How to make school meals healthy and eco-friendly? Experience of school principals from Toktogul

On August 25, 2026, a practical seminar titled "Organization of Healthy Nutrition in Schools" was held at the K. Chokoev School in Kotormo village. The event was organized by Good Neighbors Kyrgyz Republic as part of the "Green Schools for Healthy Nutrition" project.

School principals from Uch-Terek and Bel-Aldy rural areas gathered to study successful experiences in establishing school-adjacent farming: from growing apples, vegetables, and even bananas and lemons, to harvesting twice a season and building a specialized cellar for food storage.

Interview with a seminar participant:
Sharipova Jazgul Uchbaevna, Principal of the Mukash Zhamgyrkanov School, shared her impressions of the visit and plans for developing her school ground:

"Today we took part in the seminar and were greatly impressed. Our school has previously attempted to implement the Garden project for planting an apple orchard: we prepared suitable plots, submitted soil analysis results, and filed all necessary documents on time. This seminar inspired us once again! We will make every effort to establish our own apple orchard and a fully functioning school farm, and we also greatly count on your support in implementing this initiative."

School-adjacent farming is an effective and accessible tool that helps provide children with fresh produce, enrich daily hot meals, and strengthen the health of the younger generation!

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Training of Trainers on Ensuring a Safe Educational Environment in Schools

A four-day intensive Training of Trainers was held in Bishkek, dedicated to implementing the Methodological Guide on Ensuring a Safe Educational Environment for teachers and social workers.

The event was organized under the "Safe Educational Environment" project by Good Neighbors in the Kyrgyz Republic in collaboration with the Ministry of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic. The official opening was attended by Altynbek Erkimbekov, Head of the Department of Upbringing and Additional Education at the Ministry of Education.

The primary goal of the initiative is to promote the creation of a safe, violence-free school environment for children and adolescents. Over the course of four days, participants mastered key aspects of adult learning, examined response algorithms for various types of violence and bullying (including cyberbullying), studied the trauma-informed approach, legal frameworks for child protection, and effective strategies for engaging with families and school staff.

Strengthening the capacity of teachers and social workers is a crucial step by Good Neighbors toward implementing unified child protection standards, expanding access to a supportive school atmosphere, and shaping a psychologically healthy future for the younger generation.

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Teachers’ feedback on GRT training

“Now we are ready to pass this knowledge on to our students!” — GRT preparation training participants share their impressions

A three-day training course on General Republican Testing (GRT) preparation for teachers of Mathematics, Kyrgyz, and Russian languages has concluded.

The initiative was implemented by Good Neighbors in the Kyrgyz Republic in partnership with the Center for Educational Assessment and Teaching Methods (CEATM).

Training participants highlighted the high practical value of the knowledge gained and the inspiring atmosphere of the sessions:

“We explored deeper approaches and strategies for preparing our students for the GRT. Over these three days, we gained everything we expected and even more. Now we are fully ready to pass this knowledge on to our children and contribute to improving the quality of education!”

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GRT training results: Insights from CEATM Director Chynara Ebishovna Batrakeeva

“Such workshops help teachers better understand student needs” — Results of the three-day GRT preparation training

An intensive professional development program for 69 teachers of Mathematics, Kyrgyz, and Russian languages from schools in Issyk-Kul, Chuy, Jalal-Abad, and Osh regions has concluded in Bishkek.

The project “Enhancing Teachers’ Qualifications for General Republican Testing Preparation” was implemented by Good Neighbors in the Kyrgyz Republic in partnership with the Center for Educational Assessment and Teaching Methods (CEATM) @ort_ceatm_official.

Over the course of three days, teachers together with leading experts analyzed complex GRT tasks, strategies for addressing typical student errors, and techniques for developing logical and critical thinking skills in high schoolers. Participants received practical tools for their work and certificates of completion.

Chynara Ebishovna Batrakeeva, Director of CEATM, shared the results of the training and her impressions of the collaboration:

“Teachers thoroughly studied the nuances of the tests, learned how to analyze student results, and focused on key competencies. We received excellent feedback from the participants and believe that our cooperation with Good Neighbors will continue to expand for the sake of quality education for children!”

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