Join our fascinating project — Ukrainian language EdTech learning programs for the Ukrainian diaspora children, to support 30 million Ukrainians all over the globe.

What major problem does this project solve?

As a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, approximately 7 million Ukrainians were forced to leave their homes in search of refuge abroad.

As of September 2024, according to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, more than 335,000 Ukrainian students, while being abroad, continue their studies in Ukrainian schools. At the same time, about 250,000 students remain outside the Ukrainian education system:

• More than 500,000 Ukrainian students fled Ukraine due to the war.
• 335,000 of them study in two countries simultaneously.
• 250,000 are outside the Ukrainian education system.

Problem

No country in the world can provide 500,000 Ukrainian schoolchildren abroad with the necessary number of teachers of the Ukrainian language.

The literacy level of Ukrainian students abroad is rapidly declining due to the inability to study their native Ukrainian language, which helps shape their way of thinking.

Those students who dream of returning home to live, study, and work in Ukraine are deprived of the opportunity to study the Ukrainian language, which is not only the “language of nightingales” but also mandatory for admission to any institution of higher education in Ukraine, the language of official and business communication, as well as the state language.

Ukrainian refugees after 2022

• Poland: about 1.5 million (21.4%)
• Germany: approximately 1 million (14.3%)
• Czech Republic: about 500,000 (7.1%)
• Italy: approximately 400,000 (5.7%)
• Spain: about 300,000 (4.3%)

The percentage refers to the total number of Ukrainian refugees who left Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Global context

In addition to the 7 million Ukrainian refugees who left their homes after 2022, it is worth mentioning the post-Soviet period of emigration. In the first decades after the restoration of independence, 6 million Ukrainians emigrated abroad. This period spans from 1991 to 2014.

Over 30 million Ukrainians abroad

Thus, there are 13 million Ukrainians abroad in the modern period of our history: 6 million who left their homes from 1991 to 2014 and 7 million refugees from the Russian war after 2022.

However, this figure is not final. Even before the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian diaspora numbered about 20 million people, spread across the globe. The largest communities live in the following countries:

Ukrainian diaspora before 2014

• Canada: over 1.3 million Ukrainians
• USA: about 1 million
• Brazil: approximately 600,000
• Argentina: about 300,000
• Germany: over 250,000 (in addition to 1 million refugees in recent years)

As of 2024, considering the “historical” Ukrainian diaspora (over 20 million people), Ukrainian emigrants of 2014 (6 million), and wartime refugees (about 7 million), there are over 30 million Ukrainians abroad.

Who will teach their children Ukrainian? Where will we find enough teachers? What educational and methodological resources exist specifically for this category of children, schoolchildren, and high school students? This is the problem that the “Children of the Diaspora” project aims to systematically solve.

Ukrainian schools abroad

Ukrainian communities abroad strive to preserve Ukraine’s cultural heritage through educational institutions. For example, in the USA alone, there are about 30 Ukrainian schools, including:

• The School Council under the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA)
• The “Nova Khvylka” School of Ukrainian Studies
• The Ukrainian Studies School in Yonkers
• The Lesya Ukrainka School of Ukrainian Studies
• The Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Studies School (Washington), and others

In other countries (Argentina, Brazil, Canada — dozens of countries), Ukrainian schools also function, often feeling disconnected from the Ukrainian education system and experiencing a lack of educational and methodological resources for proper teaching of the Ukrainian language, literature, and culture.

As of September 2024, there are more than 350 Ukrainian educational centers worldwide, and their number is constantly growing.

It is worth noting that these are usually small schools operating solely on a volunteer basis. They are often schools attached to Ukrainian spiritual centers (often Catholic communities), informal gatherings on Saturdays or Sundays organized by Ukrainian parents living in a particular locality.

Problems faced by Ukrainian parents and schools abroad

• Parents lack proper educational resources, programs, or other means for systematic and productive teaching of the Ukrainian language to their children.
• Ukrainian schools abroad also lack such resources.
• Different age groups of children require different methodological approaches. Parents and schools often lack these materials.
• Parents and schools are forced to invent amateur programs for teaching Ukrainian.
• Children who grew up abroad do not understand the educational programs of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. They do not understand the terms, grammar, or even basic words. These programs do not work there as they are designed for citizens of modern Ukraine.
• The education systems in the USA, Canada, Australia, and European countries differ significantly from Ukrainian ones. They often emphasize play, an easy approach to learning, and natural engagement of each student. Such programs for our children do not exist systematically.
• Since most diaspora children do not even have basic Ukrainian language skills, many schools are created not for “language” but for Ukrainian studies. This approach introduces Ukrainian culture through dance, folk costumes, holidays, wreaths, embroidery, painting, singing, playing musical instruments, reciting poetry, and more. However, there are few, if any, specially adapted resources for learning Ukrainian for these children.

Response to these problems

To help over 30 million Ukrainians abroad in the USA, Canada, Australia, European countries, and other parts of the world learn Ukrainian language and culture, we initiated the development of EdTech programs for diaspora children.

The goal is to help millions of young Ukrainians abroad learn the Ukrainian language and culture through a system of EdTech programs and applications developed by top experts — modern, engaging, user-friendly, interactive, and gamified (with a gaming component).

The Ukrainian Elite School takes responsibility for initiating, developing, administering, and implementing this project.

What will the result look like?

Our partners and specialists have already implemented similar projects. Among them is the interactive mobile app “Bible for Kids,” specially designed for preschool and early school-age children.

Examples of a similar project

One of the most successful examples of what our project for children aged 8–10 will look like is the Ukrainian-language app “Bible for Kids.” It was implemented thanks to the joint efforts of the organization “OneHope,” Bible.com, and the Ukrainian localization expertize (translation, media, and technological solutions) led by Oles Dmytrenko.

Result: The app has already been downloaded by over 50 million users. Details can be found on Bible.com, where you can download it for free and see how fascinating this program is for children, their parents, and even their grandparents!

Another example of a great product for school-aged children is the GIOS Math Learning System, developed by our friends and co-founders of the EdTech Association Ukraine, which includes the Ukrainian School of Elites.

See how interesting, thanks to interactive and animated technologies, Math learning can be (in our case, the Ukrainian language programs). The GIOS platform is used by over 100,000 students in Ukraine alone.

Thus, our project involves creating a series of interactive programs and applications for learning Ukrainian using the same innovative approach — including technology, visualization, engagement, gamification, and user interaction to educate and develop Ukrainian children in all parts of the world.

By inviting the best experts — teachers, graphic designers, EdTech masters and others — we will develop an exciting educational system that evokes positive emotions and facilitates learning by our children, bringing joy to their parents and grandparents.

Audio, animation, games, and much more will work to ensure that millions of Ukrainian children enjoy communicating in their native language and pass on Ukrainian culture from generation to generation.

What obstacles hinder the project’s implementation?

According to the policies of most investment and charitable funds, priority is given to global projects with international impact or those related to “entering foreign markets.”

This means that commercial ideas of “scalability” often take precedence over the humanitarian mission of solving pressing problems, such as a child’s broken psyche when living abroad and feeling disconnected from their people, language, and culture. Or the desperate attempts of Ukrainian parents whose children were born in another culture to pass on the rich and fascinating linguistic, literary, and cultural heritage of their nation — due to a lack of resources.

Due to popular grant requirements, universal subjects such as math, physics, robotics, etc., quickly receive funding because they can be “scaled.” Meanwhile, the Ukrainian language (literature and culture) does not fit standard criteria.

Thus, there are two main obstacles:

1. Lack of funding for strategic projects to support the Ukrainian language and culture abroad.
2. Lack of understanding among foreign charitable foundations, humanitarian organizations, or individual donors about the urgent need for Ukrainians to preserve their language and culture, especially in the context of Russian aggression.

Are there other obstacles to implementing this project? No, there are no other obstacles. We have unique experience in project development, administration, and implementation. We have established an excellent network of partners, specialists, and like-minded people.

We know how to implement this grand project from A to Z. All that is needed for its implementation is financial support in line with the budget.

Project cost

The total cost of the project: $1 million USD.

The cost of the first phase: $200,000 USD. Duration of implementation: 12 months.

Impact of the project

• This project will serve 30 million Ukrainians abroad.
• It will help over 500,000 Ukrainian children who were forced to leave their homes because of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
• It will become a powerful resource for over 350 diaspora educational centers worldwide.
• It will unite generations of Ukrainians (grandparents will delight in grandchildren enthusiastically sharing what they learned through EdTech programs and applications developed with your support).
• It will preserve and transmit the Ukrainian language and culture to future generations.

What is included

The total budget covers the development, administration, and implementation of the complex project consisting of thirty-five components:

1. Development of a methodology for Ukrainian language programs for diaspora children.
2. Program for preschool diaspora children to study the Ukrainian language.
3. Program for diaspora children in grade 5 to study the Ukrainian language.
4. Program for diaspora children in grade 6 to study the Ukrainian language.
5. Program for diaspora children in grade 7 to study the Ukrainian language.
6. Program for diaspora children in grade 8 to study the Ukrainian language.
7. Program for diaspora children in grade 9 to study the Ukrainian language.
8. Program for high school diaspora students to study the Ukrainian language and prepare for external independent testing (for those planning to pursue higher education in Ukraine or meet the Ukrainian language proficiency standards set by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine).
9. Interactive gamified computer (desktop, laptop, tablet) version of the educational program for preschool diaspora children to study the Ukrainian language.
10. Interactive gamified mobile version of the educational program for preschool diaspora children to study the Ukrainian language.
11. Interactive gamified computer (desktop, laptop, tablet) version of the educational program for diaspora children in grade 5 to study the Ukrainian language.
12. Interactive gamified mobile version of the educational program for diaspora children in grade 5 to study the Ukrainian language.
13. Interactive gamified computer (desktop, laptop, tablet) version of the educational program for diaspora children in grade 6 to study the Ukrainian language.
14. Interactive gamified mobile version of the educational program for diaspora children in grade 6 to study the Ukrainian language.
15. Interactive gamified computer (desktop, laptop, tablet) version of the educational program for diaspora children in grade 7 to study the Ukrainian language.
16. Interactive gamified mobile version of the educational program for diaspora children in grade 7 to study the Ukrainian language.
17. Interactive gamified computer (desktop, laptop, tablet) version of the educational program for diaspora children in grade 8 to study the Ukrainian language.
18. Interactive gamified mobile version of the educational program for diaspora children in grade 8 to study the Ukrainian language.
19. Interactive gamified computer (desktop, laptop, tablet) version of the educational program for diaspora children in grade 9 to study the Ukrainian language.
20. Interactive gamified mobile version of the educational program for diaspora children in grade 9 to study the Ukrainian language.
21. Interactive gamified computer (desktop, laptop, tablet) version of the educational program for high school diaspora students to study the Ukrainian language.
22. Interactive gamified mobile version of the educational program for high school diaspora students to study the Ukrainian language.
23. Development of media materials: audio recordings, video recordings, etc.
24. Development of visual tools: graphic design, illustration, etc.
25. Scientific support for the project (especially in folklore, ethnology, and culture: symbols, concepts, terms, chronology, stages, eras, names, titles, approaches, facts, etc.).
26. Development of a unified systematic approach to gamification.
27. Development of technological and interactive functions (synchronizing audio accompaniment with text, etc.).
28. Development of AI (artificial intelligence) solutions adapted to the specifics of the project.
29. Development of a testing system.
30. Consultation on compliance with the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
31. Consultation on moral and ethical compliance.
32. Consultation on legal compliance.
33. Project administration, including operational and organizational activities.
34. Communication at all levels of the project.
35. Promotion of the project to the target audience.

Implementation stages

• Development of methodology and creation of the first EdTech program — for preschool and early school-age children.
• Development of an interactive program for students in grade 5.
• Development of an interactive program for students in grades 6–7.
• Development of an interactive program for students in grades 8–9.
• Development of an interactive program for high school students and applicants to institutions of higher education.

First stage (12 months)

The implementation of the first stage of the project, “Development of methodology and creation of the first EdTech program — for preschool and early school-age children,” is scheduled for a period of 12 months.

The cost of the first stage: $200,000 USD. It consists of the following components:

1. Development of a methodology for Ukrainian language programs for diaspora children.
2. Program for preschool and early school-age diaspora children to study the Ukrainian language.
3. Interactive gamified computer (desktop, laptop, tablet) version of the educational program for preschool diaspora children to study the Ukrainian language.
4. Interactive gamified mobile version of the educational program for preschool diaspora children to study the Ukrainian language.
5. Development of media materials: audio recordings, video recordings, etc.
6. Development of visual tools: graphic design, illustration, etc.
7. Scientific support for the project (especially in folklore, ethnology, and culture: symbols, concepts, terms, chronology, stages, eras, names, titles, approaches, facts, etc.).
8. Development of a unified systematic approach to gamification.
9. Development of technological and interactive functions (synchronizing audio accompaniment with text, etc.).
10. Development of AI (artificial intelligence) solutions adapted to the specifics of the project.
11. Development of a testing system.
12. Consultation on compliance with the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
13. Consultation on moral and ethical compliance.
14. Consultation on legal compliance.
15. Project administration, including operational and organizational activities.
16. Communication at all levels of the project.
17. Promotion of the project to the target audience.

How to support the project

To support the “Children of the Diaspora” project, write to us (click the “Support” button).

The financial goal of the first stage is to ensure a reliable project budget equivalent to $200,000 USD.

These funds will have a specific purpose (the “Children of the Diaspora” project).

Legal entities, foundations, organizations, or individuals can request the necessary documentation — payment documents, thank-you letters, reports, etc. Join us!

Reporting

We keep records of every contribution made by our friends, like-minded people, and patrons toward the project — date, amount, donor name, purpose. Each donor receives a financial report, as well as updates on the progress and results of the project.

The names of donors and organizations supporting our mission are displayed on the Thank You Page (except for those who prefer anonymity or request to be listed as Incognito). Join us, and let’s do something great together!