Underground school built with EU, Lithuanian, Irish funds opens in Sumy
A new underground school was opened in frontline Sumy on September 4 as part of the program "New Underground Shelters for Ukrainian Schools," reported the press service of the Lithuanian Center for International Partnership, which is implementing the project.
A new underground school opened in Sumy, Ukraine on September 4, as part of the New Underground Shelters for Ukrainian Schools program. Funded by the European Union, Lithuania, and co-funded by the Irish government, the facility aims to provide safe, in-person education for Ukrainian children.
The 1,350 square meter facility, built over a span of less than a year, consists of 12 fully equipped classrooms capable of housing 500 students. The underground school will operate in multiple shifts, ensuring every student can attend classes, extracurricular activities, and sports sections.
European Union Ambassador Katarína Mathernová highlighted the significance of the project, stating that it is not only an investment in resilient educational infrastructure but also in Ukrainian children, communities, and the country's future. The school's design includes modern tech rooms, IT classrooms, and sports areas equipped with climate control, fire safety features, and a backup generator for uninterrupted operation during attacks.
The project targets frontline and affected regions, prioritizing institutions unable to conduct in-person classes due to the absence of shelters. Over four years, 700 students previously engaged in exclusively distance learning will now return to safe, in-person education. The program plans to create similar dual-purpose spaces in six Ukrainian regions, with the next shelter set to be completed in Mykolaiv region by 2026.
Written by urgent.news from Interfax-Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
