Kids Development Academy
WeLoveUA launches series of reviews of family centers and of schools for kids’ early development, where teaching is based on the Orthodox traditions.
Orthodox family center Kids Development Academy is the first church kindergarten in Kyiv.
It is located in the residential complex Pecherskyi Kvartal at 14-16 Druzhby Narodiv Boulevard.
Kids Development Academy was opened at the beginning of the school year, on August 29, 2011. Then the Academy was consecrated by Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Volodymyr (Sabodan, +2014). On the same day, the ceremony of transfer of kindergarten to Ukrainian Orthodox Church was held – the Chairman of the Board of the developer, Mykola Buldenko, handed a symbolic key to the Prior of Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
What is the Kids Development Academy?
It is visited by fifty children of three age groups. In addition to traditional preschool programs, Bible chairs, English, and French are studied, too. According to the Orthodox tradition, the children pray before and after meals.
Kids Development Academy has modern equipment, necessary for the educational process, including interactive whiteboard software.
The four play rooms, training centers, art studio, a sports and music halls – all of these conditions are created for the multifaceted development of children: the spiritual one, educational, artistic, aesthetic, social, and physical.
Gym is equipped with children’s wall and all necessary equipment is provided.
Music hall has a stage for theatrical performances, good acoustics of musical instruments, LED and directorial control panel.
Administration of the kindergarten includes offices for staff and a dining room. Rooms for trainers and teachers are equipped with computers and office equipment.
Medical unit consists of medical office, manipulation, and insulator according to the standards for such facilities. Kindergarten has its own economic unit (ironing and laundry), and a guard point with video surveillance of total area of 1,600 sq.m.
Spiritual Care
Spiritual care of the Children’s Academy is provided by the priest known in the capital – Archpriest Georgi Kovalenko – Head of Education Department of Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Archpriest Georgii is raising five children, so he knows about the educational process firsthand. In an interview, talking about the Academy, Father Georgii admitted: «The Church creates the institution for kids of fundamentally new type. For today’s children, as well as for previous generations, the faith, church and spirituality should become a part of their life. And we hope that we’ll be able to convey the love and respect to the traditions of our people to children, teach them to respect their parents, to keep the commandments of God, to love people, to serve people and God».
From 2012, a small church in honor of Saints Vira, Nadiia and Liubov and their mother Sophia functions in the Orthodox kindergarten. The parishioners are the attendants of this Academy and their parents. Nevertheless, anyone can come to the service. There is no iconostasis in this small church, like in the most churches, thus contributing to the understanding of what is happening during worship and closer communication of parishioners, especially the little ones, with the priest.