This year, the Olena Zelenska Foundation funded the creation of six Schools of Superheroes in hospitals across Lviv, Vinnytsia, Poltava, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, and Rivne, as announced by Ukraine’s First Lady during her address to participants of the Conference of Hospital Teachers of the Schools of Superheroes.
More than 150 educators who teach children in hospitals participated in the event. The conference aimed to share experiences, discuss strategic planning, and explore ways to develop and expand the network of these schools.
“At the Schools of Superheroes, the students are superheroes themselves, balancing education and medical treatment. But you, their teachers, are also superheroes to them. When a teacher enters a hospital classroom or ward, approaches the desk or bedside, and the child feels excitement and a renewed interest in life, at that moment your mission is accomplished,” said Olena Zelenska.
The First Lady also thanked the Foundation’s international partners for their support and assured them that the project will continue to expand.
Additionally, the Foundation has committed to restoring the School of Superheroes at the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital destroyed by a Russian missile attack in July. Plans for next year include establishing six new educational centers within medical facilities.
“We all miss the ordinary, everyday things – the feeling of normalcy in our lives. And hospital school teachers help restore that sense of normalcy. Thank you! I and the Foundation will do everything we can to create conditions worthy of our superheroes,” Olena Zelenska concluded.
The School of Superheroes was launched as a public initiative in 2016 and gained official status five years later, when Ukraine’s First Lady took the project under her patronage. Currently, 17 schools operate in hospitals across 13 cities.