Empowering Vulnerable Girls in STEM - Ukraine

We are pleased to share an update on the progress of our STEM education program in Ukraine, which continues to strengthen access to quality learning, improve teaching practices, and equip children and youth with essential skills for the future.

Our STEM direction remains a core part of our work in supporting schools affected by the war, ensuring that children—regardless of their location or circumstances—can continue learning through modern, engaging, and practice-oriented education.

Over the recent period, our focus has been on strengthening impact, consolidating results from previous interventions, and preparing the next phase of program expansion based on evidence and feedback from schools, teachers, and students.

Measurable Impact: Strengthening STEM Education

Through our broader STEM initiative, we continue to see sustained results in the schools we support, particularly in Kyiv and Sumy regions.

Key quantitative results:

• 4 fully equipped and renovated STEM classrooms actively used by schools
• 300+ students regularly engaged in STEM learning in improved environment
• 40+ teachers applying modern, practice-based teaching methodologies
• 21 schools engaged through competitions and program activities
• 32 STEM lesson plans developed and submitted
• 2 regions covered, including communities affected by war

Qualitative impact:

• Increased student engagement and curiosity, especially among girls
• Improved critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Transition to hands-on, experiment-based learning
• Greater confidence and participation of girls in STEM-related activities
• Strengthened teacher capacity to deliver innovative and interdisciplinary education

Teachers emphasize that STEM is no longer perceived as abstract theory, but as a practical tool for understanding real-life challenges, from energy use during blackouts to environmental and everyday problem-solving.

Empowering Teachers: “STEM in Everyday Life” Competition

A key milestone was the successful completion of the “STEM in Everyday Life” lesson competition, implemented within the “STEM: Pathway to Innovation” project in partnership with Mondelez Ukraine.

Competition highlights:

• 21 schools participated
• 32 lesson submissions received
• Sumy region: 13 schools / 23 lessons
• Kyiv region: 8 schools / 9 lessons

Teachers integrated mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, IT, and technology to demonstrate how STEM applies to real-life contexts such as:

• energy efficiency during blackouts
• sustainable living and environmental awareness
• applied mathematics in daily activities
• interdisciplinary problem-solving

Capacity building:

Participants also took part in practical training sessions, including:

• application of AI tools in education (content creation, data analysis, visualization)
• energy resilience solutions for schools and homes (generators, batteries, solar systems)

All participants received access to additional learning tools, including a one-year subscription to the Mozaik educational platform.

Support to schools:

• 4 winning schools will receive furniture, interactive boards, and STEM equipment to further strengthen their learning environments

This work ensures that teachers remain key drivers of sustainable change, inspiring both boys and girls to engage with STEM.

‍ Advancing #GirlsSTEM

The #GirlsSTEM initiative is a dedicated direction within our work aimed at expanding access for girls from vulnerable backgrounds.

Based on monitoring and feedback:

• girls are increasingly engaged and interested in STEM subjects
• more girls are participating in project-based learning and competitions
• confidence and self-belief among girls in STEM contexts is growing

At the same time, we identified the importance of:

• targeted programming specifically for girls
• mentorship and inspiration opportunities
• safe and inclusive learning environments

These insights are shaping our next steps.

Building Sustainable Partnerships

We also launched a long-term charity initiative with Orxata Transforming Jewelry, a brand that combines engineering thinking and creative design.

Within this collaboration:

• 10% of net profit from each purchase supports #GirlsSTEM
• customers can make additional voluntary contributions
• a special charity product planned for 2026 will allocate 100% of profits to the project

This partnership represents a sustainable funding model, engaging new audiences and demonstrating how business can contribute to meaningful social impact.

Monitoring, Learning, and Program Development

During this period, our team focused on strengthening the program through:

• What’s Next

We are preparing the next phase of the project, which will include:

• new national STEM competitions and challenges for girls
• expansion of activities to additional regions of Ukraine
• further equipment support and modernization of learning spaces
• introduction of mentorship and role model components
• continued teacher training in innovative and digital tools

Our ambition is to scale a model that not only supports education but empowers girls to become future leaders in science, technology, engineering, and innovation.

Why This Matters

In Ukraine today, access to education is directly linked to resilience and recovery. Supporting STEM means:

• reducing gender inequality in future careers
• building skills needed to rebuild the country
• creating opportunities despite war-related disruptions

Thank You

We are deeply grateful to the GlobalGiving community for your continued support. Your contributions help us strengthen education systems and ensure that children in Ukraine can continue learning despite extraordinary challenges.

Invest in the future of Ukraine. Help us expand STEM education in Ukraine.

Links:

• Video: STEM: The Path to Innovation