Creative and educational event for children at the YaMariupol Center in Chernivtsi (DP5YOU)

On January 27, 2026, a warm and extremely important event for children from Mariupol, who are currently temporarily residing in our city, took place in Chernivtsi at the “I’Mariupol” Chernivtsi Center.

The event was organized and conducted by the public organization “YOUTH. SCIENCE. SPORTS. HEALTHY MOVEMENT OF UKRAINE“ in cooperation with the “I’Mariupol“Center in Chernivtsi as part of the project ”Digital Platform of Knowledge and Skills Development for Youth Working with Child Migrants and Refugees at European Level” (DP5YOU), co-funded by the European Union.

At the beginning of the event, all participants were welcomed by Dmytro Ivanov, a member of the project team from the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, who emphasized the importance of supporting children in today’s difficult conditions and developing youth initiatives.

The purpose of the event was to familiarize participants with initiatives to promote European values, give a brief presentation of the project, and create a safe, supportive space for children who need attention, care, and emotional support.

The event included a display of illustrations and drawings through which children formed associations with Ukraine, European Union countries, and places where they would like to study, communicate, and participate in similar events. This form of work became an important tool for supporting the children’s psychological and emotional state.

Of particular interest was a creative master class on T-shirt painting, during which children expressed their creativity, emotions, and inner state through colors, symbols, and meaningful words.

It is important to note that parents actively participated in the event—together with their children, they took part in creative activities and jointly presented the children with commemorative medals bearing the project’s symbol as a memento of the event.

Yaroslav Galan, PhD in Physical Education and Sports, Associate Professor, spoke about the project’s initiatives and future activities, presented videos for children about European values, leadership, and career development, and presented a letter of appreciation to the “I’Mariupol” Center in Chernivtsi, emphasizing the importance of preparing young people to work with displaced children.

Olga Andriiska, curator of cultural events at the “I’Mariupol” Center in Chernivtsi and co-organizer of the event, spoke about the center’s activities, events, and projects implemented to support families, and emphasized the importance of partnership and further cooperation.

The event was also attended by:

Olga Beshley, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor, who joined the creative workshops with the children;

Olga Shchur, administrative assistant of the organization, who presented the drawings, talked with the children, and outlined key ideas and associations;

Anastasiia Komerzan, who actively supported creative activities and worked with children during the workshops.

Such events give young people the opportunity not only to get involved in socially important initiatives, but also to develop practical skills in communication, facilitation, and supporting children in real-life situations.

The event took place in a warm, friendly atmosphere and received sincere positive feedback from children and parents.