Plan.Act
Basic information
Project Title
Plan.Act
Full project title
The educational program for students who want to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Category
Regaining a sense of belonging
Project Description
With an ardent interest in the matter and a team of like-minded people, everyone is capable of driving transformations in the country. And any changes start with an action plan.
"Plan.Act" is an educational program for students who want to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine.
After the victory, post-war reconstruction of communities awaits us all, but there is something that can be improved already today. This program is a reaction "here and now" with a clear view of the future.
"Plan.Act" is an educational program for students who want to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine.
After the victory, post-war reconstruction of communities awaits us all, but there is something that can be improved already today. This program is a reaction "here and now" with a clear view of the future.
Geographical Scope
Regional
Project Region
Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Lviv regions, Ukraine
Urban or rural issues
It addresses urban-rural linkages
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
Our global vision is a generation of Ukrainians who are optimistic about the existence of solutions and confident in their ability to find them. It is an educational program for teenagers eager to contribute to the reconstruction. We believe that for those whose identity and understanding of the world are shaping by the influence of war, the opportunity to actively participate in the development of a plan for the country's recovery and its development is extremely important.
In this program, we work with:
— Students from 8th to 11th grades and first to second-year university students both locals and those displaced from other regions of the country.
— Teenagers temporarily residing abroad who wish to maintain connections with classmates and contribute to reconstruction, remaining engaged in the changes..
At the core of the program:
Addressing real challenges.
Access to cutting-edge knowleges and technologies.
Participation.
Sustainability and environmental consciousness.
Prototyping, testing, and refining solutions.
Fundraising through public crowdfunding.
High potential for solution scaling.
Achieved results:
From June to October 2023, five pilot teams developed project solutions for infrastructure and spatial problems, created prototypes, and raised funds for implementation:
— Design project for DIY furniture to furnish a school shelter. School # 5, Voznesensk city, Mykolaiv Oblast.
— Project combining plastic waste recycling and manufacturing street navigation signs. Kulykivka Lyceum, Kulykivka town, Chernihiv Oblast.
— Transformation of a neglected space in the center of Marganets city into a public square. Lyceum # 11, Marganets city, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
— Addressing water scarcity after the explosion of the Kakhovska HES. Lyceum # 2, Pokrov city, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
— Project supporting local food security and efficient use of school territories—an experimental area for school gardening. Zherebnevo School, Rudky city, Lviv Oblast.
In this program, we work with:
— Students from 8th to 11th grades and first to second-year university students both locals and those displaced from other regions of the country.
— Teenagers temporarily residing abroad who wish to maintain connections with classmates and contribute to reconstruction, remaining engaged in the changes..
At the core of the program:
Addressing real challenges.
Access to cutting-edge knowleges and technologies.
Participation.
Sustainability and environmental consciousness.
Prototyping, testing, and refining solutions.
Fundraising through public crowdfunding.
High potential for solution scaling.
Achieved results:
From June to October 2023, five pilot teams developed project solutions for infrastructure and spatial problems, created prototypes, and raised funds for implementation:
— Design project for DIY furniture to furnish a school shelter. School # 5, Voznesensk city, Mykolaiv Oblast.
— Project combining plastic waste recycling and manufacturing street navigation signs. Kulykivka Lyceum, Kulykivka town, Chernihiv Oblast.
— Transformation of a neglected space in the center of Marganets city into a public square. Lyceum # 11, Marganets city, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
— Addressing water scarcity after the explosion of the Kakhovska HES. Lyceum # 2, Pokrov city, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
— Project supporting local food security and efficient use of school territories—an experimental area for school gardening. Zherebnevo School, Rudky city, Lviv Oblast.
Key objectives for sustainability
Environmental sustainability of solutions is integral to our program. It encompasses three main aspects:
During the selection of participating teams for the educational program, we evaluate the problems described in their applications and the proposed solutions. We give preference to ideas that incorporate at least basic principles of environmental sustainability that can be further developed.
For example:
The idea of creating a school garden wasn't just a response to the issue of mined and occupied agricultural lands, but also presented a smart utilization of significant schoolyard space.
The concept of making navigational signs from recycled plastic, adheres to recycling principles and can be scaled up.
The transformation of neglected urban spaces into public squares aids in increasing oxygen production, crucial for industrial towns.
Throughout the educational program, tailored to each team's needs, we explore existing eco-friendly solutions and similar ecological practices. We determine the extent to which we can integrate these into our own solutions.
For instance:
While working on a rainwater collection system, the team researched various water collection methods with future implications to mitigate global water scarcity. Additionally, the team devised a design that reused advertising banners.
For setting up school shelters, the team designed DIY transformer furniture. These pieces serve multiple functions and can be used beyond shelters as their longevity is defined by material parameters rather than current circumstances. These items can be easily crafted from recycled materials (following circularity principles).
We also teach teams to strive for zero waste production or rational utilization of its remnants.
Our program can serve as an example since an ecological analysis is a part of developing any solution. By solving future problems, students are likely to conduct such an analysis as a routine, resulting in new and more resilient solutions.
During the selection of participating teams for the educational program, we evaluate the problems described in their applications and the proposed solutions. We give preference to ideas that incorporate at least basic principles of environmental sustainability that can be further developed.
For example:
The idea of creating a school garden wasn't just a response to the issue of mined and occupied agricultural lands, but also presented a smart utilization of significant schoolyard space.
The concept of making navigational signs from recycled plastic, adheres to recycling principles and can be scaled up.
The transformation of neglected urban spaces into public squares aids in increasing oxygen production, crucial for industrial towns.
Throughout the educational program, tailored to each team's needs, we explore existing eco-friendly solutions and similar ecological practices. We determine the extent to which we can integrate these into our own solutions.
For instance:
While working on a rainwater collection system, the team researched various water collection methods with future implications to mitigate global water scarcity. Additionally, the team devised a design that reused advertising banners.
For setting up school shelters, the team designed DIY transformer furniture. These pieces serve multiple functions and can be used beyond shelters as their longevity is defined by material parameters rather than current circumstances. These items can be easily crafted from recycled materials (following circularity principles).
We also teach teams to strive for zero waste production or rational utilization of its remnants.
Our program can serve as an example since an ecological analysis is a part of developing any solution. By solving future problems, students are likely to conduct such an analysis as a routine, resulting in new and more resilient solutions.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
We pay significant attention to the design of solutions and spaces. Although the main reason behind their development lies in issues caused by the war, they are quick responses to them. We teach teams to strike a balance between material cost, project implementation speed, and aesthetics. Advising these teams, we also focus on the modularity of solutions so that more communities can adopt the experience and easily adapt projects to their conditions. For instance:
The modular structure of vertical beds and learning zones in the garden-farm of Rudkivska community. Not only can the elements replace each other, but such a garden-farm can also be easily placed on both smaller and larger territories.
In Voznesensk, thanks to a collaboration team with designers, the transformer shelves for the school shelter have a modern, concise design. Additionally, we use components in a nearly primary state without significant processing. After using the shelf, a significant portion of its elements can be easily reused to create other furniture.
Similarly, this approach is evident in working with other teams. We teach students to consider the environment, and the needs of future users, conduct context research, and pose questions regarding interaction with objects or spaces (surveys, interviews, etc.).
Teams learn to design solutions closely tied to places and their future users, enhancing the quality of the experience for people.
Moreover, teams actively involve the local community, increasing the value of using the solutions for them, fostering a sense of ownership, and boosting confidence in problem-solving abilities.
For Ukrainians facing significant problems and destruction, the confidence that together we can find effective and elegant solutions is extremely important. Our educational program shapes and reinforces this confidence.
The modular structure of vertical beds and learning zones in the garden-farm of Rudkivska community. Not only can the elements replace each other, but such a garden-farm can also be easily placed on both smaller and larger territories.
In Voznesensk, thanks to a collaboration team with designers, the transformer shelves for the school shelter have a modern, concise design. Additionally, we use components in a nearly primary state without significant processing. After using the shelf, a significant portion of its elements can be easily reused to create other furniture.
Similarly, this approach is evident in working with other teams. We teach students to consider the environment, and the needs of future users, conduct context research, and pose questions regarding interaction with objects or spaces (surveys, interviews, etc.).
Teams learn to design solutions closely tied to places and their future users, enhancing the quality of the experience for people.
Moreover, teams actively involve the local community, increasing the value of using the solutions for them, fostering a sense of ownership, and boosting confidence in problem-solving abilities.
For Ukrainians facing significant problems and destruction, the confidence that together we can find effective and elegant solutions is extremely important. Our educational program shapes and reinforces this confidence.
Key objectives for inclusion
The program is built upon the following forms of an inclusive approach:
Teams from villages and small towns make up no less than 20%, no more than 20% come from regional centers, and all others are teams from towns with a population of no more than 50,000. By focusing on working with teams from small towns and villages, we reduce the existing gap in educational opportunities.
At least 50% of team participants are girls, thereby restoring gender balance, which is particularly lacking in fields such as engineering, design, making, architecture, construction, and others.
We encourage teams to invite students who are displaced, as well as involve classmates temporarily residing in other regions or countries.
We advocate for the principle of equality and support horizontal connections, helping to foster more open relationships between students and experts and actively encouraging knowledge transfer. Simultaneously, we adhere to the Child Protection Policy to prevent cases of harm to children.
Our educational program is accessible (free), and we provide participants with materials for prototyping. We cover travel expenses to makerspaces if such spaces are not available in their places of residence.
We teach students to prioritize accessibility in designing solutions. Some projects implemented by teams include: the space project's accessibility in Marganets, developing a navigation system considering the needs of people of different ages and varying visual impairments, and more.
As we know the composition of participants in advance within the program, we have the opportunity to adapt it to the educational needs of each team. Presently, there hasn't been a necessity for this, but as an example, within our own team, we have a specialist in sign language.
In the future, we plan to enhance both the inclusivity of the program itself and offer students more expert support in designing inclusive solutions.
Teams from villages and small towns make up no less than 20%, no more than 20% come from regional centers, and all others are teams from towns with a population of no more than 50,000. By focusing on working with teams from small towns and villages, we reduce the existing gap in educational opportunities.
At least 50% of team participants are girls, thereby restoring gender balance, which is particularly lacking in fields such as engineering, design, making, architecture, construction, and others.
We encourage teams to invite students who are displaced, as well as involve classmates temporarily residing in other regions or countries.
We advocate for the principle of equality and support horizontal connections, helping to foster more open relationships between students and experts and actively encouraging knowledge transfer. Simultaneously, we adhere to the Child Protection Policy to prevent cases of harm to children.
Our educational program is accessible (free), and we provide participants with materials for prototyping. We cover travel expenses to makerspaces if such spaces are not available in their places of residence.
We teach students to prioritize accessibility in designing solutions. Some projects implemented by teams include: the space project's accessibility in Marganets, developing a navigation system considering the needs of people of different ages and varying visual impairments, and more.
As we know the composition of participants in advance within the program, we have the opportunity to adapt it to the educational needs of each team. Presently, there hasn't been a necessity for this, but as an example, within our own team, we have a specialist in sign language.
In the future, we plan to enhance both the inclusivity of the program itself and offer students more expert support in designing inclusive solutions.
Results in relation to category
All five teams have successfully completed their participation in the "Action Plan" program. The teenagers developed quality working solutions, created and tested prototypes, and raised funds for their implementation. Detailed results and information about the program participation progress will be provided in the additional PDF.
Among the global results for program participants:
— Increased awareness among teenagers of how they can contribute to the reconstruction efforts.
— Acquisition of a comprehensive set of knowledge and skills.
— Readiness to complete work on the project and continue its development, sharing experiences with other students and communities.
— Increased confidence in their abilities and the power of community building.
For teachers and school administrators:
— Development of civic engagement among students.
— Enhancement of teachers' qualifications to support other students in their initiatives.
For community representatives:
— Support for the development of youth leadership programs.
— Acceleration of recovery and problem-solving processes.
— Improvement of residents' quality of life within communities.
— Demonstrating development opportunities and changes to encourage a higher percentage of young people to stay within the community.
For community members:
— Access to using the results of the teams' work.
— Observing positive changes, strengthening belief in the possibility of recovery and development.
— A desire to support the teams in various ways.
— Changing habits (for instance, in Kulikivka, local residents began actively sorting waste and recycling bottle caps).
Among the global results for program participants:
— Increased awareness among teenagers of how they can contribute to the reconstruction efforts.
— Acquisition of a comprehensive set of knowledge and skills.
— Readiness to complete work on the project and continue its development, sharing experiences with other students and communities.
— Increased confidence in their abilities and the power of community building.
For teachers and school administrators:
— Development of civic engagement among students.
— Enhancement of teachers' qualifications to support other students in their initiatives.
For community representatives:
— Support for the development of youth leadership programs.
— Acceleration of recovery and problem-solving processes.
— Improvement of residents' quality of life within communities.
— Demonstrating development opportunities and changes to encourage a higher percentage of young people to stay within the community.
For community members:
— Access to using the results of the teams' work.
— Observing positive changes, strengthening belief in the possibility of recovery and development.
— A desire to support the teams in various ways.
— Changing habits (for instance, in Kulikivka, local residents began actively sorting waste and recycling bottle caps).
How Citizens benefit
Is an active program participants were teens and youth.
The training lasted for 5 months in both online and offline formats. During this period, participants acquired fundamental skills in problem investigation, solution design, urban planning, project management, prototyping, budgeting, fundraising, change advocacy, and conducting informational campaigns. They absorbed experiences from specialized experts relevant to their project themes.
We supported participants in choosing team roles and leadership qualities. Each participant tried themselves in several professions new to them, which might assist in choosing a future specialization. Additionally, we hope that the acquired experience in effecting change will inspire students to implement other individual or team projects.
Teachers, who accompanied the students and participated in all sessions, also benefited from the program. It equipped them with additional tools for working with students. Currently, they can independently support students in executing similar albeit smaller projects, continuing to change the space around them.
Given that the program is in its pilot phase, feedback from both adolescents and teachers was crucial and aided us in improving it for scaling.
The educational program indirectly benefits residents of communities where teams work — they benefit from the implemented solutions. This includes access to additional water, better navigation within the locality, improved comfort in school shelters (used not only by school students but also by district residents), increased consumption of fresh greens and herbs grown by the team in the experimental area, visits to the park, and opportunities for relaxation and wellness.
Simultaneously, part of the city's population actively participated in project work — engaging in surveys, and interviews, and providing volunteer assistance. Their impact on the educational program manifests more as confirmation that the program is necessary, indic
The training lasted for 5 months in both online and offline formats. During this period, participants acquired fundamental skills in problem investigation, solution design, urban planning, project management, prototyping, budgeting, fundraising, change advocacy, and conducting informational campaigns. They absorbed experiences from specialized experts relevant to their project themes.
We supported participants in choosing team roles and leadership qualities. Each participant tried themselves in several professions new to them, which might assist in choosing a future specialization. Additionally, we hope that the acquired experience in effecting change will inspire students to implement other individual or team projects.
Teachers, who accompanied the students and participated in all sessions, also benefited from the program. It equipped them with additional tools for working with students. Currently, they can independently support students in executing similar albeit smaller projects, continuing to change the space around them.
Given that the program is in its pilot phase, feedback from both adolescents and teachers was crucial and aided us in improving it for scaling.
The educational program indirectly benefits residents of communities where teams work — they benefit from the implemented solutions. This includes access to additional water, better navigation within the locality, improved comfort in school shelters (used not only by school students but also by district residents), increased consumption of fresh greens and herbs grown by the team in the experimental area, visits to the park, and opportunities for relaxation and wellness.
Simultaneously, part of the city's population actively participated in project work — engaging in surveys, and interviews, and providing volunteer assistance. Their impact on the educational program manifests more as confirmation that the program is necessary, indic
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Innovative character
We consider our program innovative for several reasons:
It's the only one in Ukraine where teens have a complete cycle, including problem analysis and research, solution development, prototyping and testing, budgeting, and self-fundraising. Going through this entire cycle gives teenagers a better understanding of the real process of effecting change and instills a greater sense of responsibility.
We offer teenagers the opportunity to work on a genuinely wide range of problems. By prioritizing the needs of participants and communities, we shape a circle of experts around them, rather than selecting projects based on existing expertise.
The program allows students from different parts of the world to work together, given the variety of diverse tasks that teams encounter and can address both offline and online.
We provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to participate in the restoration and development of the country.
The program is a real opportunity for communities to improve local situations by involving youth and external funding.
Programs for teens working in Ukraine, which we compare 'Plan.Act' to:
Provide funding to teams either immediately after submitting an application or after pitching a developed project idea during training, excluding prototype evaluation, and do not offer opportunities for students to acquire skills in independent information and crowdfunding campaigns.
Often do not include prototyping. Students do not acquire essential tools skills, especially crucial in wartime conditions considering the extent of destruction.
Are often programs specialized and more construction-oriented: building repairs, school shelter renovations, etc., or, conversely, purely scientific in nature, focusing on inventing systems and devices, and so on.
It's the only one in Ukraine where teens have a complete cycle, including problem analysis and research, solution development, prototyping and testing, budgeting, and self-fundraising. Going through this entire cycle gives teenagers a better understanding of the real process of effecting change and instills a greater sense of responsibility.
We offer teenagers the opportunity to work on a genuinely wide range of problems. By prioritizing the needs of participants and communities, we shape a circle of experts around them, rather than selecting projects based on existing expertise.
The program allows students from different parts of the world to work together, given the variety of diverse tasks that teams encounter and can address both offline and online.
We provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to participate in the restoration and development of the country.
The program is a real opportunity for communities to improve local situations by involving youth and external funding.
Programs for teens working in Ukraine, which we compare 'Plan.Act' to:
Provide funding to teams either immediately after submitting an application or after pitching a developed project idea during training, excluding prototype evaluation, and do not offer opportunities for students to acquire skills in independent information and crowdfunding campaigns.
Often do not include prototyping. Students do not acquire essential tools skills, especially crucial in wartime conditions considering the extent of destruction.
Are often programs specialized and more construction-oriented: building repairs, school shelter renovations, etc., or, conversely, purely scientific in nature, focusing on inventing systems and devices, and so on.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
The educational program is based on the principles of Design Thinking and the Engineering Design Process. We combined these two methodologies. Depending on the specific problems the teams were working on, we could focus more or less on different stages.
All disciplines were integrated into the program in a way that familiarization with them occurred at the optimal stage. It was important for us that the students understood what recovery meant in its broadest sense, how restoration was linked to development, and how teens could participate in it. Experts from the urban coalition ‘Ro3kvit’ helped teenagers understand this.
Several topics were common to all teams: basics of project management, fundraising campaigns, change advocacy, fundamentals of urban planning, and conducting informational campaigns. These topics were taught by us, the program developers.
Additionally, teams, along with experts, delved into such topics as:
– Furniture and shared space design – Yuriy Granovsky and Andriy Batin, founders of the ‘Peremebli’ project. They advocate creating conditions in which people will feel respect for their dignity despite all the horrors brought by war.
– Ecology, climate change, and urban gardening – Mykola Ryabyk and Anzhelika Zozulya, founders of the Lviv space for urban gardening ‘Rozsadnyk’.
– Water purification – Polina Kravtsova from the ‘OptiSun’ startup team.
– Research and architecture of public open spaces – co-founder of ‘Urban Curators’, Anastasiia Ponomariova, and Varvara Yagnysheva.
– Navigation system design – Oleksandr Kolodko, co-founder of ‘Change Agents’.
– Plastic recycling - Serhii Bezborodko from the NGO ‘Eco City’.
– Making soft frameless furniture – visiting manufacturing facilities.
– Several teams of makers worked with the teams: from the Kyiv-based HuckLab and ‘Ostriv’ platform, and the mobile workshop ‘Tolokar’.
All disciplines were integrated into the program in a way that familiarization with them occurred at the optimal stage. It was important for us that the students understood what recovery meant in its broadest sense, how restoration was linked to development, and how teens could participate in it. Experts from the urban coalition ‘Ro3kvit’ helped teenagers understand this.
Several topics were common to all teams: basics of project management, fundraising campaigns, change advocacy, fundamentals of urban planning, and conducting informational campaigns. These topics were taught by us, the program developers.
Additionally, teams, along with experts, delved into such topics as:
– Furniture and shared space design – Yuriy Granovsky and Andriy Batin, founders of the ‘Peremebli’ project. They advocate creating conditions in which people will feel respect for their dignity despite all the horrors brought by war.
– Ecology, climate change, and urban gardening – Mykola Ryabyk and Anzhelika Zozulya, founders of the Lviv space for urban gardening ‘Rozsadnyk’.
– Water purification – Polina Kravtsova from the ‘OptiSun’ startup team.
– Research and architecture of public open spaces – co-founder of ‘Urban Curators’, Anastasiia Ponomariova, and Varvara Yagnysheva.
– Navigation system design – Oleksandr Kolodko, co-founder of ‘Change Agents’.
– Plastic recycling - Serhii Bezborodko from the NGO ‘Eco City’.
– Making soft frameless furniture – visiting manufacturing facilities.
– Several teams of makers worked with the teams: from the Kyiv-based HuckLab and ‘Ostriv’ platform, and the mobile workshop ‘Tolokar’.
Methodology used
1) Introduction to 'Plan.Act';
2) Presentation of projects and teams;
— Reconstruction of Ukrainian cities and towns: components of a quality and sustainable future.
— What are we reconstructing?
— Strategies and integrated spatial development in reconstruction;
— Factors driving community development and why an integrated approach should be used;
— Urban planning and strategic conditions: past, present, and future. Multiscale solutions in the long-term perspective;
— Stakeholders and participation in development projects;
— Sustainability in spatial development – a unicorn or an achievable goal?;
— Circular approach – why it's timely today;
— Diversity of professions in reconstruction.
3) Introduction to the stages of Design Thinking & Engineering Design Process;
4) Introduction to experts. Launch of work on the project;
5) Problem investigation;
— Problem Framing;
— Creation of archetypes of typical users through Empathy Maps;
— Focus;
— Refinement of the problem;
— Task formulation – clear, specific, and defined;
— Generation of various possible solutions – ideas, concepts, and methods that will be further studied and evaluated;
— Selection of one or more solution options for further investigation;
— Planning questions that require additional research.
6) Analysis of potential solutions:
— Brainstorming;
— Selection of the best solution using universal criteria;
7) Prototyping in workshops:
— Sketching prototypes;
— Collection of prototypes in reduced scale (if needed);
— 1:1 scale prototyping;
— Description of the assembly process.
8) Preparation for crowdfunding campaign:
9) Development of information campaign strategy;
10) Launch and implementation of crowdfunding campaign.
11) Summarizing results. Presentation of teams' plan for material procurement and solution implementation.
2) Presentation of projects and teams;
— Reconstruction of Ukrainian cities and towns: components of a quality and sustainable future.
— What are we reconstructing?
— Strategies and integrated spatial development in reconstruction;
— Factors driving community development and why an integrated approach should be used;
— Urban planning and strategic conditions: past, present, and future. Multiscale solutions in the long-term perspective;
— Stakeholders and participation in development projects;
— Sustainability in spatial development – a unicorn or an achievable goal?;
— Circular approach – why it's timely today;
— Diversity of professions in reconstruction.
3) Introduction to the stages of Design Thinking & Engineering Design Process;
4) Introduction to experts. Launch of work on the project;
5) Problem investigation;
— Problem Framing;
— Creation of archetypes of typical users through Empathy Maps;
— Focus;
— Refinement of the problem;
— Task formulation – clear, specific, and defined;
— Generation of various possible solutions – ideas, concepts, and methods that will be further studied and evaluated;
— Selection of one or more solution options for further investigation;
— Planning questions that require additional research.
6) Analysis of potential solutions:
— Brainstorming;
— Selection of the best solution using universal criteria;
7) Prototyping in workshops:
— Sketching prototypes;
— Collection of prototypes in reduced scale (if needed);
— 1:1 scale prototyping;
— Description of the assembly process.
8) Preparation for crowdfunding campaign:
9) Development of information campaign strategy;
10) Launch and implementation of crowdfunding campaign.
11) Summarizing results. Presentation of teams' plan for material procurement and solution implementation.
How stakeholders are engaged
At the local level:
We signed Memorandums of Cooperation with the directors of schools whose students participated in the program. They provided administrative support — offering facilities for sessions, working with students to complete home tasks (when experts worked with teams online), supporting in organizing workshops and trips, engaging local partners, etc. For teachers and school administrators, the primary reason for supporting the program was the opportunity to see how they could teach students to apply the theoretical knowledge gained from the 'Civic Education' course in schools. However, it was also a sincere desire to seize the chance to improve the situation in their city and community.
We noticed that their involvement were bigger then base; they actively engaged in all processes: problem investigation, idea generation, prototyping, etc. It was an inspiring example of horizontal relationships between teachers and students and community building.
We signed Memorandums with the community leaders. In these communities, there are development of youth leadership programs and our program represented one of these opportunities for them. The government support was providing resources, additional financial support, providing informational support to all teams. In Voznesensk, the authorities supported the purchase of equipment for setting up a school workshop from the city budget (this team was working on shelter furniture and during the prototyping phase, visited a workshop in Kyiv since such workshops do not exist in Voznesensk). Support of this nature does not impact the course of the educational program but demonstrates a clear desire of the authorities to support the development of students in the long run.
At the national level, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine provided informational support for our program.
We signed Memorandums of Cooperation with the directors of schools whose students participated in the program. They provided administrative support — offering facilities for sessions, working with students to complete home tasks (when experts worked with teams online), supporting in organizing workshops and trips, engaging local partners, etc. For teachers and school administrators, the primary reason for supporting the program was the opportunity to see how they could teach students to apply the theoretical knowledge gained from the 'Civic Education' course in schools. However, it was also a sincere desire to seize the chance to improve the situation in their city and community.
We noticed that their involvement were bigger then base; they actively engaged in all processes: problem investigation, idea generation, prototyping, etc. It was an inspiring example of horizontal relationships between teachers and students and community building.
We signed Memorandums with the community leaders. In these communities, there are development of youth leadership programs and our program represented one of these opportunities for them. The government support was providing resources, additional financial support, providing informational support to all teams. In Voznesensk, the authorities supported the purchase of equipment for setting up a school workshop from the city budget (this team was working on shelter furniture and during the prototyping phase, visited a workshop in Kyiv since such workshops do not exist in Voznesensk). Support of this nature does not impact the course of the educational program but demonstrates a clear desire of the authorities to support the development of students in the long run.
At the national level, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine provided informational support for our program.
Global challenges
Teaching teenagers to solve the problems resulting from the ongoing war in our country increases the number of those who can participate in its reconstruction. Globally, this will help to:
— Accelerate the process of recovery and return to comfortable living conditions for communities participating in the program and who will be those deciding to replicate the developed solutions.
— Provide more people with experience in using modern solutions, stimulating the development of small towns and villages.
— Increase the likelihood of displaced residents returning to their communities by informing them about positive changes.
— Support the local economy by teams purchasing materials from local producers and entrepreneurs and commissioning work from craftsmen that teenagers cannot perform due to age limitations (for example, welding metal structures for the project in Rudky).
— Enable conscious career choices and better self-realization as students will better understand which professions will be in demand in the next 10-20 years.
— Accelerate the process of recovery and return to comfortable living conditions for communities participating in the program and who will be those deciding to replicate the developed solutions.
— Provide more people with experience in using modern solutions, stimulating the development of small towns and villages.
— Increase the likelihood of displaced residents returning to their communities by informing them about positive changes.
— Support the local economy by teams purchasing materials from local producers and entrepreneurs and commissioning work from craftsmen that teenagers cannot perform due to age limitations (for example, welding metal structures for the project in Rudky).
— Enable conscious career choices and better self-realization as students will better understand which professions will be in demand in the next 10-20 years.
Learning transferred to other parties
The educational program can be replicated in full in any region or country for all problems where teens and youth can develop solutions supported by experts. Where there are workshops or tools for prototyping, as well as readiness from local authorities to support team efforts.
Additionally, in working with the teams, our focus was on developing solutions that would be applicable to other communities facing similar problems. Considering the multitude of issues across the country, we aim for reasonable standardization so that a solution developed once can be replicated entirely or with minimal modifications as needed multiple times. This approach will enhance future community self-reliance, strengthen horizontal connections, and ensure the speed of reconstruction. Replicating such solutions won't require the involvement of leading experts. Local experts — the ones who have already gained experience in implementing the solution — will have sufficient expertise.
Scaling the developed solutions is one of the vectors for the program's development. Recognizing that educators not only support students but also actively participate in project development, we count on their support in disseminating the acquired experience, at least within the school network. Similarly, considering the interest from authorities — the community network. Focusing on the development of replicable solutions is also important for the students themselves as a skill in strategic planning that they can apply regardless of their chosen future profession. In this vector, we will focus on supporting solution replication — organizing experience dissemination and consulting new communities involving team members.
Additionally, in working with the teams, our focus was on developing solutions that would be applicable to other communities facing similar problems. Considering the multitude of issues across the country, we aim for reasonable standardization so that a solution developed once can be replicated entirely or with minimal modifications as needed multiple times. This approach will enhance future community self-reliance, strengthen horizontal connections, and ensure the speed of reconstruction. Replicating such solutions won't require the involvement of leading experts. Local experts — the ones who have already gained experience in implementing the solution — will have sufficient expertise.
Scaling the developed solutions is one of the vectors for the program's development. Recognizing that educators not only support students but also actively participate in project development, we count on their support in disseminating the acquired experience, at least within the school network. Similarly, considering the interest from authorities — the community network. Focusing on the development of replicable solutions is also important for the students themselves as a skill in strategic planning that they can apply regardless of their chosen future profession. In this vector, we will focus on supporting solution replication — organizing experience dissemination and consulting new communities involving team members.
Keywords
Self-charging
Sustainability
Participation
Responsibility
Recovery
