Safe educational space

In the city of Zlatopil, Kharkiv region, and the city of Romny, Sumy region, four safe educational spaces were officially opened on the basis of local lyceums.

The opening of each of these locations was an important event for the communities. The Deputy Head of the Regional Military Administration, Vita Volodymyrivna Kovalska, the heads of local authorities of the Zlatopil City Council of the Kharkiv region and the Romen City Council, the heads of Plan International, the NGO “Equilibrium Point” and the NGO DOCCU delivered welcoming speeches. Lyceum directors, teachers, students and parents supplemented the event with living stories of change and conducted excursions.

“This project is extremely important and complex for each member of our team. The systematic work of the partners combines the repair and equipping of shelters, the organization of training and after-school clubs, psychosocial assistance, as well as training and support for teachers. The spaces are created as centers of resilience and development for children and adolescents, who now have access to safe and quality education in war conditions,” says Maria Garazha, head of the NGO “Equilibrium Point”.

The result is more than just cooperation. Under the coordination of the international organization Plan International, specialists from the NGO DOCCU renovated the premises, organized classes to make up for educational losses and after-school clubs for children, the work of a psychologist and a speech therapist. The NGO “Equilibrium Point” implemented group psychological classes with children and donated equipment, furniture and learning materials to the institutions. Interactive boards, TVs, tablets, equipment for robotics and 3D modeling, water coolers, fire extinguishers, first aid kits and more, which will allow students to gain knowledge in a modern and safe space and have fun spending their after-school time.
All this was made possible thanks to the financial support of the European Union.

The parents and teachers present shared their impressions:
“Our children finally got the opportunity to study in a blended format, when they can attend classes offline in a safe environment”,
“The space has been transformed incredibly: before it was a basement, and now it is a bright, modern space where children really want to spend time. And at the same time, it is safe”.
These spaces are about today’s needs, but even more so about the future.
About a generation that, despite all the challenges, will have a point of balance to grow, develop and form a strong, sustainable society.