The ‘HOVORY’ project by the UCU Child Dignity Centre – winner of the ‘Osvitoria.Media Award 2026’

The ‘HOVORY’ project has won the ‘Osvitoria.Media Award 2026’ in the ‘Discovery of the Year’ category. This award recognises educational initiatives that bring about real change in communities and shape new approaches to education.

‘HOVORY’ is being implemented by the UCU Child Dignity Centre in partnership with the Department of Education and Culture of Lviv City Council. For the project team, this victory demonstrated that the issues of safety, dignity and trust in the educational environment are important to the entire educational community in Ukraine.

“We are very proud of this project. Particularly because it aims to build a system of trust — between children and adults, and between adults themselves. We are extremely proud that ‘HOVORY’ has been declared the winner today,” said Andriy Zakalyuk, Head of the Department of Education and Culture at Lviv City Council.

‘HOVORY’ — a comprehensive model for child safety in schools, combining safety standards, training for pupils and adults, and a digital tool for seeking help. The project helps schools foster a culture of trust, in which children know they will be listened to, supported and protected.

One of the key features of the initiative is the ‘HOVORY’ button in the digital diary, which children can use to report risks, breaches of their rights or dangerous situations.

Today, the project involves over 80,000 pupils, 131 schools, more than 4,030 teaching staff and over 570 representatives of educational institutions. In the first six months of operation, 87 reports were received from children via the button. This enabled schools and specialists to respond promptly to situations requiring help and support.

‘This award came as a complete surprise to us, but it is incredibly valuable. We are delighted that the jury members were impressed by our idea of creating a safe environment at school. After all, every child in Ukraine should feel safe, and all adults must take responsibility for creating such an environment,” said Nataliia Tarnovska, head of projects and programs in the Education direction at the UCU Child Dignity Centre.

For the Lviv City Council team, the award was not only recognition of the work already carried out, but also confirmation that Lviv’s experience can be of benefit to other communities and cities across Ukraine.

“For us, this award is recognition that we have done a good job. It also gives us the confidence to tell others: ‘This is worth getting involved in’. “During meetings with colleagues from other local authorities, we talk about this project, share our experiences and encourage them to set up similar initiatives, drawing on their own resources and capabilities”, emphasised Olesia Mandziuk, Head of the Education Department at Lviv City Council.

Khrystyna Shabat, Head of the UCU Child Dignity Centre, said: “‘HOVORY’ is a very successful project. And this is just the beginning. Our future efforts will focus on rolling out the project in another city – this time in eastern Ukraine, where children are studying via a hybrid or online model.”

However, the project’s ambitions are much greater. The organisers want to ensure that any space where a child spends time is safe for them.

“Looking ahead, we want not only every school to be safe, but also any institution that comes into contact with children: we want them to have established systems for working with children and for preventing violence, so that their pupils feel safe, know what to say when something isn’t right, know who to turn to, and receive feedback,” emphasised Khrystyna Shabat.

The victory at the ‘Osvitoria.Media Award’ was the result of the joint work of many people and organisations – teachers, school leaders, experts, children and parents. At the same time, it confirms that children’s safety, respect for their dignity and their right to be heard are becoming key priorities for Ukrainian education.

For the ‘HOVORY’ team, this award is not the end of the journey, but another step towards promoting a culture of safety and trust in schools across Ukraine.