“Learn, my brothers, think, read,
And learn from others, but do not forsake your own…”
– T.H. Shevchenko

Fate has scattered us, Ukrainians, all over the world. Living outside their historical homeland, Ukrainians tried to stay together and live as a community. They preserved and passed on to their children their native language, customs, and traditions, organized churches, schools, universities, cultural societies, and printed newspapers, magazines, and books in their native language. We, the fourth wave of Ukrainian immigrants, began our community activities here in the United States by founding a school for our children.

The Ukrainian School of Knowledge in Portland, Oregon is currently the only Ukrainian school in the entire state of Oregon. It was founded on September 2, 1998, on the initiative of the school’s director, Igor Yosifovich Levkiv, a native of Zalaniv village, Rohatyn district, Ivano-Frankivsk region. Dmytro Ivanovich Malofiy, a native of Kamianka village, Hlyboka district, Chernivtsi region, became a like-minded supporter and assistant, later becoming the deputy director of the Ukrainian School of Knowledge. The teachers of our school enthusiastically took up the cause of education here on the American continent. Having their own children, each saw a great need to raise their children in the spirit of Ukrainian traditions. Everyone felt their duty to pass on to them what no one else could – the language of our glorious Ukrainian people, the language of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.

Over time, the educational mission of the Ukrainian School of Knowledge evolved from enlightenment to preserving ethnic identity. At the same time, the spiritual mission of the Ukrainian school and church – to educate the younger generation in love for Ukraine and its people – remained unchanged. Far from the historical homeland, preserving the Ukrainian language became an important cultural and pedagogical task. For a significant number of students, Ukrainian is no longer the main language, although it remains native. The main language of communication for children is English, and they use Ukrainian only in domestic communication with relatives. In our school, we not only teach the Ukrainian language but also perform a much more complex and noble task: through literature, history, through poems and songs, through sincere prayer, we cultivate love for Ukraine and readiness to defend its interests in the world. This is true Ukrainian studies, to which the Ukrainian school and every Ukrainian family are called.

The Ukrainian School of Knowledge is officially registered in the state of Oregon. It is a non-profit organization that opens its doors every Saturday to nearly 300 children. The duration of the school day is five 40-minute lessons. In the younger classes, children study Ukrainian language and reading, mathematics, speech development, and in the older classes – Ukrainian language, Ukrainian literature, speech development, history of Ukraine, and Fundamentals of Christian Ethics.

Immigration conditions dictate their own laws. Of course, a Saturday school cannot be compared to five-day schools in Ukraine, where our teachers worked and where we studied. For a significant number of students, Ukrainian is no longer the main language, although it remains native. The main language of communication for children is English, and they use Ukrainian at home and only hear Ukrainian but respond in English. Therefore, we cannot teach our students as they are taught in schools in Ukraine. Children simply get lost, don’t understand, and lose interest in learning. Therefore, the solution to this situation is to teach Ukrainian as a foreign language. According to this methodology, the teacher should pay a lot of attention to the communicative approach, the development of the student’s vocabulary, and its use in speech. In each class, children can be conditionally grouped as follows:

• Children who were born in Ukraine and have just arrived in America for permanent residence. It is still difficult for them to communicate in English, and they have not yet mastered the American education system and behavior, so they feel comfortable in the Ukrainian school and constitute the most active group in the class;
• Children who were born in America in Ukrainian families. It is not difficult for them to understand and communicate in Ukrainian, but they prefer to communicate in English;
• Children in which one of the parents is not Ukrainian. They hear Ukrainian from either mom or dad but do not speak it. Such children do not even understand everything they hear;
• Children whose parents do not speak Ukrainian. Such children are Ukrainians only by descent, or not Ukrainians at all, but want to learn our culture and language.

There is no pattern in how a class is formed and which group of children will be more or less. The class can be mixed, one group can predominate, or there can be an equal number of children from all groups. The class is formed by age, not by knowledge or student origin. This is where the difficulty in teaching such children lies. The teacher must make it so that the educational needs of all children are met. This technique includes work in pairs, groups, and individually. Such a technique requires proper preparation and organization of the teacher.

At school, children study the history of our glorious Ukraine, its historical past, and the traditions of our people. Children know that the pride of every state is its people. Children often ask, “Why do we study the history of Ukraine?” The answer sounds the same for everyone: “Every person, every child should know that they are part of a people, and you, children, are part of the Ukrainian people, despite living far from Ukraine. Without all of us, there is no people, no history. As we cannot forget our relatives in moments of joy or hours of sadness, so we cannot forget our land, because our roots are from there. From it we came, to it we will return. People are not people if they have no language, no song, no memory, no land, no family.”

Studying the Fundamentals of Christian Ethics, children learn to love God, follow His commandments, love and respect their parents, brothers and sisters, and all people. To value those whom the Lord has sent them on their earthly path. To remember the poor, orphans, and widows, to help those in need. Children are instilled with all the good that our Jesus Christ brought to earth for us, people, showing by His life that we should be His followers.

The process of transforming a small person into an individual is complex. Children need someone who would be an example for them. And this example is their parents and teachers. After all, children are so different: dreamy and talkative, sad and cheerful, passive and joking, curious and generous, obedient and not so much. I always like to remind that we can only conditionally summarize success, because what the students of our school and parents have learned, as well as the students of our school, will be able to recall and summarize for many years in the future.

Upon completion of the Ukrainian School of Knowledge, children have the opportunity to take exams and, based on the results of external independent assessment in the Ukrainian language, receive up to 4 credit hours. These results are credited to our children in American public schools as credit hours for studying Ukrainian as a foreign language.

From 1998 to 2002 (4 years), we held classes at the Ukrainian Bible Church on Glisan Street in Portland, Oregon.

Since 2006, we have started working with the Ukrainian Federal Credit Union and have a fruitful mutually beneficial cooperation. We express our sincere gratitude to the leaders of the Credit Union for their inspired work for the benefit of Ukrainians in the United States of America.

The first teachers of our school were:
Igor Yosifovich Levkiv – school director and mathematics teacher, graduate of the Central Ukrainian National Technical University in Kropyvnytskyi.
Dmytro Ivanovich Malofiy – deputy director of the school and teacher of reading and Ukrainian literature;
Dmytro Vasyliovych Kosmyna – history teacher, born in Cherche village, Rohatyn district, Ivano-Frankivsk region, graduate of Ivano-Frankivsk Pedagogical Institute.
Iryna Yulianivna Duzha – Ukrainian language teacher, born in Lviv, graduate of Lviv Pedagogical Institute;
Oksana Vasylivna Kravets – geography and history teacher, born in the urban-type settlement of Verkhniachka, Khrystynivka district, Cherkasy region, graduate of Ivano-Frankivsk Pedagogical Institute.

In subsequent years, the following teachers also worked at the Ukrainian School of Knowledge and left a fruitful mark on the development and growth of the level of children’s education:

• Ivan Andriyovych Zhuk – singing teacher, born in Kolodenka village, Rivne district, Rivne region;
• Oleksiy Vasylovych Hladysh – Bible teacher, born in Staryi Oleksynets village, Kremenets district, Ternopil region;
• Natalia Ivanivna Hladysh (Chervinska) – Ukrainian language teacher, born in Kolomyia, Ivano-Frankivsk region (2000-2002);
• Petro Lohvynovych Kibukevych – Bible teacher – born in Bilsk village, Rokytne district, Rivne region (1999-2000).

Great assistance in the educational process, for many years, was provided to our school by our tireless assistants Nadiya Vasylivna Malofiy, Lidiya Dmytrivna Kravets, Tetiana Stepanivna Chervinska, and Lesia Dmytrivna Levkiv. They helped and continue to help our school today as substitute teachers, actively participated in preparing children for Christmas celebrations and the feast of Christ’s Resurrection. They always come to help when needed. Nadiya Vasylivna Malofiy was the chief accountant of our school for 19 years (2002-2021) and performed this work exemplarily. She graduated from Storozhynets Forestry College with a specialization in “Accounting and Taxation”.

From the 2002-2003 academic year until 2006 (4 years), we rented premises at Warner Pacific College.

Four new teachers began their work in the 2002-2003 academic year. These were first-grade teacher Maria Vasylivna Holovach, born in Shebelynka village, Balakliia district, Kharkiv region; Zhanna Illivna Vorobets – Ukrainian language teacher in senior classes, born in Odesa. Zhanna Illivna is an extremely hardworking and demanding teacher and is a graduate of Chernivtsi Pedagogical College; Mykola Mykhailovych Vozniuk – Bible teacher, born in Kutianka village, Shumsk district, Ternopil region.

I would especially like to note the second-grade teacher Liuba Fedorivna Koretska, born in Przemyśl (now Poland), a teacher with over forty years of pedagogical experience. She brought to our school love for her native language, respect for children, and a high level of teaching.

In the 2004-2005 academic year, Bible teacher Vira Heorhiivna Briukhovych, born in Kushnytsia village, Irshava district, Zakarpattia region, joined our teaching staff. She extremely loves her subject and taught children to respect and love the Word of God and people. Vira Heorhiivna graduated from Kyiv Bible College in 2000.

In the 2005-2006 academic year, we started a zero grade, where 30 students were studying at that time. Liudmyla Makarivna Balchos, born in Shumsk, Ternopil region, worked with them with great enthusiasm.

In the same academic year, Larysa Naumivna Okseniuk, a graduate of Rivne Pedagogical Institute, born in Sarny, Rivne region, started working at our school. She was a first-grade teacher. Larysa Naumivna was a pleasant and willing to work teacher, a person with whom it is pleasant to work.

The beginning of renting Park Rose High School: 2006-2007 academic year and until 2011 (5 years).

From the beginning of the 2006-2007 academic year, we organized a music literacy class and our own, at that time small, school orchestra. For this, we invited Serhii Vitaliiovych Zavhorodnii, a specialist with music education, to work. Serhii Vitaliiovych graduated from Chernivtsi Music College in 1987. We have already had the opportunity to see what can be done in a short time, having a rather limited number of teaching hours, but a great desire to work with children. The school orchestra performed its first works for parents, as well as in our churches during Christmas holidays, Easter, and during the last bell celebration at our school. Now Serhii Vitaliiovych works inspiringly with the orchestra at the Ukrainian Bible Church “Road to God”.

From the 2007-2008 academic year, the following teachers joined our school: Lesia Dmytrivna Levkiv began working at our school, teaching children singing and music literacy, and worked with us for 17 years. Lesia Dmytrivna is a graduate of Ivano-Frankivsk Music College named after Sichynskyi, which she graduated from in 1983. Olha Ivanivna Andrukhovych, who was born in Horishni Shirivtsi village, Zastavna district, Chernivtsi region, began teaching Ukrainian language in senior classes, and Zhanna Illivna Vorobets headed the third grade. Olha Ivanivna was a professional teacher with many years of teaching experience in Ukraine. She graduated from Yurii Fedkovych Chernivtsi National State University in 1975.

In the same academic year, we started a children’s group for five-year-olds. Liudmyla Makarivna Balchos took charge of their education, and Liuba Volodymyrivna Andrukhiv, born in Drohobych, Lviv region, was the class teacher of the preparatory class. Liuba Volodymyrivna is a graduate of Lviv Polytechnic University. Due to moving to the east coast of the USA, Liuba Volodymyrivna completed her work at our school on May 29, 2010.

Olha Lukashivna Hahuha – a graduate of Rivne Pedagogical Institute, which she graduated from in 1980. She began working at the Ukrainian School of Knowledge in the 2010-2011 academic year.

This academic year, we introduced a course in speech development, and Olha Lukashivna, a talented teacher with many years of experience, undertook to teach this subject in grades 4-6, as well as the history of Ukraine in grades 7-8. Olha Lukashivna is not just a teacher, she is an excellent organizer, poet, a person with whom it is pleasant to work. She is still with us today, and the program for the Last Bell celebration for eighth-graders and the 25th anniversary of our school was prepared by her.

In the 2010-2011 academic year, Nadiia Oleksandrivna Venher, who graduated from Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University named after M. Kotsiubynskyi, specializing in “primary school teacher”, became the class teacher of the 1st grade.

The beginning of renting Campbell Elementary School: 2011-2012 academic year.

Iryna Aksentiivna Marku, a graduate of Yurii Fedkovych Chernivtsi State University, began working at our school in September 2011 as a first-grade teacher. Due to the birth of her son in the summer of 2013, Iryna Aksentiivna went on maternity leave, and from September 2013, Lesia Borysivna Tsymbaliuk, a graduate of Kamianets-Podilskyi Pedagogical Institute named after V.P. Zatonskyi, started teaching first-graders. Lesia Borysivna graduated from this higher educational institution in 1994 and worked at our school until the end of May 2015.

Natalia Ivanivna Kadyralieva – a graduate of Zhytomyr Pedagogical Institute, began working at our school in March 2012 as a Ukrainian language teacher in senior classes. Natalia Ivanivna came to our school after, unfortunately, on March 14, 2012, at the age of 60, Olha Ivanivna Andrukhovych unexpectedly passed away.

Olha Ivanivna Andrukhovych worked for 38 years as a teacher of Ukrainian language and literature (33 years in Ukraine and 5 years in the USA). The special features of Olha Ivanivna’s character were always love for children, decency, thirst for life, joy, kindness, generosity, sacrifice, dedication to her work and service to God. Olha Ivanivna will forever remain in our hearts as a good example of humanity, professionalism, and Christian way of life.

Maria Ivanivna Navizovska, a graduate of Chernivtsi Pedagogical College, which she graduated from in 1983, came to our aid in December 2012 and replaced Nadiia Oleksandrivna Venher due to childbirth. Maria Ivanivna worked at our school until the end of May 2017 and left our school due to severe illness. Maria Ivanivna was an excellent teacher, a Christian, loved children, but a severe illness took the life of this wonderful person and she passed away on November 17, 2018.

Natalia Viktorivna Dron, a graduate of Yurii Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, helped our school with teaching the 2nd grade in the 2014-2015 academic year during the absence of Liuba Fedorivna Koretska.

From September 2015, a young, energetic teacher Yulia Viktorivna Kucherenko, a graduate of Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, joined our school and taught the 1st grade.

Tetiana Ihorivna Hnytka – a certified primary school teacher, a graduate of Taras Shevchenko Kremenets Regional Humanitarian and Pedagogical Academy, came to our school in September 2016 and took care of our youngest students – the preparatory class.

Starting from September 2017, for two years, Liudmyla Ivanivna Balan, a graduate of Yurii Fedkovych Chernivtsi State University, taught 1st grade students, and Ivanna Ivanivna Kuzyk taught children of the zero grade.

Olha Serhiivna Hrig began working at our school in Portland in 2017 as a third-grade teacher. Today she is the deputy director of the branch of the Ukrainian School of Knowledge in Vancouver, Washington, and a sixth-grade teacher. Olha Serhiivna is a graduate of Kryvyi Rih National Pedagogical University.

From 2018, Viktoria Viktorivna Syniavska, a graduate of Ivan Franko Drohobych State Pedagogical University, began working at the Ukrainian School of Knowledge. She taught the 3rd grade.

Liudmyla Ivanivna Balan returned to Ukraine, and from January 2019, Tetiana Volodymyrivna Pytel, a graduate of Volodymyr Hnatiuk Ternopil National Pedagogical University, continued teaching first-grade students. Now Tetiana Volodymyrivna is a Ukrainian language teacher in senior classes.

From the beginning of the 2019 academic year, Bohdan Mykhailovych Paliukh – a graduate of Lviv Theological Seminary, which he graduated from in 2016, joined our school team. Now Bohdan Mykhailovych is the deputy director of the Ukrainian School of Knowledge in Portland.

Olha Liubomyrivna Ostap began working at our school in Portland from November 2019, taking care of the first grade. She is a graduate of Ivan Franko Lviv National University, which she graduated from in 2004.

Due to the declaration of a pandemic in March 2019 and the closure of access to Campbell Elementary School, our school was forced to finish the academic year through distance learning.

From October 2020, Elina Yuriivna Kyniv came to our school branch in Vancouver and worked at the school until 2024. And a year later, in September 2021, her sister Victoria, who graduated from Uzhhorod National University in 2017, took on teaching the preparatory class in Vancouver.

Tetiana Ihorivna Zelianovska graduated from Ivan Franko Lviv National University in 2009 and came to our school to work as a volunteer in 2019, teaching children in junior classes. She worked with enthusiasm and the ability to teach children until 2022, for which we are very grateful to Tetiana Ihorivna.

On September 14, 2019, we opened a branch of our school in Vancouver, Washington, where Olha Serhiivna Hrig began teaching the first grade, and Maria Volodymyrivna Posmit (Lytka), a graduate of Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University, headed the preparatory class. The Ukrainian Baptist Church in Vancouver provided us with classrooms for teaching.

Due to the pandemic and the inability to rent premises from the state school district, during the 2020-2023 academic years, we rented classrooms at the Ukrainian Bible Church “Road to God” and in October 2023 we returned to Campbell Elementary School.

In 2021, Alina Yaroslavivna Kohut, a graduate of Yurii Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, began taking care of the preparatory class, and Liudmyla Anatoliivna Nakonechna taught third-grade students. Liudmyla Anatoliivna graduated from Uzhhorod National University. Now Liudmyla Anatoliivna is on maternity leave.

Yulia Malofii Gabor, a 2013 graduate of Portland State University and one of the first graduates of our school, began working as an accountant for the Ukrainian School of Knowledge in 2021.

Millions of people in Ukraine left their homes due to the war. A significant part of them migrated to the USA. The number of students in the Ukrainian School of Knowledge is increasing, and the branch in Vancouver is growing. The teaching staff is replenished with new personnel. In 2022, Orysia Kostiantynivna Ostafiichuk, who received pedagogical education at Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University in Ivano-Frankivsk, and Alla Ivanivna Zhuchenia, a graduate of Rivne National University, began working at our school. Alla Ivanivna taught second-grade students, and Orysia Kostiantynivna taught third-graders. Halyna Petrivna Liubenkova received pedagogical education at Yurii Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University and began working at our school in 2022.

During 2022-2024, young teachers Yana Yaroslavivna Boiko (Yurii Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University), Maria Romanivna Malofii (Dnipro National University), and Maryna Vasylivna Zhuchenia (Rivne National University) taught our younger students. But life goes on, changes, and these teachers had to change their place of work. Instead, the teaching staff was replenished with new teachers. In the 2023-24 academic year, Nadiia Vasylivna Babukh, who graduated from Yurii Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, began her pedagogical activity at the Ukrainian School of Knowledge. Nadiia Vasylivna conducts speech development lessons in senior classes. Tetiana Mykhailivna Benedyk, a graduate of Mukachevo Pedagogical College, teaches primary school students in Vancouver. Elvina Ilkhamivna Reveruk, who received education in the specialty “primary school teacher” at Berdyansk Pedagogical University, also works here.

This academic year, new teachers came to the Ukrainian School of Knowledge. Ihor Volodymyrovych Zybachynskyi graduated from Yurii Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, obtained a specialization in “teacher of world history”. Ihor Volodymyrovych will teach high school students in Portland. Iryna Viktorivna Trofymchuk will teach Ukrainian language to students in Vancouver. She studied at Rivne State Humanitarian University. Olena Ihorivna Liashchuk, a graduate of Rivne Pedagogical University, and Maria Viktorivna Andriienko, who studied at Korostyshiv Pedagogical College, will teach children in our Vancouver branch.

The school administration and teaching staff of the Ukrainian School of Knowledge greet all teachers of Ukrainian studies schools, all involved in the cause of Ukrainian schooling in the United States of America and around the world, and wish you success in your work, inspiration in educating the new, growing generation that will come to replace us, to worthily represent our Ukrainian state on our planet Earth.