A project from the Levi Yitzchak Schneerson Jewish Lyceum No. 144—a leading educational institution within the Jewish community of Dnipro—has reached the finals of the all-Ukrainian “STEM Leadership School” program, an initiative for STEM ambassadors implemented by the President of Ukraine’s Fund for the Support of Education, Science, and Sports.
The project, titled “Environmental Research STEM Laboratory for Monitoring Soils in Dnipro and the Surrounding Region,” was developed by 9th-grade student Maksym Kandybur under the guidance of Yaroslav Fedko, a teacher of physics and the integrated STEM course. (https://presidentfund.gov.ua/news/fond-prezydenta-ukrayiny-vyznachyv-peremozhtsiv-stem-leadership-school/)
The project entails establishing a fully-fledged research laboratory at the lyceum. Participants will collect soil samples from across Dnipro and the region, measure nutrient content and pH levels, record geolocation data, and input their findings into a digital database integrated with a geographic information system (GIS). Senior students will coordinate the research, manage the collected data, and analyze the results.
The primary goal of the project is to spark students’ interest in Earth sciences, ecology, and data analysis. It provides them with the opportunity not only to acquire knowledge but also to apply it toward investigating real-world issues in their home region—including the environmental consequences of the current, challenging times. In the future, the data collected will be used to develop a scientific paper for the Junior Academy of Sciences.
Reaching the program’s finals serves as further confirmation of the high standard of STEM education at the lyceum and marks an important step toward the project’s implementation. It continues the institution’s systematic efforts to foster research-oriented thinking, initiative, and the ability among students to transform curiosity into scientific inquiry—and knowledge into practical solutions.
“It is especially significant to us that our teachers and students not only achieve high results in nationwide programs but also propose projects capable of delivering real benefits to our city and region,” noted Yelena Krasnova, principal of the Jewish Lyceum. “This success confirms the high caliber of the Lyceum’s educational environment and helps us fulfill the vital mission entrusted to this institution by the unified and cohesive Jewish community of Dnipro, under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezky.”
