This article presents approaches to creating educational environment at the Ukrainian Catholic University, a private educational institution, which serves a platform for scientific and practical discussions refl ecting both-secular and clerical outlooks. While creating a professional and academic program for training specialists in the area of socio-pedagogical work, there were identifi ed the criteria for reviewing traditional and alternative stuff in the context of education, forms and methods of teaching. “Students Portfolio” program of acquiring additional competencies is described as well. The main goal of the proposed program is let experts and specialists to provide students with additional information on the content of the professional work in the chosen area, as well as deepening and broadening of theoretical knowledge, and eventually implementing on practice. The introduced program as alternative to the traditional optional ones, is expected to result in improving the quality of the professional training, focusing on sensitive perception of the processes taking place in the children and youth environment, and enlarging vision and understanding of the psycho-educational activities specificity.