Participant in the regional contest “Young Person of the Year – 2026” in the “Creators of Change and Opportunities” category: Olga Hrytsay
Olga Hrytsay was born in the village of Sartana near Mariupol. After earning a degree in elementary education from Berdiansk State Pedagogical University, she began her teaching career in 2012. Since 2019, she has been working at Mariupol Secondary School No. 47, and since 2023, she has also served as an educational coordinator.
After evacuating from besieged Mariupol in 2022, Olga continued to teach children remotely. In her work, she uses the “EKIDZ” program to develop reading skills, involves students in UNICEF’s “School Lessons in Volunteering,” and participates in projects organized by the “Happy Paw” Charitable Foundation. Over the years of her teaching, her students have won language competitions and academic contests. In 2026, Olga Hrytsai won first place in the regional round of the “Teacher of the Year” competition in the “Elementary School Teacher” category and represented the Donetsk region at the national level.
Living in the Poltava region, Olga combines teaching with volunteer work. Together with her family, she weaves camouflage nets, prepares preserves for the military, provides medicine and food to the wounded at a local hospital, and donates produce to those in need through a local charitable community.