The Superheroes School has opened at the National Cancer Institute!

We are helping to fill the hospital world of the National Cancer Institute with opportunities for dreams and bold creativity!

We welcome the new Superheroes School, which opened on 29 June at the National Cancer Institute in the outpatient department. The creation of this educational centre was made possible thanks to the financial support of the charitable association Swiss4Ukraine and the collaboration of 1+1 media, the «Right to Education» project, the U.S.A. Embassy in Ukraine, EdPro LLC, Cooper&Hunter, Sirius security service, design bureau DVOETOCHIE, and designer Olena Romanova from Alur Design. This is already the second educational centre of the Superheroes School in Kyiv, but it became the first branch to open here during the war. From now on, children undergoing treatment at the National Cancer Institute will be able to live in the here and now, notice their achievements and learn something new every minute. And most importantly – to enjoy it and confidently move towards recovery.

The ceremonial opening of the new educational centre was attended by: Yevheniia Smirnova, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine and founder of the Superheroes School; Natalia Moseichuk, presenter and curator of the «Right to Education» project and of the state institution «Superheroes School»; Antonina Lesyk, Deputy President of the charitable association Swiss4Ukraine and presenter of a segment on the programme «Breakfast. Weekend» on 1+1; Olena Parfionova, Co-Head of the NGO «Parents SOS»; Olena Yefimenko, Director of the State Non-Commercial Enterprise «National Cancer Institute»; and Hryhorii Klymniuk, Head of the Research Department of Paediatric Oncology.

Yevheniia Smirnova, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine and founder of the Superheroes School: «The School at the National Cancer Institute became one of those seemingly impossible missions that we managed to bring to life. The peak of the renovation coincided with large-scale shelling of Kyiv, the threat of blackouts and almost regular power outages. But the understanding that we were doing something of the utmost importance, and the fact that the little ones from the oncology department need our support more than anyone, motivated us to put in even greater effort. And here we are! In a place where every child can, for a while, forget about treatment and illness, where children’s eyes shine with happiness and the long-awaited sound of laughter fills the room. Our mission is to restore every superhero’s belief in themselves and their superpowers – something our team works on tirelessly every day, despite all obstacles».

Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health of Ukraine: «Children who are bravely fighting serious illnesses are forced to spend lengthy periods in hospital. They need not only direct treatment, but also care, social contact and a sense of belonging. The Superheroes School is a very much needed, timely and socially important initiative, which the Ministry of Health wholeheartedly and unreservedly supports. I am glad that the network is growing and that it is possible to involve an ever-greater number of hospitals. Today the Superheroes School is opening at the National Cancer Institute. This means that even more children – true superheroes – will have the opportunity to attend classes, combining treatment with learning».

Natalia Moseichuk, curator of the Superheroes School and presenter on 1+1: «Can there be celebrations during a war? There can. Today is exactly such a day for our large team of educators, our partners, and our medical staff. The Superheroes School has finally opened at the National Cancer Institute! Once upon a time, our great team dreamed that such openings would become routine – that the appearance of classrooms and educational spaces would be noticed primarily by the young patients of the clinics. But, you understand, right now I want to shout to the whole world: ‘Done! During a war! People were found! They found the funds!’ Today I looked at everyone connected to this project and thought – all these people are great enthusiasts of their work. Their intentions are pure. Their thoughts are sincere. And they have a great desire to help children navigate the grey stretches of life. Thank you, colleagues, all of you – for the bright classroom, for the creative space, for the humanisation of our Ukrainian hospitals. I am glad that today, children with catheters in their hands have already taken their seats at the desks. I am glad that they have found friends and mentors in the hospital. That they will be distracted from difficult chemotherapy sessions, from dark thoughts about the future, from bad expectations. I am glad that long months in hospital will one day turn into memories of wonderful teachers the child will have met. Of classes without boredom. Of conversations without barriers. Today a school has begun working for the most seriously ill patients. And a great weight has been lifted from our shoulders – because there is now certainty that they are no longer alone with their illness. Now there are very warm and wonderful people beside them. And that is the main requirement for a hospital teacher. I embrace the little ones, the educational therapists, and the doctors. Thank you all for everything! The summer Superheroes School at the Cancer Institute has begun! Congratulations!»

Hryhorii Klymniuk, Head of the Research Department of Paediatric Oncology: «The opening of the Superheroes School in our department has brought a new level of support for children undergoing treatment. We now work in synergy with the school’s teachers. Our task is to do everything so that the child physically returns to healthy life as quickly as possible, while the school takes care of ensuring that the child remains connected to social life – so that the time spent in hospital does not become lost time in terms of academic progress, and does not cause additional stress through broken social ties».

The educational centre of ten specialists at the National Cancer Institute had been operating in test mode since December 2022, and already 31 young patients had received 962 educational services. One of those patients was a superhero named Ihor. His treatment began in Dnipro, where he first attended the Superheroes School. Later, Ihor and his mother were compelled to travel to Kyiv for treatment at the National Cancer Institute, where the boy happily continued his studies. Ihor became one of the School’s most devoted fans: almost no Year 6 lesson began without him. There could be as many as 2–3 lessons of his favourite subject – history – in a single day; he is particularly fond of the topic of Egypt and seems as though he could listen about it endlessly. As Ihor is undergoing a course of chemotherapy, he was unable to be present at the open lesson – but so as not to disappoint the superhero, the doctors allowed him to take part in an online lesson.

We work for the little and not-so-little superheroes who, despite their diagnoses and medical procedures, want to learn!