USAID and IREX restore access to formal and non-formal education

Today USAID/Ukraine Mission Director James Hope, and IREX Ukraine Country Director, Mehri Druckman, met with Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, and representatives of local and international organizations.

During the meeting, the Minister shared the Government of Ukraine's vision and strategy of educational reform. USAID announced plans to restore access to education through the Ukraine National Identity through Youth (UNITY) program.

Thousands of educational institutions have been damaged or destroyed due to the full-scale invasion. According to data released in January, 2023 by the Ministry of Education and Science, more than 3,000 schools were damaged.  More than 400 were destroyed entirely. Children and young people have been deprived of the opportunity to study and develop. In addition to renovating damaged schools, the Ministry of Education and Science are working to create more human-centered educational environments and rethink Soviet-style school spaces.

"It is important for us not only to rebuild the walls, but also to fill them with new meanings. Innovation, human-centered, and continuous development are the values on which Ukrainian education should stand. Restoring infrastructure is certainly important, especially when it comes to face-to-face or blended learning. However, this is only part of the large-scale work. We aim not only to modernize educational spaces, but also to improve the quality of education to meet modern requirements," said Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.

In the short-term and long-term perspectives, youth will play a decisive role in the social and economic recovery of Ukraine, so investing in youth now is one of the primary tasks for Ukraine's democratic future and European integration.

For the past three years, the USAID UNITY program, implemented by IREX has been working on expanding economic opportunities through youth innovation, entrepreneurship, and career preparedness, increasing civic activism and volunteering, strengthening youth potential to be the driving force of Ukrainian pluralism and respect for diversity, and using research and data to inform effective and sustainable changes in youth policy.

"As educational systems around the world are recovering from the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraine's education system had to face unprecedented challenges brought by Russia's full-scale invasion. The right to education is a fundamental human right. Without access to education, young people cannot fully acquire knowledge and skills necessary to realize their potential and reveal their talents. Education is a foundation, so it is critically important to do everything possible so that Ukrainian children and youth regain this foundation, which will support them throughout their lives," said Mehri Drukman, IREX Ukraine Country Director.

To help Ukraine overcome challenges in education, USAID will provide additional support to increase l access to formal and non-formal learning opportunities.

Within this objective, IREX will partner with the GoGlobal educational foundation, and the international charitable foundation savED.

"USAID understands that returning youth to learning is critical in restoring normalcy after months of war and years of COVID-19 disruptions. That's why USAID UNITY will expand its support to the Ukrainian partners in the educational system by assisting with the installation of modular educational centers in affected communities, developing and implementing catch-up and remedial programs, building the capacity of educational institutions to use modern technology and digital solutions in the educational process, as well as roll out robust teacher professional development and mental health and psychosocial support programs," said James Hope, USAID/Ukraine Mission Director.

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UNITY (Mriemo ta diemo) program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by IREX in partnership with Building Ukraine Together (BUR), Center for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR Ukraine), Making Cents International (MCI), International Republican Institute (IRI), and Zinc Network.