During the spring, the non-profit organization Skill Shift Initiative, “Beredskapslyftet” in Swedish, ran an activity center for Ukrainian children at Nordiska Museet here on Djurgården. From mid-April to the end of June, approximately a hundred children participated in the activities at Nordiska Museet. Now it is decided that the initiative will be extended over the summer as part of a new collaboration between the City of Stockholm, the National Museum of Science and Technology and the Skill Shift Initiative.
The activity center is a safe place for the children
It is the non-profit organization Skill Shift Initiative, “Beredskapslyftet”, that stands behind the Ukrainian Children Activity Center.
– We are very happy to be able to continue over the summer and can now offer 200 children a place here, says Delal Apak, project manager for the Skill Shift Initiative. These kids have had an incredibly tough spring and don’t have any structured activities over the summer. We have received great response from financiers in the business world and are extremely happy and proud that the city of Stockholm is also joining as a partner.
The purpose of the center is to offer children who have fled wartime Ukraine a safe environment for learning and social interaction. The center is led by Ukrainian project managers, supervisors, and teachers, which contributes to a safe environment for the children. The activity, which was conducted on the premises of Nordiska Museet during the spring, clearly showed the Ukrainian children’s need for a safe place with continuous activities and routines. This is what Denys Gordyenko, who is the project manager for the center and came from Ukraine last spring himself, tells us. When the children are activated in a meaningful way, the mothers are given the opportunity to work or look for a job. The fact that the activity center now can continue the activities during the summer in collaboration with the City of Stockholm and the National Museum of Science and Technology means a lot to the children.
First at Nordiska, now at the National Museum of Science and Technology
For the National Museum of Science and Technology the collaboration means opening the doors to the children and offering them a summer filled with play and knowledge through both indoor and outdoor activities.
– All children have the right to joyful learning and inspiring experiences. It feels incredibly good to be able to welcome these children to discover both history and future at the museum, says Maria Olsson, head of learning at the National Museum of Science and Technology.
The Ukrainian Children Activity Summer Center starts on July 4 at the National Museum of Science and Technology and runs until August 12.
The project aims to create a safe activity and educational environment for children who fled the war in Ukraine. (4.A)
The Nordic Museum and The Technical Museums become safe places where children can stay while their mothers are working or looking for work. In this way, otherwise vulnerable children can be protected from violence and abuse (16.2)
The project is a result of collaborations that effectively contribute to meaningful activities in a safe environment for Ukrainian children. (17.17)
