Participant of the regional contest "Young Person of the Year – 2025" in the nomination "Youth Worker of the Year" Hanna Dymytriuk
My name is Hanna Dymytriuk. I am the head of preschool education institution №10 "Kalynka" of the Pokrovsk City Council. I have 10 years of pedagogical experience. I graduated from Berdiansk State Pedagogical University with a higher education degree in "preschool education and speech therapy."
My professional journey began in 2013 as a teacher. In 2018, I began acting as the head, and since 2022, I have officially held this position.
The year 2022 was a year of pain, loss, and change. The war that engulfed the entire country did not spare our hometown, or our institution.
The "Kalynka" preschool temporarily ceased its educational activities, but we did not stand aside. Together with the teaching staff, we took on a volunteer mission: providing humanitarian aid, supporting IDPs, organizing shelter, and hot meals. Our kindergarten became a temporary humanitarian center, a hub of warmth and care for people who had lost everything.
Despite the difficult situation, our team continued to perform its main task—to educate and teach children. In September 2022, we launched remote educational work. Under my leadership, online development channels and a YouTube channel with lessons and fairy tales were created. This is how the unique project "Kindergarten Online" appeared, which proved that preschoolers can learn in a remote format—in an interesting, high-quality, and inspiring way!
In 2023, our preschool joined the international UNICEF project "Ensuring the continuity of learning and development of preschool children in times of crisis." We received bright and modern educational materials, as well as methodological support for conducting lessons with children who have suffered from the war. This brought new knowledge, new experiences, and new emotions—for both children and educators.
In December 2024, what we feared most happened: as a result of enemy shelling, the building of our institution was damaged. For the entire staff, for the parents and children, this was a great loss and a deep pain. We lost more than just walls—we lost a part of ourselves, a place where children's dreams were formed, where laughter echoed, and where warmth reigned. But despite everything, we did not stop. We continue to work. We find new formats, adapt, and support each other and our students. Because even under shelling, in a state of uncertainty, we remain educators. Our team is a team of professionals who have held, are holding, and will continue to hold the educational front. We believe that children are our future. And what they receive today will determine what our country will be like tomorrow.
Together—to Victory!
Together—for the sake of our children!