Smart Minds: 5 years with children and for children

On September 20, 2026, the Smart Minds Child and Youth Development Center in Chicago celebrated its first anniversary — five years of learning, creativity, children's smiles, hard work, and love for Ukrainian roots.

For some, five years is just a short period. But for us, it represents hundreds of children, thousands of lessons, concerts and performances, first words and first books read, first steps on stage, victories, anxieties, new friends, and countless moments that have already become part of Smart Minds' history. Therefore, the celebration of our 5th anniversary brought together children, parents, teachers, friends, and partners of the Center in one hall. On stage that day, music, vocals, modern choreography, Ukrainian culture, and children's creativity came together.

The festive program included students of various ages, from the youngest to the oldest at Smart Minds. The audience enjoyed vocal and dance performances, a presentation by students of the Ukrainian Saturday School, and joint compositions by children and teachers. Special moments included large-scale productions where our students and their teachers performed together on one stage. The celebration concluded with the song "Chervona Ruta" — a symbolic finale that reminded us once again how important it is, no matter where we live, to pass on to our children the Ukrainian language, culture, song, and sense of their roots.

For me, as the founder of Smart Minds, this day held special significance. My journey in working with children began in Ukraine. In 2008, in Lviv, I created the children's center "Rozumashka," where we taught children English and dance. After moving to the USA in 2012, the dream of working with children "moved" here with me. And in 2021, Smart Minds opened its doors in Chicago. Over the past five years, it has grown into a Child and Youth Development Center, where today children learn, dance, sing, draw, master Ukrainian and English, engage in music, develop speech, prepare for school, make friends, and discover their talents. Most importantly, Smart Minds strives to be a place where a child is seen, heard, and supported. I always wanted to create a space where a child comes with joy. A place where they can gain knowledge, reveal their talent, and at the same time remember who they are and where their roots are from. Therefore, for me, Smart Minds is much more than just a job. It's a part of my life.

I think everyone who came to our anniversary celebrations felt this. The five-year anniversary of Smart Minds was not only a celebration of our own milestone. On this day, guests had the opportunity to participate in a charity fundraiser for the prosthetics of Ukrainian soldiers. For the Smart Minds team, it was important to combine the joy of the celebration with the opportunity to help those thanks to whom Ukraine continues to fight for its freedom. We want our children not only to know Ukrainian songs and traditions but also to grow up caring, able to support, help, and remember Ukraine.
Behind every big celebration, there are many people. First and foremost, Smart Minds expresses sincere gratitude to all our teachers. They are the ones who daily invest their knowledge, time, patience, creativity, and heart into the children. We thank our parents for their trust. For bringing your children to us, supporting them, helping us, and for many years remaining part of the Smart Minds family. Special thanks to all partners and sponsors who supported our five-year anniversary. In particular, our main sponsor, Selfreliance Federal Credit Union: representative Ms. Tetyana Darmogray came to our celebration with gifts for teachers and for each child. Thank you to Euro HomeMade for the delicious festive cake, the "Chocolate" café for the incredibly tasty and beautifully arranged treats, The Bloomee Studio for the bouquets for our teachers, and Beauty Zone for the discount on services for teachers. Sincere thanks to Radio UA Chicago for the invitation to the radio program where we talked about our anniversary, and also to the "Surma" newspaper, on whose pages we have repeatedly shared about the work of our Center, about the creative successes and victories of our talented students in various competitions. Thank you to photographer Yana Maryniv, videographer Tetyana Smychok, and DJ Feel-in, who helped create the festive atmosphere, capturing its best moments for history. And excellent sound was provided by Adrian Pavlyuk.

And, of course, our greatest thanks go to our children. It was for them that the story of Smart Minds began five years ago, and it continues for them. The five-year anniversary was an opportunity for us to look back and see how much has already been accomplished. But at the same time, it is just the beginning of a new stage. Ahead are new ideas, new projects, new students, new stages, and new dreams. And new successes — our team will do everything to ensure they happen. Therefore, dear parents, bring your children to us. The Center operates throughout the year, throughout the week (except Sunday), for convenience and considering the age of the children, throughout the day and in the evening hours. 

Address of the Smart Minds Center: 6140 W Belmont Ave. Chicago, Il. Phone 312-888-5661. Smart Minds — five years of growing together. Learning. Discovering. Creating. Remembering our roots. 
 

Photo: Yana Maryniv.