In the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina, the first Ukrainian Studies School in the region — named after Olena Pchilka — has officially opened. The institution joined the School Council under the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and began its work with 20 students, who will now study Ukrainian language, literature, history, culture, as well as traditional crafts and art every Saturday.
The September morning and First Bell ceremony at the new school began with warm greetings from Principal Olya Lebedyeva and a prayer by Fr. Maksym Zhuravchyk. Children, dressed in festive embroidered shirts and with curiosity in their eyes, met their teachers, who will help them dive deeper into their Ukrainian identity, culture, and customs.
The Olena Pchilka School is the first in Charlotte to become part of the School Council under UCCA. Though still small, with only 20 students, the curriculum spans from grades 1 through 10.
The school uses a teaching methodology focused on Ukrainian as a heritage language, since most students primarily speak English in their daily lives. That’s why the classes are mixed in nature, and students’ levels of Ukrainian language proficiency vary.
Principal Olga Lebedyeva noted an interesting phenomenon during the enrollment process:
“All of our first-grade students were born in the United States, while the third-graders were born in Ukraine. The sixth-grade class is a mixed group, so for our school, an individual approach is key — not a one-size-fits-all model,” Lebedyeva explained.
According to her, students will study traditional school subjects: Ukrainian language and literature, history and culture, as well as religion, arts, domestic crafts, and home economics. Additionally, several times a year, the Ukrainian Federal Credit Union will host financial literacy seminars for different age groups.
During the opening, the principal asked the students: “Who is Olena Pchilka?” Silence followed. “Maybe someone knows Lesya Ukrainka?” Ms. Olya continued. “Can I say it in English? Because I’m not sure how to say it in Ukrainian… She is a poet,” replied one of the students. “That’s exactly why we are here!” Ms. Olya smiled. For it is precisely for the sake of learning the Ukrainian language, delving deeper into our roots, and fostering unity that this school was created — named in honor of the prominent Ukrainian writer and cultural figure Olena Pchilka.
The day traditionally ended with delicious varenyky and nalysnyky.
With the first autumn bell, a new page of Ukrainian history has begun in the Carolinas.
Author: Tetyanka Hnativ, journalist and editor from Charlotte, graduate of the Faculty of Journalism at Odesa National University named after I. I. Mechnikov, formerly with the online publication Opinion.ua.