Message from the Founder

SEED was born from both urgency and hope.

As a Ukrainian educator who has spent the last 20+ years in the United States and Canada, I’ve watched from afar as my home country faced wave after wave of disruption – first the COVID-19 pandemic, then the full-scale Russian invasion. These events forced Ukraine’s education system to adapt under extreme pressure. Overnight, teachers were expected to move their classrooms online, often without the necessary tools or support. In rural areas, especially, limited access to technology made basic instruction nearly impossible. And yet, despite everything, Ukrainian teachers continue to show remarkable resilience and creativity.

Reading their stories and hearing their voices, whether through informal conversations or the early applications to SEED, I’m deeply humbled. Most of the applications we’ve received are for simple, deeply meaningful needs. One teacher proposed measuring radiation levels in classrooms and homes in the Chernobyl aftermath as both a practical safety step and a way to make physics lessons more relevant and engaging. Another asked for updated robotics components to revive a school STEM lab, where students could develop real-world engineering skills and regain a sense of agency. Some educators simply want to create safe, calming spaces in school shelters – with books and board games to help students cope during air raid alarms. Others are focused on early childhood development, emotional regulation, or teaching history through theater and play.

Reading these proposals often brings tears to my eyes. Despite the trauma and uncertainty, these teachers are asking only for the bare minimum to care for their students, and they’re doing it with hope, creativity, and a deep sense of mission. What may seem like small requests can have a transformative effect on a classroom, a community, and a child’s future.

I started SEED as a small initiative I could personally sustain, even without outside funding. But my hopes are much bigger. I want SEED to become a platform that not only meets immediate classroom needs but also restores a sense of purpose, community, and belonging for teachers, both those who remain in Ukraine and those who’ve been displaced. I dream of building programs, such as a teacher exchange initiative, to reconnect educators with their profession and their homeland. I believe that investing in teachers is a vital step in Ukraine’s long-term recovery and resilience. We are shaping the future of Ukraine!

This work is just beginning. I’m learning as I go – building relationships, collecting stories, and trying to understand where SEED can have the greatest impact. If you’re here reading this, thank you. Whether you’re a donor, a partner, or simply someone who cares, your interest gives this initiative strength and momentum.

Together, I believe we can sow small seeds that grow into real change.

— Ola Taras
Founder, SEED.