines and patrol cars, tried on the gear, and learnt how to use fire extinguishers.
• Ecology and Natural History Centre. The schoolchildren studied ecology, looked after animals, and took part in a workshop on making candles from beeswax.

 

Children from the Reshetylivka Hub Lyceum at the Ecology and Natural History Centre

 

• Local history quest. The participants walked along the Avenue of Glory, explored the Tree of Remembrance, studied the Reshetylivka strips, and Taras Shevchenko’s drawings depicting Reshetylivka, after which they had a picnic outdoors.

 

 

• Sushi workshop. Senior students took part in a cookery masterclass.

 

Children from the Reshetylivka Hub Lyceum after a sushi-making workshop

 

‘I liked the sushi-making masterclass best; we were allowed to shape and cut everything ourselves. Career guidance really does help you try out a profession in practice and, with time, choose your own path in life,’ says Nazar Husarchuk, an eighth-grade student.

On hot days, the best way for the children to wrap up their lessons was with a fun ‘water disco’ featuring water sprinklers in the open air. Everyone brought whatever they had from home to splash around with.

 

 

‘I liked the experiments at the ecology centre and the chemistry experiments best of all! We set fire to calcium gluconate tablets, and they uncoiled like real snakes. Every day we learn something new and keep really busy. I don’t regret for a moment that I’m here right now instead of sitting at home,’ admits Anastasiia Vasylenko, a seventh-grade student.

What children and parents say

Based on an anonymous survey of summer club participants and their parents in Reshetylivska community, the project received the highest ratings for safety, comfort, and engagement.

From parents’ feedback:

• ‘We loved the warm and friendly atmosphere, the interesting activities, the creative workshops, and the active games. Our child came home from camp every day in a good mood and full of new experiences. Most importantly, the children were constantly engaged in real-life interaction without gadgets!’

 

Children from the Reshetylivka Hub Lyceum during the summer clubs

 

• ‘I liked the atmosphere, the way the teachers worked with the children, and the variety of venues. Everything went well, and safety was the top priority. Many thanks to the organisers!’

 

Children at Reshetylivka Primary School during the summer club held in June

 

On top of that, the organisers stayed in close contact with families via social media.

‘We monitored parents’ reactions and comments on the school’s pages, where we posted a video round-up of our day every day. Parents said that even when the air-raid siren sounded in the morning, they would wait for the all-clear so they could be sure to bring their children to the summer club,’ says Karina Yarmola.

From students’ feedback:

• ‘There were loads of new friends at the club and a good vibe! The teachers came up with so many interesting games about different jobs – from agronomists to florists and chefs. It’s a solid 10 out of 10 – I’ll definitely be back next year!’
• ‘If you’re looking for a place that combines drive, creativity, and making new friends – this is spot on! Here you can learn about interesting professions and try your hand at them in practice.’

A partnership that enhances the community’s infrastructure

‘For us as a community, the fact that DECIDE organises a competitive selection process is also important, and this really motivates the community. Having applied four times and been selected on all four attempts gives us the confidence, skills, and motivation to take part in different activities and apply for grants from a broad range of projects. Local authorities are always involved in this process, which brings administrators and educational institutions closer together,’ emphasises Alla Kostohryz.

 

Children from Reshetylivska community at the summer club

 

Apart from the educational aspect, participation in DECIDE Project helps to improve the material resources of educational institutions in Reshetylivskyi district. Over five years of cooperation, the community has received camping tents, sports equipment, board games, modern literature (including gift sets of Harry Potter books), frameless furniture (beanbags), sleeping mats, flipcharts, sports vests, and camping chairs.

The local authorities manage these resources effectively: the tents and sports equipment were allocated to those schools in the community that hosted summer clubs and were in need of such items, whilst the frameless chairs are used to set up student self-government centres in school corridors throughout the academic year. Besides, the city council fully provided transport and fuel for the children’s field trips and excursions.

‘Through the joint efforts of local authorities, teachers, and international partners, we create a space for children where they feel protected, valued, and confident about their future. DECIDE Summer Clubs “We are at home – in Ukraine” prove that even in difficult times, we can give children a happy, meaningful, and safe childhood here in Ukraine,’ concludes Alla Kostohryz.

Mariia Buleiko (Markovska)