Shining a light on the future of Ukraine’s children.
Join our mission of our charity to empower the future political, social, and business leaders of Ukraine to grow into confident global citizens.
It’s a place where curiosity, creativity, and friendship thrive — and where children become empowered, informed global citizens full of hope.
As our name suggests, we carry the "svitlo" (light) through our free, extracurricular online school taught in English by native speakers.
Svitlo School is a registered charity organization in England and Wales, offering students:
Svitlo students learn within an international volunteer community, supported by committed teachers and Ukrainian refugees in the UK.
The future of Ukraine lies in the hands of the next generation — equipped to rebuild a free, modern nation and form lasting ties across Europe and the world.
Our charity foundation needs your support to bring light and opportunity to even more Ukrainian children.
9,474
hours taught
540
students supported
63
classes per week
data Sep 2023 to Jul 2024
The darkness of war has touched the lives of millions of Ukrainian children. They study in shelters, endure power outages, and face broken connections with friends and family.
The education, well-being, and future of an entire generation are at risk.
Svitlo School, as a charity organization, began its work in March 2022. Founded by education expert Yuliya Kosko, it was created to give children hope, knowledge, and a sense of community. Since then, we have supported over 3,000 children through some of the most challenging moments of their lives.
Credit: ‘Tanks on the Playground, HRW, Nov 2023 (Kharkiv)
3,790
schools damaged or destroyed
42%
of children have limited or no access to classroom learning
52%
of teachers report a drop in foreign language proficiency
Sources: Human Rights Watch (Nov 2023), Save the Children (Sep 2023), UNICEF (Aug 2023)
"The teenagers I have met here want to learn languages, want to create, want to improve themselves. This is what I was searching for.”
Dariana, Svitlo Student
“There is an opportunity to communicate with someone my age because I don’t have friends around here to talk to, so I would be living here not communicating with anyone.”
Tymur, Svitlo Student
“Everyone should have motivation in their lives, and for me it is Svitlo School. This school makes my life brighter.”
Ulyana, Svitlo Student
Students choose from up to 50 online lessons per week across a wide range of subjects, all taught in English.
Our teachers are volunteers from around the world, many of whom are native English speakers, offering students diverse, international perspectives.
Unlike traditional school programs, we create an environment that fosters future-ready skills:
The Svitlo charity foundation is a place where children are inspired to be brave and think globally.
We build partnerships with educational institutions in the UK and the US to ensure Ukrainian children have access to:
40+
students received fully funded places at summer schools in the UK and US
20+
scholarships awarded to attend online schools including Harrow, Pearson, and Highgrove
112
free learning hours provided to Ukrainian refugee children studying English in the UK
data from Sep 2022 to Jul 2024
We are building strong educational connections in the UK and the US to provide our students in Ukraine with free access to top-tier academic and social learning opportunities. We equip our students with the knowledge and skills they need to help rebuild Ukraine as the social, political, and business leaders of the future.
Together with our education partners, we offer scholarships to study at accredited British and American online schools such as Harrow, Highgrove, and Pearson. We also provide fully funded short-term placements at summer camps and schools in the UK and the US, promoting the value of global citizenship and inspiring our students to strive for a brighter future.
Every student in our charity organization has the opportunity to earn:
It’s a journey that opens doors for the next generation of Ukrainian leaders.
Most of our students have been forced to leave their schoolfriends, family members and communities. More than 80% of the 6.5 million Ukrainian refugees globally are women and children, and there are 3.5 million internally displaced people within Ukraine (UNHCR and IOM UN Migration data, Apr 2024).
We cannot give them back what they have lost. However, we have succeeded in cultivating a unique, welcoming environment where our students can meet new friends, find role models and experience a sense of belonging.
Many of our students tell us that Svitlo has become like a second family - and that the school reminds them of Hogwarts (which we love!).
Students earn points for their House, encouraging participation, collaboration and friendly competition!
Older students can gain leadership skills as prefects, and our buddy system helps new students to settle and make friends
Students are elected into the Council, where they work with the Svitlo team and volunteers and even teach themselves
An active space where students share their perspective and insights on academic and social life of the school
Our team of writers and designers collaborate on a monthly magazine-style publication
Students run the Svitlo Instagram and TikTok accounts, creating graphics, text and video
Volunteer your time and expertise by
teaching our students or lending
your professional skills to help us grow
Work with us to develop an impactful and
rewarding partnership with your team,
department or organisation
"Hello! My name is Oleksandr and I like learning new things about nature, people and their cultures. My home town, Melitopol, was known as the cherry capital of Ukraine.
I remember the morning of February 24th 2022. After hearing about the war, I tried to wake up, but it was not a dream. I didn’t leave my house because of all those soldiers. Eventually in summer I escaped to the free land.
The feeling of desperation in the town where I knew no friends gradually faded away after I discovered Svitlo School. The teachers are really great and love their work. Due to Svitlo School I am also studying in an American Pearson Academy Online. Svitlo has literally brought light and hope into my life.”
