Words Matter: Oschadbank Helped Seventh-Grade Students at Kyiv School No. 166 Learn the “Language of Dignity”

To mark Mental Health Day and as part of Oschadbank’s “My Accessibility” program, an open interactive lesson titled “The Language of Dignity” was held for seventh-grade students at Kyiv School No. 166. Oschadbank is the co-author of this educational initiative. The special guest at the event was Anton Tiutiun, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Oschadbank, who, along with the teenagers, explored why our vocabulary shapes our attitudes toward one another and how to build a society free of prejudice.

The primary goal of the lesson is to explain the fundamental “people-first” principle and teach young people not to categorize others based on stereotypes or differences in life experiences. The lesson was designed to help teenagers understand, using interactive exercises, quests, and the “Elias” game, that language can either build invisible walls or unlock doors to mutual understanding. Students learned to distinguish respectful language from toxic or outdated expressions and realized that respect for human individuality begins with words.

“For Oschadbank, accessibility is much more than just ramps or adapted digital services. It’s about a culture of society where every person feels valued and noticed. During this open lesson, it was extremely important for me to see the genuine emotions of the seventh-graders. They are lively, empathetic, and ready to embrace the philosophy of equality. Discussing tolerance and appropriate language with teenagers is critically important right now: words carry immense weight, as they shape our daily actions. By fostering a language of dignity from childhood, we are raising a new generation of Ukrainians who are free of prejudice and respect everyone’s right to be who they are,” emphasized Anton Tiutiun, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Oschadbank.

He noted that developing barrier-free communication skills among teenagers is a profound worldview that holds long-term value.

“We are committed to this initiative because accessibility is in the very nature of our organization - it’s in Oschadbank’s DNA. We invest our time and resources in this because it’s about the future and our fundamental values. And we see that these values fully align with those of today’s youth. When teenagers feel that the bank speaks their language and shares their worldview, trust is built. That’s why we know that in the future, some of these children will want to become part of our large financial ecosystem and will open their first bank card right here at Oschadbank,” noted Anton Tiutiun, outlining the Bank’s strategy.

The nationwide lesson “The Language of Dignity: Seeing the Person Behind the Words” for students in grades 5–9, developed by the Center for Social Change and Behavioral Economics with the support of Oschadbank, 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. The initiative was supported by Tetiana Lomakina, Advisor – Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment.

Leading experts contributed to the creation of the lesson builder: Lidiia Povorozniuk, a finalist for the 2021 Global Teacher Prize Ukraine; child psychologist Svitlana Roiz; writer and advocate for accessible language Olena Pshenychna; and human rights activist Serhii Shcherban.

The materials for the “Language of Dignity” lesson are available to all Ukrainian educators at the link.