The “Practical Psychologist of the Year – 2024” contest concluded in the Lviv region, marking its first edition held in November-December this year. A total of 24 psychologists from preschool, general education, special education institutions, lyceums, and vocational colleges participated in the competition.
The contest was part of the regional didactic-pedagogical forum “Pedagogical and Psychological Dimensions of Modern Education”, which focused on educational transformation, lyceum specialization, and psychological service reforms.
Contest Winners
Winners awarded diplomas and valuable gifts:
- 1st Place – Olena Kryvenko-Kaminska, psychologist at Brody Pedagogical College named after Markiyan Shashkevych.
- 2nd Place – Nataliya Nychta, psychologist at the Saint Nicholas Multidisciplinary Educational and Rehabilitation Center.
- 3rd Place:
- Nataliya Burban, psychologist at Vuzliv Support School-Lyceum.
- Maryana Zhyla, psychologist at the “Oberig” Educational and Rehabilitation Center.
- Svitlana Chorna, psychologist at Gymnasium No. 10 of Sheptytska City Council.
Contest laureates:
- Halyna Havlovska, psychologist at Nakochenk Gymnasium named after Hero of Ukraine Roman Senyk.
- Khrystyna Huk, psychologist at Mykolaiv Primary School.
- Svitlana Khudyk, psychologist at Novoyavoriv Kindergarten No. 9.
Special Recognition:
Olena Stadnyk, head of the Psychological Service Methodological Center, was honored for her contributions to the development of psychological services in education.
Forum Highlights
Key topics discussed during the forum included:
- Lyceum specialization to improve educational quality despite anticipated changes in the network due to a decline in student numbers.
- Psychological service reform, initiated in 2022, which has proven vital for supporting mental health in the educational process during wartime.
- Implementation of the New Ukrainian School (NUS) concept, with challenges in introducing reforms to basic schools (grades 5-6) after 2023.
A sociological study presented at the forum emphasized the need to enhance the teaching profession’s prestige, ensure fair pay, and balance teacher workloads.