How the Full-Scale War Changes Ukrainians’ Educational Needs

Alya Bondarenko, Manager of the Educational Online Platform Zrozumilo! at East Europe Foundation

Ukrainians learn every day: to survive, to adapt, to grow, to plan for the future. In wartime, knowledge has become as much a weapon as military equipment at the front line, while educational demands serve as a thermometer of the nation. Every event changes what people want to know: first – how to survive, then – how to recover and work. Today – how to develop, and one of the vectors of development is integration into the EU. We have traced how requests for educational projects reflected the overall dynamics of public moods and needs.

2022: A Course Toward Safety
The first year of the full-scale war had a single task: survival. There was demand for practical instructions – how to act during shelling, evacuation, or an air raid, and what to do with explosive objects. At that time, the course on mine safety “Watch Your Step! Watch Where You’re Going!” became record-breaking in the number of learners – over 559,000 people. It literally taught life-saving rules.

Other online courses picked up on these demands as well. “In Safety” provided algorithms for behavior in combat zones: from setting up shelter to first aid and responding to chemical threats, with a detailed lesson structures and practical blocks. A separate track – radiological, chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons – explained in brief how to act in case of various threats, and how to protect from information attacks.

When Ukrainians gained confidence that they could physically survive, the need for psychological recovery came to the forefront. The demand for mental health support increased. That was when psychologist Svitlana Roiz launched the course “How to Support a Child During War”. It gave concrete advice: how to talk with a child about the war, what to do during a panic attack, and which games help reduce anxiety. These were not theoretical lectures but step-by-step actions for parents, teachers, and caregivers.

For schools, a course was created on behavior during air raids, and for children and teenagers – a Minecraft-style course that taught safety rules through play. It proved extremely popular, with over 37,000 participants completing it.

2023–2024: From Awareness to Recovery
Once basic skills were established, society shifted towards organizing aid and planning development.

The course “Volunteering from A to Z” broke the process down into concrete steps: from legislation and accountability to recruiting and training volunteers, team building, motivation, and work across different areas. It also included discussions on cooperation with the state, based on real cases: from purchasing large equipment to collaborating with local self-government bodies.

The course “Adaptation and Integration of IDPs” taught not just “how to resettle,” but how to explore the needs of displaced persons, establish communication, involve them in community development, and integrate support in local programs. It featured specific examples from community leaders and modules on partnerships between them.

For civil society organizations and the public sector, practical tracks appeared: monitoring and evaluation, project management, and creating grant application. A separate focus was cybersecurity: the course taught how to audit accounts step by step, use password managers, create backups, encrypt documents, assess risks in messengers, and protect data from fraudsters.

At the same time, Ukrainians learned everyday resilience: safe use of generators and batteries during blackouts, and access to digital services under power outages. Again – concrete rules, tips, and instructions.

In parallel, society began rethinking its own history and values. Demand grew for courses on national identity, the nature of Ukrainian revolutions, the phenomenon of mass resistance, and the values that drive Ukrainians to act. The course “The Language of Memorials”  became popular – about how to recognize and commemorate tragic events of the war. Interest in it first appeared back in 2014, but after 2022, it increased sharply.

2025: A Logical Shift Toward European Integration
Today, educational demand is shifting toward systemic changes: inclusion, digitalization of education, integration into the EU.

Before 2022, EU accession sounded more like a declaration. After the application was submitted, it became a new reality. This is not only the government’s task – it is a change the entire country must prepare for.

Ukrainians already feel like part of Europe. Many live in EU countries, encountering new standards, opportunities, and restrictions. Therefore the demand for knowledge emerges: what negotiation clusters are, which sectors are being reformed, and what advantages and challenges await after accession.

Sociology confirms that the majority Ukrainians support European integration. However this path requires preparation – knowledge, readiness for new rules, and competition. That is why information about the EU must be accessible not only to a narrow circle of experts but to everyone.

The course “Ukraine’s Accession to the EU” became the first major course in the European integration block on the Zrozumilo! platform. Created in partnership with the Embassy of Ireland in Ukraine, it consists of 13 lectures and explains basic things in simple language: from the history of the EU to negotiation procedures and upcoming changes in education, agriculture, and business. It also debunks myths of Russian propaganda: from the “loss of sovereignty” to “dissolution in the EU.”

Lectures last up to 15 minutes, so they can be watched even during a break. The course, like most on the platform, allows learners to receive a certificate with ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits, counted as self-education. More than 740,000 people have already obtained such certificates.

Education as the Foundation of a European Future
Uneducated masses are easy to control. An educated society can resist pressure and even change the course of history. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainians have been acquiring not only knowledge but also practical skills for survival, adaptation, and development.

Today, access to information is nearly unlimited, but it is important to know how to use it: distinguish facts from fakes, analyze and assess risks. This is how a competent society ready for change is formed. We provide “visual literacy” and “erudition” that shape critical thinking. It is the ability to see the bigger picture, check facts, and draw conclusions.

Over five years of Zrozumilo!’s existence, more than 780,000 users have registered on the platform. The most active learners are women aged 20–49 – civil servants, educators, students, representatives of local self-government bodies. The majority of users come from Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv regions. But the courses are watched not only in Ukraine: there are learners in Poland, Germany, Finland, the UK, the USA, and even India. This proves that Ukrainians continue to learn and shape the country’s future, wherever they are.