Youth of Mykolaiv region will learn how to create projects and receive $5,000 to implement them

A new season of the educational programme «UActive», which helps teenagers from frontline communities learn how to create socially useful initiatives, has started in Mykolaiv.

This year, 10 teams have joined the programme in Mykolaiv region, which will work with mentors and mentors for 10 months, NikVesti reports.

Participants learn project management, leadership, creativity, and fundraising. After the winter presentations, the jury will select 5 teams that will receive seed funding of $5,000 to implement their projects. A total of $25,000 in support for youth initiatives is provided in Mykolaiv region.

The UActive community includes dozens of teenagers who already have experience in creating their own projects. One of them is Dmytro from the Yavkyne school of the Bashtanka community. Last season, his team presented the idea of creating the «Palianytsia Media Centre».

«We planned to equip school corridors with TVs and turn a separate classroom into a space with a laptop, camera and all the necessary equipment. It was supposed to be a centre where students could create their own content and develop media literacy. Although we did not receive a grant, participation in the programme gave us our first experience of working on our own idea and an understanding of how to engage the team and the community,» says Dmytro.

Programme manager Iryna Yavorska said that the aim of the programme was to teach participants how to work with projects: from budget planning to presentations to the jury. Upon completion of the training, five teams will receive a grant, but even those who do not receive direct financial support will have the knowledge and tools to attract resources from the community or business.

According to her, the programme gives teenagers practical skills and a network of contacts that allows them to continue working on projects after the course.

«We teach them how to attract additional resources — from the community and business to external grants. This is an important experience because teenagers learn to implement ideas even with limited funding. Most importantly, they gain practical skills, contacts and a network of like-minded people, which allows them to continue working on projects even after the programme is completed,» said Iryna Yavorska.

The savED Foundation has been implementing the UActive educational programme for teenagers from frontline regions who want to rebuild Ukraine since 2023, and over 700 students have created 35 projects for their communities: from film clubs and STEM clubs to sports grounds and youth spaces.