Teach For Ukraine launched a new large-scale phase of collaboration with UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) in Ukraine in April 2026. This year-long initiative is aimed at providing comprehensive support to the education system in emergency settings and addressing learning losses in four frontline oblasts: Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.
The project takes a holistic approach: from in-depth research into the educational needs of children and the scale of their learning losses in frontline territories, to online learning for students, professional development for teachers, psychosocial support, and the engagement of intellectual volunteers to conduct online classes with children. The initiative is funded by the governments of Spain, Norway, and Japan.
Anastasiia Donska, Program Director of Teach For Ukraine, shares:
The partnership between Teach For Ukraine and UNICEF began back in 2022 and is built on a shared commitment to ensuring children in Ukraine have access to quality education even in wartime, and to providing teachers with all the necessary resources and support to work effectively in emergency settings. Today, in frontline oblasts where learning is often only possible online, education goes beyond academic development — it is a vital tool for support, stability, and keeping children connected to their future.
Within this new project, we plan to strengthen the education-in-emergency system in four frontline oblasts through comprehensive online support for children, teacher training and professional development in partnership with in-service teacher training institutions, and engagement of StudMentor volunteers to help children stay included in the learning process. Our shared goal is not only to help children recover their learning losses, but also to create a safe environment of support, growth, and connection — despite the challenges of war. We value this partnership as an example of how international partners, civil society, and educators can come together to sustain Ukrainian education and support the wellbeing of children in communities closest to the frontline.
Since in-person learning is currently impossible in many frontline communities, the organization’s team is focused on ensuring educational continuity, providing mental health support for education participants, and strengthening digital capacity.
Research and analytics:
In partnership with UNICEF, Teach For Ukraine will conduct comprehensive research into the educational needs in frontline territories and assess the level of learning losses among children living there. This will enable the development of more targeted and effective response tools.
Tutoring waves for grades 1–11 within the Educational SUPport program:
Online classes will be organized for students physically located in the government-controlled parts of Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts who are currently studying online.
Importantly, the project will also include primary school students; however, work with the youngest learners will begin in autumn 2026 — the team is currently actively developing methodological materials and training teachers accordingly.
Teacher development and training:
The organization’s team of experts will develop new training programs for teachers in partnership with in-service teacher training institutions, as well as deliver online courses on tutoring competencies, methods for working with primary school students, and approaches for students with special educational needs (SEN).
Teacher mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS):
In autumn, a series of online and in-person events and training sessions for teachers — “Waves of Inspiration” — will be held, focused on psychosocial support and burnout prevention.
StudMentor program and intellectual volunteering:
Teach For Ukraine will continue to recruit and train intellectual volunteers to conduct catch-up learning sessions for children in communities close to the frontline.
Enabling conditions for effective online learning: With UNICEF’s support, the organization’s team will also coordinate the distribution of necessary devices and learning materials to children to ensure stable access to classes.
The Educational SUPport program is a learning recovery initiative through which children receive free supplementary classes aligned with the school curriculum, covering missed or insufficiently mastered topics.
To help children catch up over the summer holidays in a comfortable setting, a special six-week intensive is being launched:
Dates: 17 June – 29 July 2026
Duration: 6 weeks (4 sessions per week)
Subjects (student’s choice): Ukrainian language, English language, biology, geography, History of Ukraine, physics, chemistry, computer science, mathematics
Eligibility: Students who have completed grades 5–10, are physically located in the government-controlled parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, or Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, and are currently studying online.
Registration is open until 7 June at: https://forms.gle/Hu1DwZTxUiSqWzZn7
Teach For Ukraine is a public organization that has been working since 2017 to ensure every child in Ukraine has the opportunity to reach their potential, regardless of where they were born or where they live. The organization is part of the global Teach For All network. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Teach For Ukraine has become one of the leading organizations addressing learning losses in Ukraine, using tutoring and mentoring approaches in its work with schoolchildren, supporting educators, and developing a new generation of leaders for Ukraine’s recovery and sustainable development.
UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) works in the most challenging regions of the world to protect children’s rights and ensure their access to quality education, safe environments, and development. The partnership with Teach For Ukraine, which began in 2022, focuses on supporting the Ukrainian education system and assisting children in emergency settings.
This initiative is implemented within the framework of UNICEF’s programme “Online Learning Loss Recovery and Psychosocial Support Programme for Students in Eastern Regions of Ukraine,” carried out by Teach For Ukraine NGO with financial support from the governments of Spain, Norway, and Japan.
