Summer Camp — Ukraine Volya Foundation

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Veronika, 14 years old

Viktoria, 15 years old

Maria, 10 years old

Anya, 9 years old

Our Mission & Program

Sofia, 10 years old

Slava, 9 years old

Artem, 11 years old

35 children. 14 days of laughter, healing, and discovery in the Carpathians.

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Watch the videos of each day in our Instagram account

Why We Created This Camp

Sofia, 9 years old

For thousands of children in Ukraine, the war has stolen their sense of safety and belonging. Many of them have lost parents, friends, or their entire family world. Living in temporary shelters, they carry invisible wounds — anxiety, fear, emotional numbness — that often go unheard.

At Ukraine Volya Foundation, we believe that every child deserves more than survival. They deserve the chance to heal, to rediscover their strength, and to believe in their future again. That is why we created the Summer Camp “Level Up: Your Space to Grow” — a place where trauma meets understanding, and pain transforms into resilience. A two-week program combining emotional intelligence training, leadership workshops, and creative activities for vulnerable children.

“When a child begins to smile again after months of silence — that’s not just progress, that’s healing,”

— Nataliya Vyetrova, Founder of the Ukraine Volya Foundation.

The Summer Camp “Level Up: Your Space to Grow” was designed to do more than entertain children — it was created to restore their inner balance, rebuild self-confidence, and awaken curiosity about life.

Our mission is to nurture emotional intelligence and resilience in children who have lived through war and loss, helping them develop the social and emotional tools they need to thrive in the future.

At the heart of the camp lies the licensed program “Level Up: Your Space to Grow”, a unique 12-module training developed by Ukrainian psychologist Alla Klochko. Over two weeks, children participated in 40 hours of guided learning, including topics like:

Self-discovery and strengths: “Who am I? The superpower of my character”
Emotional surfing: recognizing, naming, and managing emotions
Communication and teamwork: how to build trust and connection
Stress management and mindfulness: techniques for calm and focus
Leadership and responsibility: becoming the “captain of your own ship”
Dream project incubator: turning creative ideas into real action

Afternoons were filled with creative and outdoor activities — art collaborations, eco-quests, theater improvisations, and team challenges. Each activity supported the morning training theme, turning emotional learning into lived experience.

“We saw children who had forgotten how to laugh begin to lead, create, and believe in themselves again. That’s what transformation looks like.
— ”

— Ella, child psychologist at the camp

Together, the program helped children rebuild not only emotional skills but also a sense of connection, trust, and hope — the foundations for their healing and growth.

Every act of healing today shapes the future of Ukraine.
The children who come to our camp are not just survivors of war — they are the next generation of citizens, creators, and leaders who will rebuild their country.

War leaves invisible wounds that can last a lifetime. Without early psychological support, trauma can turn into cycles of fear, aggression, and disconnection. But when a child learns to understand emotions, communicate, and trust others again, the entire community begins to heal with them.

Our work proves that emotional resilience is national resilience.
By strengthening children’s mental health, we invest in Ukraine’s most powerful resource — its people.
Each hour of therapy and each day at camp are small acts of rebuilding peace within the human soul.

“When a child’s inner world finds safety again, a new Ukraine begins to grow.”
— Nataliya Vyetrova, Founder of Ukraine Volya Foundation

According to UNICEF, children who receive consistent psychological support after trauma are three times more likely to develop stable emotional regulation and maintain healthy relationships in adulthood. This is why our foundation integrates therapy and education — so that healing becomes a sustainable change, not just a temporary comfort.