At Vradiyivka Lyceum No. 1, where 504 schoolchildren study, KSE Foundation has equipped a shelter for the primary school. The lyceum now has two shelters — for the primary and secondary school. This allows all students to learn offline in a single shift, even during air raids.
Vradiyivka Lyceum No. 1 is the third educational institution in the Mykolaiv region where KSE Foundation is upgrading shelters within the long-term MYRP resilience program and with funding from Education Cannot Wait (ECW), a global UN fund supporting education in emergencies and protracted crises. Since 2022, KSE Foundation and its partners have equipped over 100 shelters in schools and kindergartens across Ukraine, enabling more than 45,000 children to return to in-person learning. Of these, 15 shelters were equipped under the MYRP program with ECW support.
“As a foundation that develops educational initiatives and supports talented youth, we understand that quality education is the foundation of a country’s future. Within the ECW program, we equip shelters so that Ukrainian children can learn offline, as the availability of safe shelter is a basic condition for returning to in-person education,” said Maryna Borisenko, Director of Programs and Implementation at KSE Foundation.
Vradiyivka Lyceum is the largest educational institution in the community, providing full general secondary education for children from six villages: Vradiyivka, Zakharivka, Velykomykhailivske, Pokrovske, Dobrozhanyvka, and Adamivka. The lyceum actively implements the New Ukrainian School methodology and STEM education and runs sports sections, creative workshops, clubs, and volunteer initiatives. Students regularly become winners of district, regional, and national Olympiads.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Vradiyivka Lyceum No. 1 fully switched to remote learning. Since October 2022, the educational process has been restored in a blended format. To bring children back to in-person learning, a shelter was arranged at the school. However, the existing facility could not accommodate all participants in the educational process.
With the support of KSE Foundation, an additional shelter was created in a basement space. It was fully renovated to meet the needs of students and teachers: worn-out structures were dismantled, floors, walls, and ceilings were renovated, and electrical systems, lighting, and ventilation were upgraded. Special attention was paid to safety and accessibility: a restroom for people with reduced mobility was installed, protective elements were added, and conditions for safe movement were ensured. The space was also equipped with furniture to ensure children’s comfort during air raids.
The upgraded shelter accommodates more than 200 primary school students and enables learning in a single shift even during prolonged air raids. This is especially important for children with special educational needs and those who do not have full access to effective distance learning. 
“Distance learning can be an effective temporary solution, but not in the long term. We are seeing a decline in academic performance, difficulties with socialization, and a worsening of children’s psychological well-being. That is why returning to in-person education is critically important for all participants in the educational process,” said Liudmyla Siryak, Principal of Vradiyivka Lyceum No. 1.
The school also hosts 22 children who lost their homes due to the war and relocated from Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv regions. These students have quickly integrated into the school community, and offline learning helps them adapt and develop. They take part in sports clubs and extracurricular activities, including team sports representing the lyceum. Younger students attend clubs and creative sessions, which support their adaptation and development.