The Olena Zelenska Foundation team, together with the Voices of Children Foundation, held a training session for the teams that will launch the first “12–21” youth spaces in local communities.
These are barrier-free spaces for adolescents and young people, combining leisure, trusting communication, peer-to-peer support, and professional psychosocial assistance.
“We gathered not just to hold a training session – we are beginning an important stage of the shared work that the Foundation’s team has been committed to over the past year. During this time, the ‘12–21’ project has become a priority for me, and especially close to my heart,” said the First Lady.
Teams of the future spaces came together from different cities across Ukraine. The program included lectures, training sessions, and practical workshops. The teams discussed the age-specific needs of young people, the most common reasons for seeking help, how to uphold the principles of inclusivity within the spaces, and how to involve volunteers in their work. A separate part of the program focused on techniques for sensitive and thoughtful interaction with young people.
Specialists from the Headspace Denmark youth centers, whose model inspired the creation of “12–21,” also joined as speakers.
“This partnership is an example of genuine human connection between societies that understand one another through shared values,” the First Lady emphasized.
The training was organized in partnership with the Coordination Centre for Mental Health under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Voices of Children Foundation.
The first “12–21” spaces will open later this year in Bila Tserkva, Chernihiv, and Khmelnytskyi.