Blog #3
February 8, 2015
Over the past number of years the Chortitza-Rosenthal
Maedchenschule has received considerable visibility from Mennonite tourists
returning to their homeland. For more
than a hundred years its ornate architecture and durability have served this
Ukrainian community well. To this day it
functions as School #81 in the city of Zaporizhzhia. However, another school, located next door to
it has seemingly received less attention, even though it was established some
50 years earlier.
School #82 was established in 1842 as a “Zentralschule”
(secondary school) in this Mennonite
village. Recently school director
Alec Chekov contacted our Zaporizhzhia project manager, Olga Rubel, with the
question why this school received so much less attention than his neighboring school. We visited the school and found a thriving
trade school, incorporating regular high school level courses with courses in
accounting, hair-dressing and truck-driving/mechanics. A “hands-on” emphasis in their teaching style
was evident, sometimes even using toys. Unfortunately, the 350 students were not in
school the day of our visit due to the H1N1 flu quarantine. Mr. Chekov, who formerly worked for a private
company was invited to take over the administration of this school in 1998. Since then he has initiated numerous building
improvements, largely with private funds.
Being part of the regular school system, students attend free of
charge. 
Not being content with the success of this school, Mr.
Chekov has been given access to another historic Mennonite building, the former Mennonite Teacher Training
Institute constructed in 1912 and located next to the Holodomor Memorial that was erected by Mennonites in 2009. The building is presently being renovated
and upgraded to accommodate courses in cooking and baking. 
Innovations in educational programs are not limited to the
prescribed public school curriculum.
Zhenia Shubolov has become involved in two school programs that are
largely outside of the regular classroom schedule. In the villages of Shirokoye (Neuendorf) and Nikolaipole (Nikolaifeld) he teaches a one-hour a week class in “Bad
Behaviour Prevention” addressing issues such as addictions, respect for
authorities, AIDS, etc. Having come
from a difficult home background where he experienced some of these challenges
personally during his adolescent years, he is able to speak about these issues
with authenticity and sincerity.
Students appreciate his candid approach to these issues and look forward
to his classes. 
School directors and teachers spoke highly of
him and his teaching, sometimes even with a hint of envy for his ability to
relate to the students. On the day that we visited the school these teachers took advantage of the flu quarantine by upgrading their computer skills in the classroom Zhenia normally uses.
The second program Zhenia is involved in is the “Real School”
program. This, also, is an initiative
that is outside of regular school hours, and takes place off campus. Here topics such as career selection, job
readiness skills, resume writing are discussed and presented. The program is set up as a two-year course. Now in its second year, some 70 young people
gather weekly at the New Hope Mennonite Church in Zaporizhzhia. The hope is to add a third year component to
this which would include a time for Bible study as well. Recently a village in eastern Ukraine that
has received material aid from the New Hope Church, has expressed interest in
establishing its own “Real School” program.
Zhenia will likely be one of the team members to launch this. Mennonite Centre assists in financial support
for Zhenia and covers some of the costs related to these programs.
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