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A new city has been added to the map of the state institution ‘Superheroes school’. An educational centre has been officially opened in Odesa, in the regional clinical hospital. The opening was attended by First Lady Olena Zelenska and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

The centre was made possible with funding from the Olena Zelenska Foundation. The educational space is almost 90 square metres, including classrooms for preschoolers, students in grades 1-4, students in grades 5-11, a mental health room, a reception, and a headmaster's office.

The Odesa Superheroes School is one of six schools that the Foundation funded in 2024. And we will continue to scale this project. Our plans for 2025 are to open at least six more such educational centres in other cities,’ said Nina Gorbacheva, director of the Olena Zelenska Foundation.

The team of the educational space includes a methodologist, a primary school teacher, an educator and a practical psychologist, as well as teachers of 11 subjects (integrated courses) who teach in accordance with state standards. For children with special educational needs, specialists are involved in correctional and developmental, psychological and pedagogical classes.

The Odesa educational centre of the Superheroes School started its work in June 2024. While the classrooms were being renovated, the teachers held classes in wards and hospital rooms. All to make up for the educational losses of the hospital's young patients. Over the entire period of the school's operation, more than 1800 classes were held for 218 children.

Currently, there are 17 educational centres on the map of the Superheroes School, of which 6 spaces were opened last year with funding from the Olena Zelenska Foundation. The plans for 2025 include the full-fledged operation of 6 more educational spaces - in Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Lutsk, Chernivtsi, Ternopil and Mukachevo.

‘During the war, we grew from 5 educational centres to 17 full-fledged educational spaces equipped to the highest standards, including a preschool department and a practical psychologist's office. This is a great work of the team, partners, and friends of the Superheroes School. We are grateful to the First Lady and the Foundation for sharing our values and understanding the importance of education for young hospital patients. For children, it is a territory of opportunities even during treatment, it is socialisation and childhood. For parents, it is a place where they can always come for advice and support. And also to see their children smiling and happy even in the hospital,' said Natalia Zhylinska, acting director of the Superheroes School.