Maksym Latsyba, Head of the Civil Society Development Program at UCIPR, appeared on the morning show "That Very Morning with Andriy Kulykov" on Hromadske Radio. He discussed the School Participatory Budget (SPB)—explaining what this tool is, how it is structured, and its prevalence across Ukraine.
According to Maksym Latsyba, the School Participatory Budget is a school-wide project competition primarily involving students in grades 6–12. Students propose projects, draft descriptions, run information campaigns, and present their ideas. The winning projects are chosen through electronic or paper voting, and those with the most support are implemented with the direct involvement of their authors.
He added that the SPB is a vital educational technology, as it teaches children how to articulate ideas, plan budgets, argue for their proposals, and work in teams. These skills will prove essential in their future professional and civic lives.
"Practical results are already visible. For instance, in a school in the Ternopil region, thanks to the School Participatory Budget, students created a media studio to record a series of school TV programs," the expert emphasized.
Listen to the broadcast recording at the link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1J-1LPuWU_aYfX32ruF9YWXM5WRsy0gef?usp=sharing
The project "Implementing the School Participatory Budget as an Effective Educational Model for Integrating Children into the School Environment and Institutional Support for Education" is implemented by UCIPR with support from the Askold and Dir Fund. This fund is administered by ISAR Ednannia as part of the "Strong Civil Society of Ukraine – A Driver Towards Reforms and Democracy" project, funded by Norway and Sweden.
Read also: Analytical Review of Draft Civil Code No. 14394: What Will Change for Civil Society Organizations