Ukraine's Students Need Your Help

5,300,000+

Students in Ukraine currently face barriers preventing access to education, including 3.6 million students directly affected by school closures.

365

Schools and educational institution are completely destroyed in Ukraine.

3,798

Schools and educational institutions have been damaged in Ukraine.

5,000

Hours (equivalent of 7 months) is the amount of time students in cities in Ukraine’s frontline areas have been forced to spend sheltering in sements and underground metro stations to seek safety during air raids.

Unfortunately, these numbers continue to increase everyday. The most current statistics regarding the destruction of Ukrainian educational institutions due to Russian aggression against Ukraine can be found by looking at the interactive map Education under attack launched by The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

About Us

Light the Minds was created to assist students escape the war and continue education in safe environments. Our organization provides the students with assistance to continue their education in the United States, including:

connecting them with educational programs, secondary schools, colleges and universities,

guiding them through the application process, and

providing necessary financial and emotional support

Our assistance is made possible by our volunteers, financial aid provided by educational institutions, and the generosity of our donors.

"Averting war is the work of politicians; establishing peace is the work of education." (Maria Montessori)

As the task of keeping peace proves to be too daunting for the adults of this world, we hope that the students supported by Light the Minds will succeed at restoring it.

Our Mission

Our mission is to empower students with opportunities to study, learn and develop as scholars to become faithful stewards of the peaceful world.

Students We Support

RUSTAM

Rustam's life was normal until February 24, 2022, when the first Russian ballistic missiles hit his native town of Brovary, an eastern suburb of Kyiv with a population of approximately 100,000. Rustam's father, an army officer, reported to active military duty. Rustam and the rest of his family fled their home in the search for safety as, for the next few months, Brovary became one of the epicenters of military combat in the battle for Kyiv. Through the support of Light the Minds’ donors and financial aid awarded by the school, Rustam is now attending Solebury School in Pennsylvania where he is able to continue his studies. Rustam’s academic interests lie in the field of mathematics, and he wants to pursue a career in computer science.

More details

TIMOFII

Timofii grew up in the suburbs of Kyiv where he lived an ordinary life. As a kid Timofii was interested in exploring different drawing techniques, and enjoyed travelling with his family. In February of 2022, it was a different type of travel he and his family had to do as they, along with millions of others, had to flee their home in search for safety, as the Russian military was marching on Kyiv. While his family remains in Ukraine, Timofii continues his education at Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis. Timofii has aspirations to study civil engineering and become an architect. While Timofii is grateful for the opportunity to study in the United States, he remains hopeful that, sooner rather than later, he can return to a safe and peaceful Ukraine and use his architectural studies to help rebuild the country he loves.