UPLIFT –Supporting vulnerable young Ukrainian refugees across Europe with learning, education & digital resources

In February 2022, as the war broke out in Ukraine, the lives of more than 14.6 million Ukrainian people were disrupted. As the conflict forced young people from the country, a future generation was at risk of losing their education and future learning opportunities.

In a matter of weeks, JA Europe and UNICEF united to devise and launch UPLIFT - a bespoke education programme which equips vulnerable adolescents from Ukraine and 11 neighbouring countries with the skills, mindset, and confidence needed to foster successful integration and build prosperous future communities - wherever they might be. UPLIFT was launched through digital and social platforms that displaced young people could access from anywhere.

34 Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian influencers shared their personal success stories, explaining how they gained entrepreneurial skills between the ages of 15-20 – and helping UPLIFT reach over 302,000 young people through a paid social campaign. This approach brought a staggering 13,000 users to UPLIFT’s free online education course ‘Tools for Success’.

Our objective has always been to help young people feel a sense of ownership over their own future. For a generation impacted by war, securing that future is all the more important.