Project Description

Underground Programming: Coding, Connection and Empowerment for Girls in War-Affected Ukraine

The Underground Programming project aims to provide girls living in the war-affected city of Sumy, Ukraine, with opportunities to develop coding, computational thinking and digital skills through playful, hands-on learning in a safe environment. The project combines intergenerational learning, STEM education, career guidance and the preparation of future computer science teachers, while also creating opportunities for social interaction and emotional relief for children and mothers affected by the war.

Objectives and Target Groups

The project has three main objectives: (1) to introduce girls aged 8–13 to programming and computational thinking through game-based learning; (2) to equip future computer science teachers with practical skills for teaching coding using the Scottie Go! Edu methodology; and (3) to provide girls and their mothers with opportunities for meaningful interaction, collaborative learning and positive shared experiences in a safe educational setting.

The primary target groups are 30 girls aged 8–13 and their 30 mothers, including internally displaced families. The project will also engage 10 university students preparing to become computer science teachers and university academic staff specialising in information technology.

Main Activities

The project will implement eight educational and career-oriented activities:

Six four-hour, face-to-face coding workshops for six groups, each consisting of five mother–daughter pairs (60 participants in total).
One practical training workshop for 10 future computer science teachers, introducing the methodology of teaching programming through educational games.
One university-based career guidance meeting connecting girls and their mothers with academic staff and introducing educational pathways and career opportunities in IT and STEM.

Educational and Methodological Approach

The workshops will use Scottie Go! Edu, an interactive educational technology combining physical coding blocks with a digital application. The applicant organisation, Educational Studios NGO, already owns 10 Scottie Go! Edu sets, demonstrating its readiness to implement the activities.

Participants will learn fundamental programming concepts, including parameters, loops, conditions, variables and functions. Using physical coding blocks, they will construct algorithms, scan their programs and observe the character Scottie executing their instructions on a digital device.

The educational game offers 91 space-themed quests, including challenges related to saving the planet. Activities will incorporate collaborative problem-solving, programming challenges, mother–daughter teamwork and friendly competitions between teams of girls and mothers.

The methodology promotes learning by doing, computational thinking, creativity, logical reasoning, cooperation and active participation. Future teachers will explore how to apply this approach in school settings, supporting the potential replication of the activities beyond the project.

Local Context and Relevance

The project will take place in university bomb shelters in Sumy, a Ukrainian city severely affected by Russia’s ongoing war. Sumy Oblast shares approximately 500 kilometres of border with Russia and has experienced persistent security threats since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

In 2025, air raid alerts in Sumy Oblast lasted approximately 5,879.5 hours and were announced 1,794 times. The longest alert lasted 32 hours. The security situation deteriorated further in 2026, with increasingly frequent attacks involving guided aerial bombs.

For more than four years, many children in Sumy have spent much of their time at home, with limited opportunities for face-to-face education, play and interaction with peers. The region also hosts a substantial population of internally displaced people, including families forced to leave border communities.

By organising face-to-face educational activities in university shelters, the project will provide accessible opportunities for girls to learn programming, interact with peers and explore their potential in STEM, despite the ongoing security challenges.

Expected Results and Alignment with EU Code Week

The project will directly engage at least 70 participants in coding-related educational activities, including 30 girls, 30 mothers and 10 future computer science teachers. It will deliver eight activities, all to be registered on the EU Code Week platform.

Expected outcomes include improved understanding of basic programming concepts, increased interest and confidence among girls in exploring STEM, enhanced practical teaching competencies among future teachers, and stronger connections between families, schools and higher education.

The project directly contributes to EU Code Week’s mission by promoting coding, computational thinking and digital skills, encouraging girls’ participation in STEM, strengthening links with higher education and demonstrating a replicable model of inclusive digital learning in communities affected by armed conflict.

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