Ukraine’s refugee children discover STEM disciplines while in Moldova

May 13, 2022

 

Refugee children from Ukraine are able to both continue their education and pursue new fields of study while in Moldova thanks to UNDP’s Advanced cross-river capacities for trade (AdTrade) programme. With the financial support of Sweden and the United Kingdom, the students are now studying alongside their Moldovan peers in the digital lab at the Cremenciug village school located on the left bank of the Nistru River.  

The lab offers a UNDP-designed science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) course, comprised of 10 modules appropriate for 11-17-year-olds. Seventeen students from Ukraine have joined 90 local students from Cremenciug and neighboring Copanca to learn about web design, data analytics, copywriting, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and 3D printing. With the support of mentors, the children are discovering a variety of professions from the digital world and developing skills needed for their future careers. The number is likely to grow.

“We are so happy that we can share this space with all children from the community, including refugees from Ukraine. We hope that this course will support their development,” said Ana Semeniuc, Director of Stels-Terra Youth Association from Cremenciug, the local CSO being involved in the setup of the digital lab.

“Now I have a dream, to become a social media specialist. This seems like a profession of the future,” notes Alexandra, age 15, a refugee from the Ukraine city of Ciornomorsk.