Idea Pitching within the Schools Up Project: How East SOS Transforms Communities in Frontline and Border Regions
On August 16, 2025, ten school teams from the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions, along with a school relocated from the Donetsk region to Dnipro, presented their project ideas. Each team focused on addressing urgent challenges in frontline and border communities while developing schools into hubs of local activism and resilience. For several months, the participants of the Schools Up Project, implemented by the East SOS Charity Foundation, worked intensively under the guidance of experienced mentors.
“In May, we selected 10 teams out of 120 applicants. Through participation in the bootcamp and mentoring support during August, the teams refined their ideas into practical solutions and practiced pitching—one of the most essential skills for any project,” said Anna Kior, Education Program Manager at East SOS.
Renowned experts and practitioners in education, human rights, community development, and finance were invited to evaluate the presentations and select the strongest ideas for implementation. As a result of the pitching session, the jury identified five innovative projects that will receive financial support of UAH 200,000 for implementation during the academic year:
▪️ Sofiivka Lyceum, Sofiivka Village Council (Dnipro region) – development of a sports complex for children and youth;
▪️ Educational Complex No. 1 of the Pokrovsk City Council (Donetsk region, relocated to Dnipro) – creation of a resource room for displaced students;
▪️ Chernihiv Special School No. 1, Chernihiv City Council – establishment of an “Active Park” to improve communication among children and youth with hearing and speech impairments;
▪️ Lyceum “Dyvosvit,” Zhovtovodsk City Council (Dnipropetrovsk region) – creation of a resource room for children with special educational needs;
▪️ Novhorod-Siverskyi State Lyceum named after K.D. Ushynskyi (Chernihiv region) – launch of a safe space “Hub Kolo” for studying, recreation, and community meetings for schoolchildren.
“The research of community needs—and of the students themselves—showed that both students and teachers need to be heard, relieve stress, and overcome the fear of speaking about their problems. That’s how we came up with the idea of creating a multifunctional space within the school’s assembly hall, divided into zones for musical instruments, crafts, sports, and relaxation. This will be a place where the community can come together—for example, to knit socks for the military or weave camouflage nets. We are delighted to be among the winners, and it is especially encouraging to hear feedback from parents and local craftsmen who are already eager to join us and hold activities here,” said Natalia Drobot, a teacher at Dyvosvit Lyceum of the Zhovtovodsk City Council.
To support the continued development of project applications, East SOS will also purchase and deliver office equipment to the other five participating school teams.
“Since 2016, we have been supporting educational institutions and developing programs to strengthen civil society and overcome educational losses. The project presentations proved that the teams have learned how to listen to their communities and act in their best interest. When children and teachers collaborate, they create the most valuable investment—a stronger and more resilient tomorrow for their communities,” emphasized Yuliia Krasilnykova, Executive Director at East SOS and member of the pitching jury.
The selection process was supported by a distinguished jury: Liliia Hrynevych (PhD in Education, Vice-Rector of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine in 2016–2019), Yuliia Samokhvalova (Board Member and Project Manager at the Danish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights), Ivetta Kuzmina (Board Member and Coordinator of the Financial Department at East SOS), and Tomas Verteletskyi (Advisor on Monitoring, Evaluation, and Community Development).
The next stage is implementation. Despite all challenges, we believe these projects will bring warmth, resilience, and tangible benefits to their communities.
The training was organized by the East SOS Charity Foundation within the project “Schools Up: Strengthening the Capacity of Frontline and Displaced Schools in Ukraine”, in cooperation with the Danish Helsinki Committee and with the support of CISU.
Recently, the participants of the Schools Up project shared their experience of supporting a high-quality educational process amidst war.
