eKidz.eu and NGO Ukrainian Smile Provide Digital Resources to Schools in Conflict Zones

Frontline schools in Dnipropetrovsk region have received 182 tablets with unique content from eKidz. This initiative aims to provide digital education to 35,000 children in rural areas, offering each school a mobile classroom equipped with 9 tablets (1 for the teacher and 8 for students). Additionally, an online seminar was conducted for teachers to guide them on utilizing these resources effectively.

Notable attendees at the event included Irina Grytsay, Deputy Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration – Chief of the Regional Military Administration; Olga Lozova, Director of the Department of Education and Science of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration; Viktor Sychenko, Acting Rector of the Dnipro Academy of Continuous Education; and Ivan Stepurin, President of the NGO “Ukrainian Smile”.

Furthermore, NGO Ukrainian Smile organized an online seminar titled “Artificial Intelligence in Action: Innovations for School Education” for elementary and middle school teachers. Nataliya Tetruyeva, founder of the educational technology startup eKidz.eu, emphasized the importance of countering the destructive consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war by providing modern digital education tools. She highlighted that each computer provided to teachers and students enhances the quality of communication and ensures access to contemporary digital education, thereby contributing to a brighter future.

During the seminar, speakers such as Alexander Konovalov, co-founder of the translation service based on AI, discussed Ukrainian achievements in the field of artificial intelligence. Nataliya Tetruyeva elaborated on teaching reading and speaking using the eKidz.eu digital textbook. Teachers also learned about the application of AI technologies in education, addressing educational losses, providing psychosocial support during war, assessing student knowledge, overcoming language proficiency gaps among students, conducting mental health screenings, and offering psychological assistance during lessons.

Registered participants received free access to the eKidz digital textbook for teaching reading and language development in foreign and native languages using AI, Office 365 A1 licenses from Microsoft, methodological recommendations approved by the Ministry of Education and Science, and fiction literature for school libraries from Summit-Book Publishing.

These initiatives are part of the project “Provision of Digital Tools to Overcome Learning Gaps, Socio-Emotional Development, and Assessment of Mental Health for the Most Vulnerable 35,000 Children in Rural Areas”, implemented by “100% Life” – the Network of PLHIV in partnership with “Ukrainian Smile”, with financial support from the Humanitarian Fund for Ukraine.

The project aims to reduce social and educational inequality among Ukrainian children. Students in frontline territories of six regions – Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson – will gain access to digital education, including tools for socio-emotional development. This will enable children to acquire communication skills, improve interpersonal relationships, and learn methods of psychological self-help.

Recently, within the project Ukraine received 100 mobile classrooms for the most vulnerable eastern and southern regions of the country. Each mobile classroom contains 8 laptops for students, one professional device for the teacher, a set of accessories for children with special educational needs, a Ukrainian literacy digital textbook, methodological guides and trainings for teachers, and a charging station with a WiFi/LTE router.

It’s worth mentioning that the NGO Ukrainian Smile is part of the Device Coalition, an association of organizations, businesses, governments, and philanthropists providing devices for online learning to Ukrainian students and teachers forced to conduct educational processes online.

The Device Coalition’s work was launched in the United Kingdom, based on the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation, together with the Elena Zelenska Foundation. Through partnerships, Ukrainian ministries aim to ensure equal access to the educational process in communities most affected by the Russian-Ukrainian war.

We’re grateful for the support of Denys Krasnikov, Founder of YourKindness Foundation, and Anna Kokhanets, Women Participation Program Director, whose dedication helps extend our educational initiative to frontline regions. Their commitment aligns perfectly with our mission, and we’re honored to have them as partners.”

Media Contact
Company Name: NGO Ukrainian Smile
Contact Person: Media Relations
Email: Send Email
Address:St. Staro-Kyivska, building 10-G, Block B, office 210, 04116, Kyiv
Country: Ukraine
Website: https://ukrainiansmile.org/