When the Power Goes Out in Ukraine Learning Shouldn’t Stop

How Project Ollie helps students stay connected during troubled times

by Jing Li

Second grade students, meeting for their first in-person class, and receiving power banks from Project Ollie.

In the Kharkiv region of Ukraine, daily life continues to march on under the shadow of uncertainty.

Some days have a fragile shell of normalcy—the sun shines, a child plays and it almost feels like life before the war. On other days, that illusion is shattered by the reality of ongoing attacks, sometimes as frequently as three to four times per hour. For families living in the city of Kharkiv and in neighboring towns and villages, this unpredictable rhythm defines their everyday experience. For the past four years, this has been students' reality, an environment filled with jagged, interruptions and only snatches of stability.

Amid these conditions, learning carries on—not in classrooms filled with students, but through screens, signals, and resilience.

Across Ukraine, power grids have been military targets, making delivery of steady electricity unreliable. Something that should be as simple as joining an online lesson is an ongoing struggle for too many students.

When the power cuts out—as it often does—students are suddenly disconnected. Screens go dark. Lessons are missed. In a matter of seconds, access to education disappears. For many Ukrainian families, this isn’t an occasional inconvenience—it’s a feature of daily life.  

Recognizing this urgent need, Project Ollie partnered with Oksana Boiko, an English teacher from Kupiansk Lyceum #3, to provide practical, immediate support. Jing Li, the executive director of Project Ollie and Okana have a close friendship from their time working together on various projects during Jing’s Peace Corps Service for Ukraine. 

This school sits on the eastern frontlines within Ukraine’s Kharkiv region and serves approximately 320 students between the ages of 6 and 18 years old. The school’s physical buildings were destroyed in May 2025 during the attacks on the town of Kupiansk Vuzlovyi.  Many students and teachers found themselves homeless overnight, and no one remains in the active combat zone. Only 111 of the students have stayed nearby within the Kharkiv region. A handful have relocated to other parts of Ukraine, 80 are in Russia and 120 have moved to other countries.

Approximately 70% of classes that once took place in Kupiyansk Lyceum #3 are now conducted remotely, with students relying on online platforms like Zoom to continue their learning. This remains a constant challenge because of the frequent power outages.  

How Project Ollie Keeps Learning Going

Working with Oksana, we created an initiative to distribute power banks to 84 families, directly supporting 103 students across all grade levels from elementary to high school.

These power banks are more than just pieces of equipment. They deliver precious hours of continued learning. For the equivalent of just $45 USD each, they deliver lifelines to education.

Power banks for students mean that learning can continue--even when the power grid fails.

With them, students can stay connected to their classes, participate in lessons, submit homework and continue learning, even when the infrastructure around them fails. These small but mighty power banks have become essential tools for education continuity. Students use them to keep their laptops, tablets, and mobile phones charged, ensuring they can attend classes, complete assignments, and remain connected to their community. In a setting where infrastructure is fragile and outages are common, reliable access to power can mean the difference between learning and isolation.

The broader context underscores the importance of this support. Much of Kupiansk has been devastated by the war, with widespread destruction of homes and businesses. As the conflict continues with no clear end in sight, rebuilding is not yet an option. 

Some limited in-person learning opportunities do exist. In the city of Kharkiv, some teachers offer in-person classes once or twice a week in an underground facility such as a subway tunnel. The underground school currently offers lessons to elementary students and a limited number of subjects for middle school and high school students including Math, Ukrainian language, Chemistry, English and Physics. The majority of the students are continuing with online learning. 

Even so, simply getting to these “schools” isn’t easy. Many students must spend two to three hours commuting to the underground school and back home. Few parents can take off time from work to take their little children to these facilities. Drones hunt from the skies, 24/7. No one knows which building might be targeted next, making even brief moments of normalcy feel precarious. Due to this constant threat of danger, many parents remain understandably hesitant to send their children to the programs.   

Despite these challenges, students and educators remain steadfastly committed to learning. And so they were thrilled to receive the power banks from Project Ollie and our supporters.   Most families received their power banks either through local distribution points near metro stations in the city of Kharkiv or via postal mail, ensuring that support could reach them safely and efficiently.

In a particularly moving moment, one class of second-grade students literally gathered together for the first time. These children, who began school during wartime, had never before sat shoulder-to-shoulder to learn. And in a stroke of lucky timing, Project Ollie was able to deliver the power banks to them on that first, in-person learning day. That underground classroom is a powerful of symbol of resilience and hope. And the power banks are the backup, offering encouragement even when the infrastructure falters.  

This power bank project reminds us that even small, targeted interventions can have a profound impact. By addressing a fundamental barrier to education—access to power—the Project Ollie and the Kupiansk Lyceum #3 school have helped sustain learning for more than a hundred students during an extraordinarily difficult time.

Through her close work with Project Ollie, Oksana has become more than a teacher. She is an advocate, and a lifeline between her school community and the outside world. She coordinates humanitarian aid, identifying what kind of support students and teachers need the most. She communicates with families, prepares lessons, organizes the distribution of resources and manages ongoing administrative requirements—all under the strain of a war zone.

Recognizing the challenges that Oksana must navigate to do this work, Project Ollie also provided Oksana with a new laptop and printer.

With the laptop, she can reliably teach her classes, stay in touch with students and families, and coordinate humanitarian project efforts without interruption. With the printer, she can produce the many documents required by the school administration—something that would otherwise be difficult, expensive and time-consuming.

They may seem like simple tools during peace times. But now, in Ukraine, they are essential.

The technology allows Oksana to keep showing up—for her students, her school, and her community.

As Ukraine continues to navigate the realities of war, efforts like these not only support immediate needs but also reinforce something equally vital: the belief that education, connection, and hope can endure, even in the most challenging circumstances.

Thank you!

With our whole hearts, we are deeply grateful for the support you have provided the students and teachers in Ukraine. Every dollar goes directly to the students and teachers. (Project Ollie is run entirely on a volunteer basis.) 

Each donation brings a little brightness into the lives of children and teachers.

Over and over, the recipients of Project Ollie’s gifts have shared their gratitude–and surprise.

Even knowing that people, a world away, remember and care for them has touched their hearts and warmed their spirits. 

You are making a difference. And so, again, thank you. 

If you can provide additional support to the students of Ukraine, please use this donation link to Project Ollie here. We are a federally recognized 501c3. Also, spreading awareness of our mission goes a long way. Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.