Vilnius participates in the national progress programme "Millennium Schools". Full details of the programme are available here.
Goals
The aim of the Programme is to create integral, optimal and high-quality education conditions in every municipality in Lithuania by 2030 to close the achievement gap.
Vilnius City has set three goals in its Millennium Schools Progress Plan:
1) To reduce the achievement gap between different schools in Vilnius City;
2) To enable the city's residents to choose the right educational institution for their place of residence and needs;
3) To facilitate the access of pupils with special educational needs to general-purpose classrooms/schools.
Description
The programme includes school improvement activities in four areas: leadership, inclusive education, STEAM and cultural education.
Leadership development includes activities such as a monitoring system for school community attitudes and satisfaction, data-driven action planning and quality improvement, a programme to attract new teachers, and others.
Inclusive education includes the physical adaptation of schools for children with different needs, the development of teachers' knowledge, skills and capacity to adapt the educational process, etc.
STEAM education focuses on setting up and improving science and games laboratories, Fablab workshops in the classroom and in non-formal activities, learning mathematics using digital tools, etc.
Cultural education focuses on language labs, collaboration with artists and art institutions, exploratory arts, media information literacy and other activities.
Participants
- Vilniaus „Žaros“ gimnazija;
- Vilniaus „Žiburio“ pradinė mokykla;
- Vilniaus darželis-mokykla „Vilija“;
- Vilniaus Karoliniškių gimnazija;
- Vilniaus Liepkalnio mokykla;
- Vilniaus Naujininkų progimnazija;
- Vilniaus Pilaitės gimnazija;
- Vilniaus Sausio 13-osios progimnazija;
- Vilniaus Sofijos Kovalevskajos progimnazija;
- Vilniaus šv. Kristoforo gimnazija.
Achievements in 2025
Vilnius City Municipality, together with 10 Vilnius schools, is participating in the first stage of the Millennium School I project. Six schools have already completed the project. Vilnius Žaros Gymnasium, Vilnius Liepkalnis School, Vilnius Naujininkai School, and Vilnius Sausio 13-osios Pro-Gymnasium are still working on it.
Experiences of schools that have completed the project:
Lina Venskutė, principal of Vilnius Žiburio Primary School: "The TŪM program provided an opportunity for an integrated and unified transformation of the school's identity. We are proud of the consistent implementation of a continuous improvement system at all levels and the establishment of a student council. A strong visual identity has been created: a unified concept based on universal design principles, which is reflected in the vision-based school attributes. This is a whole that speaks of quality, community, and inclusion.
The Vilija kindergarten-school in Vilnius believed in the value of the "Art of Inquiry: Partnership for Deep Learning" program. Teachers gained the courage to experiment and learn collegially. Students strengthened their linguistic and national identity by collaborating on the project "What does Lithuania mean?"
Vilnius Sofija Kovalevskaja Pro-Gymnasium focused on strengthening teacher leadership and the quality of education through collegial feedback. They evaluated the opportunity to learn within the school and conduct open lessons without stress. Students deepened their knowledge by implementing the school's STEAM project "The Green World of the Lower Secondary School," combining mathematics, natural sciences, technology, and creativity.
The Vilnius Pilaitė Gymnasium community focused on creating an organizational culture. It strengthened its skills in consistent and systematic planning and constructive cooperation. It learned to adhere to planned agreements and a culture of teamwork. Collective and personal responsibility for the implementation of strategic SMART goals is being formed.
For Vilnius St. Christopher Gymnasium, the TŪM project helped to prepare a strategic plan that became a joint creation not only of the administration but of all teachers. Subject teachers assessed the benefits of digital tools for gymnasium students. Work with Eduten during mathematics lessons is spreading to all first and second gymnasium classes, and the Spotiself tool is becoming valuable for every student when used purposefully.
The most important thing for Vilnius Karoliniškės Gymnasium is the improved managerial competence of the school's administrative staff to address emerging challenges, unite the community for positive change, strive for student progress, and be able to implement innovations. Student mentoring initiatives, tested through TŪM, are gaining momentum after the project.
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Approximately 4,900 students and 1,100 teachers (including teachers from other Vilnius schools besides TŪM) participated in TŪM activities. Approximately 3,000 participants—students, teachers, and parents—took part in community events.
Leadership in action. 1,868 academic hours of training and consulting activities. 1,615 teachers from TŪM and other Vilnius schools.
Cultural education. 393 teachers participated in training and experiential activities with creators, 1,180 students participated in integrated lessons, lessons outside of school, or lessons led by creators.
Inclusive education. 422 participants, 471 academic hours of training, practical seminars, consultations, and internships.
All teachers and educational support specialists from TŪM and other Vilnius schools participated in these accredited training programs:
- Strengthening the work of the Sustainable Child Welfare Commission;
- Mediation in educational institutions;
- The basics of non-violent communication, empathetic communication, and creating a culture that reflects child welfare;
- Inclusive education and universal design in education.
In addition to the topics listed above, each school was able to choose topics relevant to its community, such as training for student assistants and stress management training.
TŪM school teachers were provided with 40 consultations on strengthening the competencies of school teachers working with children with special educational needs.
STEAM education. 10,203 students and teachers used digital tools for teaching and learning mathematics, Lithuanian language, history, and natural sciences, as well as for preparing for integrated lessons, 152 academic hours of training and practical activities for STEAM subject teachers, 576 academic hours of training and consultations for primary school and mathematics teachers.
Teachers were delighted with the opportunity to intern at foreign schools: primary school teachers went to Vienna (Austria), 5th–8th grade STEAM teachers went to Tartu (Estonia), and secondary school STEAM teachers visited schools in Helsinki (Finland) and Tallinn (Estonia).
TŪM project publications, relevant and accessible to the whole of Vilnius.
Contact
Project manager Jurgita Rimkuvienė
jurgita@eduvilnius.lt