ASTARTA has started implementing its project «My Future in Agro» in 2018 in order to get pupils interested in the modern agricultural sector and help them to decide on their future profession. And, most importantly, to show that the agricultural sector is innovations, career growth, creativity, an immense field for creative activities and the opportunity to realize yourself in many different professions. The overall purpose of the project is to create conditions for changing the stereotypes of young people about the modern agrarian sector of Ukraine, to familiarize pupils with the opportunities and prospects of agriculture in Ukraine, its main directions, the formation of practical agrarian experience, developing the skills of project activity, solving creative and practical tasks of research nature, as well as communications in agricultural production.
The career guidance project started in 3 pilot schools of Khmelnytskyi region with the involvement of 126 pupils. In 2019, 12 schools of Vinnytsia and Poltava regions joined «My Future in Agro». Currently, 420 pupils in grades 7-9 are taking part in optional courses, where students study the theoretical and practical part of agrarian technologies. In the schools involved in the project, there are greenhouses for students to put their theoretical knowledge into practice. Pupils can grow plants themselves and explore how they are protected, do various experiments.
Also, the project provides acquaintance with various professions in agro: for children organized many excursions around the automated production, on the field, where high-performance machinery works, equipped with autopilots. But the result of the project is not only the theoretical and practical skills of children, but also the education through the synergy of generations. Children collect vitamin baskets with vegetables grown in greenhouses and visit agriculture veterans in their communities.
ASTARTA also cares about the training of teachers of optional courses: webinars, trainings and meetings are held throughout the year. And in May 2019, a retreat was held – teachers visited the Uman Agrarian Lyceum, in which they got acquainted with the professional teaching of the necessary agrothemes.
Teachers of Uman Agrarian Lyceum developed a theoretical course “Agrosphere” at the request of Astarta. Pupils of the project “My future in Agro” from three regions of Ukraine will study the course. The “Agrosphere” course in grades 7-9 focuses on the pro-educational development of students. The content of the program is based on the principles of scientificity, the connection of education with life, the differentiation of educational material in accordance with the interests and abilities of students.