Nova Ukraine Highlights Education Resilience at UNGA80: Learning to Stay Strong
Nova Ukraine joined global leaders at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly to spotlight education as Ukraine’s backbone of resilience. The high-level side event Learning to Stay Strong: Education as Ukraine’s Backbone of Resilience demonstrated how Ukraine’s schools and educators continue to function under bombardment, displacement, and destruction with 3.5 million children studying in bomb shelters, online, and in newly built underground schools. The event, organized by Osvitoria, Ukraine’s leading educational NGO, and supported by Nova Ukraine, brought together distinguished guests including First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, Queen Silvia of Sweden, representatives of Permanent Missions to the UN, and international policymakers. Opening the event, First Lady Olena Zelenska stressed that education is not only a right but also a foundation of national recovery. Zoya Lytvyn, founder of Osvitoria, highlighted the staggering damage: “Since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion, 3,798 educational institutions have been damaged, 365 completely destroyed. Behind every number there is a child who deserves a safe and happy life. That is why we call on the world to invest in education as the backbone of both Ukraine’s recovery and our shared future.” Ambassador Erin McKee, CEO of Nova Ukraine, emphasized solidarity: “Education is one of the most powerful investments in Ukraine’s future. Even as children study under the shadow of war, their determination to learn remains unshaken. Since 2014, Nova Ukraine has supported education at all levels, but after Russia’s full-scale invasion, we expanded these efforts many times over. We see education as a strategic priority because it equips children not only with knowledge, but also with resilience, creativity, and the skills they will need to rebuild their country.”
In The News
