Summer camps will help Ukrainian kids catch-up with their studies

Summer camps will help 150 seventh-grade students from Zaporizhzhia oblast to catch-up with their learning and take a break from the realities of war. This is crucial as the latest data shows 5,3 million students in Ukraine need support catching-up with their studies.

“Many children in Ukraine are deprived of the opportunity to study full-time because of the war. Unfortunately, this problem is hard to solve. In some areas, it is simply impossible. That is why the format of educational camps can be a partial solution for children from Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Sumy, and other oblasts where the situation does not allow even for a mixed education format. Our pilot project is designed particularly to test whether it is possible to catch up with educational losses through periodic offsite educational camps. Already during the first session, we saw how much the children missed full-time education,” said the project manager Mariia Guliaeva.

The main goal of “Izi camps” in July-August 2024 is to help children with their studies, socialize with peers, and give them a break from the realities of war. The camps in the village of Huklyvyi, Zakarpattia Oblast are held in three sessions, each designed for 50 people and lasting nine days. The focus is on four main subjects of the curriculum – Ukrainian language, literature, history, and mathematics. Equally important is the role of the psychologist, who the camps team consults during breaks.

“The camp covers not only catching up on educational losses but also the socialization and rehabilitation of children from the frontline areas. Our participants not only study but are also actively involved in various activities that help them develop social skills and feel supported.
We see how important it is for children to be in a safe and friendly environment where they can be themselves and develop as individuals. These children have been through a lot, and our camp gives them the opportunity to forget about their fears and anxieties for a few days, to return to childhood, the joys of simple games and new discoveries,” said Mykola Overchenko, Head of camps at East SOS.

As the theme of the camp is “Around the World Trip”, the participants spend the afternoons immersed in the atmosphere and history of different countries: Japan, Estonia, Greece, Ukraine, Italy, America, and India.
For example, on the day of Japan, children learn to make origami, on the day of Ukraine they go on a tour of the region (visit the Shipit Waterfall, Lake Synevyr, and the Brown Bear Rehabilitation Center) and on the day of Greece, they hold a Socratic seminar.

The camps are implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia and with the assistance of the Volovets Village Council.