How a teacher from Lviv region combined engineering and education and brought Ukrainian schoolchildren to space experiments on the ISS
27 September 2024 12:12
Larysa Romanyshyn, a teacher of chemistry, physics, biology, and a finalist for the Global Teacher Prize Ukraine 2024 national award from Lviv region, not only teaches science but also changes the idea of what a Ukrainian teacher can achieve in a small school. She not only teaches children science, but also implements projects that take Ukrainian schoolchildren into space orbit, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Under Larysa’s leadership, Ukrainian students won the SSEP Mission 18 (Student Spaceflight Experiments Programme) 2023 and were invited by NASA to visit the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At the end of October, Larysa and her students will be able to watch the mini-lab with the experiment “Preparation of biomedical hydrogels in microgravity” go into space!
Larysa Romanyshyn started her professional career as a chemical engineer, a career that promised stability and precision, seemingly doomed to scientific calculations and laboratory experiments. However, from the very first steps, Larysa realised that her true calling was not in formulas and chemical reactions, but in live interaction with people, in passing on knowledge that could change the worldview of the younger generation. This discovery marked the beginning of a new and exciting path in her life – the path of a teacher.
With a degree in chemical engineering and more than 25 years of teaching experience, Larysa has managed to turn her engineering background into a powerful tool. Her unique interdisciplinary approach, combining chemistry, physics and biology, has become a bridge between the sciences. She doesn’t just teach each subject separately – Larysa helps students see the whole picture of nature, where all sciences are interconnected. Under her guidance, students study the world as a living organism.
Her pedagogical philosophy is based on the belief that being a teacher is more than a profession. For Larysa, it is a vocation, a mission that she lives by every day. She strives to educate a generation of thinkers, researchers and creators who do not just accumulate knowledge but use it to improve the world. She is constantly adapting her teaching methods to the needs of her students, looking for new ways to communicate complex scientific topics, and creating original courses that encourage critical thinking and curiosity.
Larysa does not stop at traditional methods. She opens the door to new opportunities by integrating her students into international projects such as the SSEP (Student Spaceflight Experiments Programme). Her teaching approach is more than just classroom lessons. It is a look into the future, where students are agents of change capable of great things, even in space.
With the outbreak of full-scale war, Larysa joined the School to Go volunteer project, which allows Ukrainian children who were forced to stay in the temporarily occupied territories and ended up abroad to continue their education under the Ukrainian curriculum under the guidance of Ukrainian teachers. Through this project, she brought together students from different countries to participate in the international SSEP programme. Under her guidance and with the support of School to Go, students from different countries will be able to see their experiment go to the International Space Station on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from NASA’s Florida facility.
The participants will investigate the effects of microgravity on biological, physical and chemical processes. Under Larysa’s leadership, Ukrainian students won the SSEP-18 mission, and this project is a real victory not only for the students but also for Ukrainian education in general. This is an example of how a small city school in the Lviv region can achieve global recognition.
Larysa is not limited to the curriculum. At Skole Secondary School No. 2 named after Stefania Vitruk, she actively involves her students in environmental initiatives and runs environmental clubs and the Young Forest Rangers club. It is important to her that children not only learn science, but also have the opportunity to apply their knowledge to environmental protection and sustainable development. Through her blog on Facebook, she engages everyone who cares in environmental protection activities and environmental campaigns.
Larysa’s professional credo – “Inspire and then teach!” – perfectly reflects her approach to work. She is convinced that true learning begins with inspiration, and this is what makes her lessons unforgettable for her students.
We remind you that on 5 October at 21:00, the winner of the national Global Teacher Prize Ukraine 2024 will be announced at the United News telethon, which aims to recognise the achievements of teachers not only in relation to their students but also to society and to highlight the importance of teachers in Ukraine.
In addition to the main winner, a teacher will be selected in the “Ukrainian’s Choice” nomination through a public poll on Diia.Osvita. To take part in the survey, please follow the link: https://osvita.diia.gov.ua/global-teacher-prize-2024.
