Ukrainian young people find relaxation and education in Siegen!

Ukrainian young people find relaxation and education in Siegen!

On April 28, 2025, 20 young people from the eastern Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad arrived in Siegen. Their stay was intended to provide the young people with a break and a distraction from the war, which has had a major impact on their lives for over three years. Accompanied by four supervisors, the 20 young people took part in a program that was primarily supported by the organization Europe Prykhystok was made possible, which promotes psychological relief, cultural exchange and educational opportunities for Ukrainian children and young people.

During the ten days of their stay, the young people had the opportunity to visit the House of Science (HdW) and the Fab Lab at the University of Siegen. In the HdW, participants were introduced to various scientific topics and had the opportunity to carry out practical experiments. Their program included activities in collaboration with MINT on Tour, where they built small motors with wire and batteries under the guidance of student assistants, got to know the humanoid robot “Pepper” and tried out VR glasses.

Creative workshops and digital experiences

In addition, the digital science tour through Siegen, which dealt with the topic of “language, media, communication”, offered the young people further interactive learning opportunities. In a practical 3D printing workshop in the Fab Lab, they were able to model personalized keychains with support from two former workshop participants from Ukraine. All support during the stay was provided by Katja Knoche, Marius Bonfert and Jana Krieger from HdW.

In parallel to this program, other Ukrainian young people are also taking part in a “recreation project” supported by the German UNESCO Commission. 18 Ukrainian students and three teachers from Kiev are living with host families in Tübingen for three weeks. The aim is to strengthen the personality development of young people through creativity and cultural education, which contributes to European solidarity in times of war. Over 200 Ukrainian young people are active in this context at UNESCO project schools in Germany and benefit from similar stays.

Integration and living situation

The situation of young refugees from Ukraine remains a central issue at the moment. Since February 2022, over 1 million Ukrainians have found protection in Germany, including around 357,000 minors. A survey by the Federal Institute for Population Research showed that almost all children and young people surveyed attended regular classes in the summer of 2024, and only 9 percent were in special classes for refugees. When they arrived, more than 92 percent of the children had no knowledge of German; in the summer of 2024, 51 percent spoke German well or very well.

While the young people surveyed had a rather low sense of belonging to school, those with better knowledge of German reported a stronger sense of belonging. The surveys also show that 64 percent of children and young people take part in at least one extracurricular activity, with sports, art and music being particularly popular. Despite the challenges, more than a third of the young people surveyed expressed the desire to stay in Germany forever, indicating long-term integration.

These initiatives and programs represent an important step towards promoting the quality of life and integration of Ukrainian young people in Germany. Such encounter programs are particularly important in times of war and help to build bridges between cultures.