Academic Year Began with the “Language of Dignity” Lesson – Oschadbank Is Among Its Developers

On September 1, Ukrainian schools held the nationwide lesson “Language of Dignity: Seeing the Person Behind the Words,” dedicated to fostering a culture of respect, dignity, and barrier-free communication. Oschadbank is the co-developer of the lesson plan for students in grades 5–9.

On that day, Anton Tiutiun, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Oschadbank, visited a 9th-grade lesson at the Children’s Engineering Academy in Kyiv.

“It was valuable for me to see the students’ first-hand reaction to this topic. They were interested and enthusiastic about the lesson, actively participated in the exercises, discussed the scenarios presented, and shared their own thoughts. This demonstrates that young people truly need to have conversations about respect, dignity, and accessibility. For Oschadbank, barrier-free environment is not just about physical accessibility or convenient services. Above all, it is about a society where everyone has the opportunity to participate, can be heard, and feels valued. That is precisely why we joined efforts to create this lesson, so that together with our partners we can foster a culture of accessibility starting in childhood,” noted Anton Tiutiun.

The “Language of Dignity” course is structured in a flexible way: teachers can select exercises based on their students’ ages, class dynamics, available time, and context. The materials include quizzes, quests, discussions, and reflection exercises.

During the lesson, students learn what accessibility is and why it’s important; they discuss the barriers that may exist in communication due to stereotypes, prejudices, and a lack of understanding of different life experiences. Students also learn to choose appropriate words when communicating with various people and to understand how empathy, attentiveness, and respect form the foundation of an inclusive society.

“In childhood, values are instilled, and a worldview and attitudes toward others are formed. Therefore, when developing this lesson, we, together with our partners, enlisted the help of professional experts to create a space for teenagers to have an open conversation about language based on respect for human individuality and needs,” added Anton Tiutiun.

The nationwide lesson “Language of Dignity: Seeing the Person Behind the Words” for students in grades 1–11 is being implemented as part of the National Accessibility Strategy, initiated by Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and UNICEF, with the support of Tetiana Lomakina, Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment, and Daria Herasymchuk, Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights and Child Rehabilitation.

The teaching materials were prepared by EdEra, the Center for Social Change and Behavioral Economics, and Oschadbank. The lesson plan for grades 5-9 was developed by Lidiia Povorozniuk, a teacher of Ukrainian language and literature, a media literacy specialist, an educational trainer, and a finalist for the 2021 Global Teacher Prize Ukraine. The lesson’s expert contributors include child and family psychologist Svitlana Roiz; writer and founder of the NGO “Vidymi,” Olena Pshenychna; and Serhii Scherban, head of the “Inclusion Without Borders” initiative at the NGO “Chernivtsi Association ‘ZAKHYST.’”

The “Language of Dignity” lesson plan for grades 5–9 is available at

https://ed-era.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/vseukrayinskyj-urok-mova-gidnosti-1.pdf