Irine Jgerenaia: The Woman Who Makes Science Feel Like Magic for Children

In an age where attention is fleeting and wonder is often filtered through screens, Irine Jgerenaia stands as a rare and radiant force — a woman who doesn’t just teach science but breathes life into it. For her, physics isn’t a subject confined to formulas and whiteboards; it’s a language of awe, a rhythm of the universe that begins in childhood and echoes through a lifetime.

Born in Kutaisi, Georgia — a city older than history books can fully capture — Irine’s life was steeped in legacy and learning. Her father, an engineer with a precision for innovation, and her mother, one of Georgia’s pioneering computer programmers, laid the foundation for her lifelong dance with discovery. With such role models, Irine didn’t just study science — she inherited it.

Her career began in Georgian classrooms, but it would go on to cross oceans. For over 30 years, Irine shaped young minds as a teacher, education expert, trainer, and the visionary principal of Public School No. 17. Her leadership in education wasn’t just about academics; it was about instilling identity, values, and boldness in her students — especially girls, who often stood at the edge of science’s spotlight. As President of TIA Georgia, she advocated not only for better teaching but for a more inclusive and inspired system of learning.

Irine continues her mission in the United States, working as an educator in a public elementary school. Her classroom is a space where curiosity is celebrated and cultural bridges are built every day.

Irine’s belief is simple and revolutionary: science must be human. That’s why she weaves storytelling into equations, heritage into hypotheses. Her nonprofit organization, Space Way to the Science, based in New York, is a vessel for this mission. Through it, she crafts interactive science labs and culturally rich projects that don’t just inform — they enchant.

Her newest endeavor, “SpaceWay Kids,” is a portal where technology meets tradition. By merging animated storytelling, digital interactivity, and lessons rooted in both Georgian culture and scientific exploration, Irine gives children — especially girls — the kind of education that feels alive. These are not mere classes; they are experiences that travel through time and imagination.

What makes Irine truly extraordinary is her ability to bridge worlds. She connects Georgia and America, the past and the future, the rational and the poetic. In every lesson plan, every video-novel, and every hands-on activity, she whispers a message to young learners: “You belong here. Science is yours.”

In an era still struggling with gender gaps in STEM, Irine’s work is not just inspiring — it’s necessary. She empowers girls to see themselves as engineers, coders, astronauts, and innovators. And she does it not by erasing their roots but by strengthening them.

“Science,” she says, “is not just a profession — it is a way of life that begins with questions and ends with wonder.”

Irine Jgerenaia is more than an educator. She is a spark, a guide, a force of nature — proving that when knowledge is nurtured with soul, children don’t just learn science. They live it.