We open the cycle of spring festivals with the Festival of Crafts.

School Friends and Partners:

Waldorf schools worldwide form a united, friendly community. We support each other, learn together, and create joint projects. Here is a list of organizations with which we have been cooperating for many years.

1. ecswe.org- European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education – ECSWE

The European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education is an international non-profit organization (AISBL). It comprises 27 national Steiner Waldorf school associations, representing 802 Steiner Waldorf schools across 28 European countries. Our mission is to support genuine Steiner Waldorf education and promote freedom in education in Europe.

2. waldorfschule.info– Bund der Freien Waldorfschulen 

The Association of Independent Waldorf Schools exists to actively represent and defend education for freedom in the world and to empower the independent partner institutions that join it to realize this goal in practice. German Waldorf schools united in 1933 and reunited again in 1949 after WW II to form the Association of Independent Waldorf Schools (Bund der Freien Waldorfschulen e.V.), based in Stuttgart. It is a federal association that pursues common tasks and interests. Each Waldorf school operates autonomously within its organization (parent-teacher sponsorship) and with responsibility for the community.

3. iaswece.org- International Association for Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Education – IASWECE

The International Association for Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Education is an organ of the cultural impulse of Rudolf Steiner and the worldwide Steiner/Waldorf movement. IASWECE is active wherever colleagues work together in the name of our shared ideals for young child development. This co-operation takes place through conferences, meetings, working groups, joint research projects, and also through worldwide collegial partnerships and support. 

4. freunde-waldorf.de- Freunde der Erziehungskunst Rudolf Steiners

Since 1976, the Friends of Waldorf Education have been supporting Waldorf educational institutions all around the world. “Friends” are committed to Waldorf Schools, Waldorf Kindergartens, as well as curative education and social therapy institutions that urgently need support.

5. paedagogik-goetheanum.ch- Pädagogische Sektion der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft am Goetheanum

The Pedagogical Section is a department of the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum and has a free relationship with all pedagogical institutions working on an anthroposophical basis. The Pedagogical Section has the task of researching and developing anthroposophically inspired pedagogy. In doing so, it is a great concern to set new impulses and support colleagues in their daily work. This task is carried out in dialogue with the Waldorf / Steiner schools and their organs worldwide.

6. facebook.com/WaldorfUkraine- Association of Waldorf Initiatives of Ukraine
7. dytynawaldorf.com.ua/about-project - The first Ukrainian Publishing House on Waldorf pedagogy "Child".
8. chaipotutory.com.ua/ua/home - Ukrainian-Swiss biodynamic farm "Living Land Potutor".

Who We Are

Kyiv Waldorf School "Sophia" is the largest Waldorf-based general education institution in Ukraine. Recognized by the international Waldorf community, our school operates within the public education system as a municipal educational institution.

Our Journey

Over the past 25 years, we have grown from a kindergarten and elementary school into a fully accredited Waldorf lyceum. Today, we offer comprehensive general secondary education from Grade 1 through Grade 11 — and soon to Grade 12 — guided by the internationally recognized Waldorf educational approach.

Our Community

We are a vibrant community of students, parents, and teachers united by shared values and a common vision. Together, we cultivate a supportive and creative environment that nurtures the growth of every child. We accompany our students on their individual learning journeys as they grow and evolve as a community, building the future together.

A Century-Old Educational Tradition, Rooted in Ukraine since 1990

Waldorf education has a long-standing tradition around the world, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019. In Ukraine, Waldorf classes first opened in 1990, introducing a new educational approach that was already well established and respected throughout Europe. Since then, our school has grown as a community of teachers and parents united by a shared commitment to the healthy and balanced development of every child.

At the heart of Waldorf education is the understanding that each child brings their unique gifts, inner potential, and natural developmental rhythm. Our task is to meet children where they are and guide them toward becoming confident, compassionate, and purposeful individuals.

We educate the whole child—head, heart, and hands—nurturing clear thinking, emotional richness, and strength of will. By integrating academic, artistic, and practical learning into a unified whole, we support students in growing into their full humanity.

Learning Through Connection and Experience

From first grade through graduation, Waldorf education embraces an interdisciplinary approach. Subjects are not taught in isolation but are woven together to reflect the interconnectedness of life. This integrated way of learning encourages students to find meaning across disciplines, deepening their understanding and strengthening independent, critical thinking.

Science education in our school is rooted in direct, lived experience. Rather than beginning with abstract theories, students first observe, explore, and experiment—then reflect, question, and draw conclusions. Whether discovering the nature of sound and color in physics, witnessing combustion in chemistry, studying plant and animal life in biology, or exploring human anatomy through awareness of their bodies, students are active participants in the learning process.

In addition to academic learning, the Waldorf curriculum places strong emphasis on artistic and practical work. From gardening and handcrafts to woodworking, weaving, music, and theater, students engage their hands, hearts, and imaginations. This dynamic balance of intellectual, artistic, and physical activity fosters resilience, creativity, and a deep connection to the world around them.

A Living Education Rooted in Human Values

At the heart of Waldorf education is a deep commitment to human values—trust, compassion, responsibility, and a meaningful connection to self, others, and the world. These values are not taught as abstract ideals, but cultivated daily through relationships, rhythms, and real experiences, in close partnership with families.

In our classrooms, learning is more than the acquisition of knowledge—it’s about building a living relationship with the world. Students learn to perceive its beauty, embrace its complexity, and discover their unique place within it. Through hands-on projects, seasonal festivals, collaborative work, and thoughtful reflection, they engage deeply with life in all its richness.

Our ultimate goal is to support the growth of free, grounded, and socially responsible human beings—young people who can think clearly, feel deeply, and act with purpose. This is the essence of Waldorf education: an education of head, heart, and hands in service of the whole human being.

The Class Teacher: A Guiding Presence Through the Years

One of the most distinctive aspects of Waldorf education is the class teacher, an educator who accompanies the same group of students from Grade 1 through Grade 8. This long-term commitment fosters deep trust, continuity, and mutual understanding among teacher, student, and family. It also enables the teacher to guide the class through the key developmental stages of childhood with insight, consistency, and heartfelt care.

In Waldorf education, the class teacher is far more than a conventional instructor. They are a mentor, storyteller, artist, and guide, walking alongside the child as their unique capacities unfold intellectually, emotionally, and socially. Rooted in a profound respect for the child’s individuality and rhythms of development, Waldorf teachers are trained across a broad and integrated curriculum, embracing the humanities, sciences, music, handwork, and the arts. This holistic approach invites creativity and presence, nurturing the whole child—body, soul, and spirit—and fostering a deep love of learning that lasts a lifetime.

At this stage of life, a teacher’s personal qualities—warmth, authenticity, imagination, presence—are as essential as academic expertise. The teacher becomes a living example of the values they seek to inspire, shaping not just what students learn but how they learn and who they become.

Over the years, class teachers, subject teachers, and mentors work closely together, drawing on both local wisdom and international insights to meet the evolving needs of each class. Because the teacher knows their students intimately—understanding how they learn, what challenges them, and what inspires them—they are able to offer truly individualized guidance and support.

At the heart of this approach lies a living triangle: the child, the teacher, and the subject, woven together through years of shared experience. This dynamic relationship is one of the deepest strengths of Waldorf education and forms a powerful foundation for meaningful, lifelong learning.

Learn More

To learn more about how Waldorf education differs from mainstream approaches, we invite you to explore a selection of articles and interviews featured in Dytyna (The Child)—a Ukrainian journal dedicated to childhood and education.