"STEM is FEM" develops educational series on how to rebuild Ukrainian cities
Photo: Instagram / stem_is_fem
With the support of Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Ukrainian public organization "STEM is FEM" created an educational series called "Urbanistics."
The series is free, and you can watch it on Diia.Osvita — the country's main edutainment platform, Rubryka reports.
What is the problem?
During a year and a half of the full-scale invasion, dozens of Ukrainian cities and towns were destroyed by Russian forces. The country needs to rebuild to restore the rights of Ukrainian men and women to housing, work, education, and recreation.
However, the goal is not just to restore what was destroyed but to improve towns, making them safer, more comfortable, and more progressive than they had been.
It is exactly the citizens who must choose how they want to see their cities, and if they want to do that, they need to understand the basics of urbanism and city planning, learn what cities can be, and what innovations can be introduced.
What is the solution?
The STEM is FEM developed an educational series where experts and specialists talk about how cities appeared and developed, what Ukrainians need to make them safe and comfortable, and what Ukraine's post-war recovery can be like. The educational online series was
How does it work?
"Urbanistics" consists of 17 episodes; one episode lasts about 12 minutes. Among the topics that the series covers are urban studies and responsible citizenship, post-war reconstruction and building of public spaces, inclusivity, and innovative construction projects.
Episodes can be watched in Ukrainian from September 12 and in English from September 22. Subtitles are available in each version.
Also, viewers can complete tasks after each series and at the end of the course. Those who pass all the tests will receive a certificate of completion.
"We have to think now about what Ukrainian cities will look like in the future. It is important to know what public space can be, why inclusiveness is vital, and in which cities we want to live," said Valeria Ionan, the deputy digital minister. "The series will help Ukrainians understand how to make cities comfortable for many residents and for each individual resident. We thank STEM is FEM for the joint work and concern for the future of Ukrainians."
Photo: Diia.Оsviat
The authors of the course are confident that the series will also interest people considering urban planning as a future profession or studying related specialties and those who do not yet know anything about this industry. After all, knowledge about how cities function and how they can be improved is essential for all responsible citizens.
"The girls from the STEM is FEM community were really looking forward to the educational activities about urban planning even before the full-scale invasion began. But after February 24, it took on a completely different relevance," said STEM is FEM initiator Serhii Tokariev. "How to restore destroyed Ukrainian cities? When to start rebuilding, and what should you pay the most attention to? What must be left alone, and what must be fundamentally changed? I'm glad that today, Ukrainian youth are so interested in urban planning and that we can create an educational product accessible to everyone."
The educational series was created on the initiative of Ukraine's digital ministry for the Diia.Osvita platform with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project is developed within the Dream and Act program, executed by IREX in partnership with the public organization STEM is FEM.
Background
STEM is FEM is an educational project to popularize STEM specialties (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) among girls. The project unites like-minded people, creating a community where girls support each other, share ideas, and develop together. STEM is FEM was initiated by Ukrainian IT entrepreneur and founder of Roosh technology company Serhii Tokariev.
Diia.Osvita is a national edutainment platform for relevant knowledge and skills where you can study for free, learn a new profession, and find job opportunities.
The Dream and Act is a 5-year program to develop and support youth in Ukraine, creating a favorable environment where young Ukrainians can realize their dreams, ideas, and visions of the country's development.
The online course "Urbanistics" was made possible thanks to the sincere support of the American people through USAID. Course content is the responsibility of STEM is FEM and does not necessarily reflect the views of IREX, USAID, or the United States Government.
Rubryka reported that Poland found a way to help restore windows in Ukraine by collecting used windows and sending them to Ukraine. Our article explores how this solution works and why it originated in Poland: "Windows for Ukraine: Polish volunteers provide used windows for Ukrainian houses affected by the war."
