The Case for Giving to Pechersk School International (PSI Kyiv)
Equipping a generation to build the future of Ukraine
The Case for Giving to Pechersk School International (PSI Kyiv)
“Education is the foundation of peace, resilience, and hope. At PSI Kyiv, we are not just educating students; we are building a more promising future for us all.”
Trae Holland, Director, Pechersk School International
Our opportunity: Education in Ukraine today
The children of Ukraine have endured unimaginable challenges. Yet, they remain full of hope, eager to learn, and determined to build a brighter future for their country. At Pechersk School International (PSI Kyiv), we are committed to ensuring that every child has access to an excellent, life-changing education — one that empowers, nurtures, and prepares them for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. We now urgently need support to secure the future impact of our work and open up the doors of hope and opportunity for more young people in our country.
As Ukraine navigates war with extraordinary determination, the need for an education that connects global perspectives with national identity has never been more urgent. Why does this matter? Because investing in education today is an investment in a stronger, more resilient Ukraine tomorrow. By championing international education, we are developing a generation of compassionate leaders and agents of positive change, equipped to create a just, peaceful, and sustainable world.
People walk near apartment buildings damaged after a Russian attack in Kyiv.
Credits: Efrem Lukatsky/AP
Ukraine is at a pivotal moment
Even as many children have been displaced, traumatised, or financially devastated by the war, making access to highquality education is more critical — and more challenging — than ever.
Since the start of the war, one out of every seven schools in Ukraine has been struck by bombing. Some 3,798 educational institutions have been damaged, 365 of them destroyed. Russia continues to intensify its terror of the civilian population, with education being a primary casualty. Many schools are closed, or else students face hardship trying to learn in bomb shelters.
Yet we know that education transcends borders. It bridges cultures, nurtures critical thinking, and fosters empathy – qualities essential for a generation that will shape the future of Ukraine and the world.
Learning continues at PSI during an air-raid alert in the bomb shelter.
Credits: PSI Kyiv
Why we need support: The story of PSI in the war
At the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, PSI was forced to close its doors and relocate to Warsaw, seeing our student body dwindle by over 80%. In 2023, we returned to Kyiv and began the slow and arduous process of rebuilding, and now serve a student body of 180. It was through good planning and strong financial management that we survived, but to ensure a future where PSI continues to make a transformative difference for students, more is needed.
Every aspect of our school, from facilities and staff to programs and infrastructure, has been painstakingly re-established and expanded. Fortunate to have built reserves over our history, those have been our main source of security. Yet those emergency funds are finite.
“And yet, in the midst of the airstrikes, the sirens and nights of lost sleep, there remains our school, dogged and determined, striving to build and nourish through our students a future generation with the talents, compassion, and perseverance to realize not only their own aspirations for a better world, buttheaspirationsofusall.”
Trae Holland, Director, Pechersk School
Our plan: What we can achieve together
Right now, we have a unique opportunity to provide stability, inspiration, and excellent learning experiences for children who need them most. But we cannot do this alone. Your support today will ensure that we can continue to provide international education and a safe, inspiring environment for every child, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Our priorities for philanthropy focus on two pillars – enabling resilience and providing opportunities in the face of war.
Resilience in the face of war
PSI is thriving in every arena where a school seeks to achieve excellence, yet our reserves on which we rely to make this possible, are not limitless. Given the continued uncertainty and challenges of operating a school in Ukraine, we seek support to enable us to respond quickly to the changing needs of pupils, parents and teachers, and to make long-term investments that will secure our future impact for young people. Your support for our Resilience Fund will enable us to respond to where the needs are greatest, including people, sustainability and innovation.
People
• Providing development opportunities for our world-class teachers and staff in a broad array of student-centred areas, such as Trauma Informed Practice and Social Emotional Learning.
• Supporting students’ well-being and academic needs, for example, through expanded counselling services, language acquisition programmes and accelerated learning opportunities for high achievers.
• Enriching our community, for example, through more extracurricular activities like dance, art and theatre.
• Responding to the immediate impact of war on children in need, most importantly, providing scholarships for students who have lost parents or their homes in the conflict.
Sustainability
• Reinforcing our learning program through added learning materials, art supplies, books and musical instruments.
• Providing for operational war related needs, like growing our heating capacity, power generation and water well volume to maintain the school and its community during frequent power outages or loss of utilities during attacks.
• Supporting needed investments in facilities, such as replacing roofs damaged by drone and missile debris, or improving student areas, including transforming bomb shelters into effective learning spaces.
Innovation
• Developing a world-class technology programme which will transform PSI into the leading tech international school in Ukraine.
• Embedding cutting-edge and authentic technology instruction in our curriculum across all grades and subjects.
• Creating a modern technology design centre for students to engage in student-centred learning and creation.
Providing life-changing opportunities for students in need
People
Our scholarships provide life-changing opportunities for children who have been displaced, orphaned, or financially impacted by the war. In partnership with the Children of Heroes Foundation, we support children who have lost one or both parents in the war by providing them with high-quality education, mentorship, and emotional support. Pechersk School International covers 100% of the tuition fees for each scholarship student. The Foundation was formed in response to the full-scale invasion and now is included among the largest and most effective charitable organizations of Ukraine (according to Forbes Ukraine). The Foundation’s comprehensive support extends until the child reaches adulthood, with continued assistance in higher education and career development, ensuring a stable and nurturing environment for their growth and integration into society.
Even without funding, since 2016 PSI has awarded eight scholarships for students from challenging backgrounds. Now, with the support of our community, we are poised to exponentially grow our impact.
To sponsor a student whose life has been devastated by war costs $23,940 a year, for five years for a total of $119,700 per student, over the course of their tenure with PSI.
Our goal is to raise $600,000 to provide five scholarships for students who need them most by May of 2026.
“IjoinedPSIthrough thescholarship programme organisedwiththe [ChildrenofHeroes] foundation, and from theverybeginning, Ifeltsupportedby everyone.Earlyinmy journey,Imetwith the school counsellor, whohelpedme settle in, and I had no worries afterwards. When I came to PSI, I realised that I was capableofmorethan Ihadthought.”
Oleksandra, Scholarship student
Sustainability
Sustaining our school
With an annual operating budget of $4 million, at present our reserves are acting as our primary bulwark in the face of annual deficits stemming largely from the war.
Our goal is to raise $1.5 million to replenish our reserves by December 2026.
Power generator installed on the school grounds
Equipped classroom within one of the bomb shelter areas
Leading through Innovation
Innovation
Our ambitions for offering the ideal program to build future leaders and agents of change will be underpinned by our new PSI Brave Tech initiative, including investments in infrastructure, programs, curriculum and hardware.
This will secure our future impact for young people, and provide the necessary tools for a successful life and career.
Our goal is to raise a total budget of $450,000 by December 2026.
About PSI: Our distinctive approach
Founded in 1995, Pechersk School International (PSI) began with just 47 students. Over the years, we have grown into a private, non-profit school offering world-class education to both international and local families in Kyiv, with English as the language of instruction. We are proud to be “A Place Where We Belong” — a place where students thrive, families connect, and values inspire. “PSIisacommunitythatprioritisescaring foroneanotheranddeeplearning.Very fewschoolshaveenduredsomuchwith suchgrace.NEASCisproudtobePSI’s accreditationpartnertosupportthe school community as it continues to serve children, families and the greatercommunity.”
Trillium Hibbeln, M.Ed., Director for Accreditation and School Improvement, Commission on International Education — NEASC
Empowering global citizens
In our 30th year, PSI is the only school in Ukraine authorised to offer all three International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes. We have been an IB World School since 2000, empowering students to think as global citizens while remaining deeply connected to their communities. Our students learn to face challenges with courage, act with integrity, and embrace diversity, ensuring they are prepared to contribute meaningfully to a world in constant change.
Demonstrating resilience, commitment and flexibility
Before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we had nearly 550 students, representing over 50 nationalities. Since February 2022, PSI has demonstrated extraordinary resilience, continuing to educate students through online learning while displaced. In August 2023, we proudly reopened our home campus in Kyiv, reinforcing our commitment to high-quality international education. Today, PSI serves 180 students from 10 nationalities, with a growing number of scholarship recipients.
₴1.5 million raised through service learning and community action by the PSI community to support local charities, children’s initiatives, and Ukrainian defenders
Over 85% of PSI faculty remained with the school during the war
Nurturing future leaders
Students graduating from PSI have attended and graduated from some of the best universities in the world, and now lead companies, found non-profits, build law firms, advocate in journalism and serve as ministers and government officials around the world. 42% of our students go on to university in the US, with 27% going to higher education in the UK and 25% in the EU.
Developing the best teachers
From its founding, PSI has always invested in the professional development of our worldclass teachers. That includes International Baccalaureate training, professional development in Social Emotional Learning and enrichment in innovative classroom practices. Even now, while working in a warzone, our teachers stay. For example, between 2023 and 2025, our aggregate retention rate has been 90% for our international teachers. All of our teachers, both Ukrainian and expat, are loyal to our mission and care immensely for the nation of Ukraine and its future.
36.5 was PSI’s average IB Diploma score (2025)
67% of our teaching staff are international
Join us and help shape a peaceful, prosperous future
Philanthropy has been at the heart of PSI Kyiv’s story since our inception, with our impact for young people hinging on the generosity of so many families, businesses and supporters. We now seek support from friends and supporters who share our belief in the power of education to transform lives and create a peaceful and prosperous future.
Your impact – at a glance
Your support will enable us to:
• Provide crucial access to education for children affected by war.
• Ensure students learn in a safe and well-equipped environment.
• Respond to the continued uncertainty and challenges of war.
• Attract, develop and retain world-class teachers.
• Contribute meaningfully to a stronger, more resilient Ukraine.
• Develop compassionate young leaders equipped to create a fair, safe and sustainable world.
Your support is more than a donation — it is an investment in resilience, leadership, and the future of Ukraine.
You will join a long and proud legacy of philanthropy and service in our community, which has never been more crucial than now. Amid the chaos of violence and uncertainty, together we can heal and uplift these children to take charge of their futures. Literally, from ashes, we can build the future of Ukraine together.
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