Nursery school teacher from Stryi Iryna Pitsyk has been named among the TOP 25 best early childhood education teachers in Ukraine. She works at pre-school educational institution No. 3 “Magnolia” of a combined type in the city of Stryi and has become a finalist of the national Global Teacher Prize Ukraine 2026 in the special category “Early Years”.
The finalists in this category are educators who every day provide the youngest Ukrainians with a safe space for development and discovery, create an atmosphere of trust and help children unlock their potential.
“For me, this is not only a great honour, but also confirmation that love for children, daily work, creativity and faith in what you do truly matter. I am sincerely grateful to my pupils, their parents, the head teacher, my colleagues, family, friends and everyone who has supported me along this journey. It is you who inspire me to grow, to look for new ideas and to make early years education a place where every child feels happy, heard and successful,” said Iryna Pitsyk.
The special category “Early Years” is implemented with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and UNICEF Ukraine. The winner in this category will be announced on 3 October, World Teachers’ Day, during the awards ceremony.
News of Iryna Pitsyk’s achievement was shared by the Stryi District State Administration, where they congratulated the teacher on reaching the final of the nationwide award.