Footprints Project
Since 2005, travelers like you have helped us change the world through micro-donations.
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A total of
3750
Travelers
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donated
$25005.67
(100% funded) -
to help improve
Education
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impacting
200
people -
in
Ukraine
Project Background
It’s been two years since the war in Ukraine escalated, putting all 7.5 million children’s lives at risk. Now, the longer-term impacts are taking a toll on children’s education and mental health.
5.3 million children in Ukraine have had their education disrupted. More than 3,300 education institutions have been damaged by bombing and shelling, and many others are being used for emergency shelters or military purposes, meaning children do not have a safe space to learn. The Ukrainian curriculum is available online but many children, especially from vulnerable groups, don’t have a device or internet connection to access it – and for those that do, regular blackouts mean they often can’t finish their online lessons.
With disruptions to schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic and then the escalation of conflict, which has resulted in only 51% of schools being open, children in Ukraine have had no continuity to their education for more than three years. There are 1.7 million Ukrainians in grades 1-4 and these early years of learning are vital for setting the foundation of literacy and numeracy that will underpin all future education.
Key Project Activities
Through their educational program, Library For All, Save the Children is responding by setting up digital learning centres where children can access a variety of educational resources, including their free digital Ukrainian Library.
The library, which when complete will be over 800 books, is stored on tablets in Wi-Fi enabled Spark Kits so that children can learn anywhere. The library contains culturally relevant stories for all ages because they know children learn best when they read stories that reflect their lived experiences. Save the Children are also developing a set of 50 specialist books for psycho-social support specifically addressing the current crisis children are experiencing.
Children will also have access to learning apps such as Elevate, which allows students to learn the equivalent of one full year of school with an average of just one hour a day. Gamified learning engages children from one activity to the next, growing their skills step by step.
These educational resources can also be accessed through the free mobile app available on any iOS or Android device, making it more accessible for displaced families.
Key Project Outcomes
Since the conflict began, Save the Children has reached over 1.3 million people in Ukraine including more than 600,000 children. As the conflict continues, the need for innovative education solutions has increased, which is why Save the Children has set up more than 50 Digital Learning Centres across Ukraine with plans to open 50 more over the coming months. These centres are equipped with laptops, tablets, printers, a screen and projector, as well as books, games and other learning materials and have supported 50,800 children to keep learning.
Central to the Digital Learning Centres are the Library for All Spark Kits, with each kit containing 40 tablets pre-loaded with apps aimed at supporting children’s learning development, such as:
- Library For All – an online library with a variety of ukranian translated books
- Gcompris – logic, art and music games for self development
- War Child Cannot Wait to Learn – maths and reading for pre-school and primary school aged children
- All Ukranian Online School – for secondary and high school students
Thanks to the generous support of Footprints customers, Save the Children has been able to provide more than 200 Spark Kits to Digital Learning Centres, schools and kindergartens, ensuring Ukrainian children can continue to learn in the face of conflict.
“Creation of such modern education centre is a rescue boat. Children come here all the time. They can see their teacher, chat with each other, spend time – for us this is a breath of fresh air. Children need it very much.” – School Director at a DLC in northern Ukraine.
Community Involvement
Library For All partners with Ukrainian translators, proofreaders, authors, and illustrators?to build the collection of culturally relevant stories. Engaging adults in story creation has proven a powerful tool for engaging communities in literacy and empowering individuals through creativity and connection.
Building this free resource for the next generation of Ukrainians holds the power to unite a community separated across borders. Library For All already works with many Ukrainian creatives, and Save the Children is seeking to grow this network to amplify the authentic cultural voice of books created for this collection, while providing valuable sources of income to those who have had their livelihoods disrupted by conflict.
What's Next?
With no immediate end to the conflict in sight, children in Ukraine will continue to face extreme challenges in accessing education. Save the Children will continue to operate in Ukraine and are looking to expand our reach through these Digital Learning Centres to reach as many children as possible. With so many children’s education impacted, we are also undergoing other activities. We’ve provided schools with learning kits, heaters, wi-fi routers and mobile solar power stations to help children keep learning through blackouts and cold weather.
We’ve equipped school bunkers to keep children safe during air sirens, and provided education kits with pens, colouring pencils, notepads and education materials so children can keep learning during air strikes. We’re also working with our partners to repair damaged schools and kindergartens and equip them with desks and chairs, so children can get back to full-time learning as soon as it’s safe.
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