Standing with Teachers in Ukraine: Lessons in Resilience and Renewal

As Andreas Schleicher writes in his recent OECD Education Today article, How Ukraine’s educational renewal is a lesson to us all, Ukraine’s educators are not just keeping learning alive in the midst of war, they are reimagining what it can be. Reading his reflections, having been in the company of those very teachers in Lviv, I felt the truth of his every word.

I also had the privilege of attending, alongside Andreas, the teacher festival, Teachers of the Future, in Lviv organized by NGO Osvitoria. This event was filled with energy, courage, and hope. As Andreas Schleicher reminded us, Ukraine’s educators show the world how resilience and innovation can keep learning alive, even in the hardest times. In moments of crisis, learning itself becomes a source of strength and hope—something that builds a sustainable future and is always worth defending.

Nothing can truly prepare you for the atmosphere of a room full of educators who have been teaching through war. These are professionals who carry both the weight of their own many losses and the hope of their communities. Their dedication is an act of resistance and a promise to their students that learning will not be taken away. What strikes us as visitors is the professionalism, curiosity, sense of sharing, hope, resilience, and strength, and the profound commitment to their students, even when finding the energy for such a heavy task seems almost impossible.

Sharing Resources for Emotional Support and Joyful Learning

I was invited to the festival to speak about the Worry Booklet—a trauma-informed psycho-social support resource designed together with Protect Children (Suojellaan Lapsia ry) to help children navigate difficult emotions. This simple trauma-informed tool is built on the understanding that before children can focus on academics, they need to feel safe, heard, and supported.

I also had the honor of sharing news of the Fun Academy on Wheels kindergarten and teacher training bus that we donated to Kherson. This mobile classroom is more than a vehicle, it’s a space where teachers can be trained, where children can play and learn, and where communities can gather in the midst of disruption. It is part of the same mission that drives Ukraine’s educators: keeping learning joyful, safe, and connected to children’s real needs, even in the most challenging contexts. I have immense respect for the adults working in this mobile training space and hope to continue developing the project to reach even more children in areas where infrastructure has been destroyed, now strengthened by the invaluable experiences of the teachers in Kherson.

Our objective is to focus on supporting adults so they can better support children, both now and in the years ahead as communities rebuild.

A Moment I Will Not Forget

One of the moving moments of my visit in Lviv was the screening of the film Timestamp by Kateryna Gornostai. Sitting with a full room of Ukrainian teachers, we watched a story that mirrored so much of their lived reality. The applause that followed was heavy with meaning. It was an honor simply to be present in that space. The power of film as a form of sharing was evident.

The Lesson for All of Us

As Schleicher observed, Ukraine’s educational renewal is a lesson to the world. For me, the obvious lesson is this: the heart of education is not found in buildings, budgets, or even books, it is found in the teachers who refuse to give up on their students, and in the communities that rally to keep on the light of learning.

In Lviv, I saw not only resilience, but creativity, professional pride, and a deep commitment to the future. These teachers are showing us that even in the hardest circumstances, learning can be protected, rebuilt, and made new.

Photo credits: NGO Osvitoria