News

The NGO Lifelong Learning Centre officially announces the completion of the large-scale project “Reintegration of Veterans through the Creation of Educational Opportunities: Peers for Peers”, implemented throughout 2025–2026. This initiative became an important platform for supporting Ukrainian defenders and their … Continued

On April 2–3, 2026, a study visit for representatives of Adult Learning and Education Centres took place in Lviv. The study tour brought together heads and managers of centres from different regions of Ukraine. Representing the NGO Lifelong Learning Centre, … Continued

On 2 December 2025, Hanna Shvindina, Executive Director of the NGO “Lifelong Learning Centre” (Sumy), took part in the national roundtable “The Role of Adult Education in Times of Crisis: Dialogue for a Better Future.” The event was held in … Continued

In times of war and daily resistance, we cannot afford pauses or waiting. Each day demands decisive choices and consistent actions that support people and communities now, not “someday later.” Communities whose skills grow from cooperation, shared effort, and the … Continued

On 15–16 November 2025, representatives of the NGO “Lifelong Learning Centre” took part in a Strategic Session dedicated to planning the organizational development of Adult Learning and Education Centres (ALCs). The event was held within the framework of the international … Continued

Representatives of Sumy City Council, together with the NGO Lifelong Learning Centre, took part in the Regional Conference “Adult Learning and Education (ALE) as a Responsibility of Local Authorities”, held in Chișinău (Republic of Moldova) on 16–17 September 2025. The … Continued

On August 28, 2025, the NGO “Lifelong Learning Centre”, with the support of DVV International, held a stakeholder meeting within the framework of the project “Reintegration of War Veterans and Servicewomen through Educational Opportunities: Ours for Ours.” The event focused … Continued

From August 15 to 17, an intensive training on Social Entrepreneurship was held in Kyiv for directors and managers of Adult Learning and Education Centres from various regions of Ukraine.Participants explored modern approaches and tools for developing social entrepreneurship. The … Continued

In June 2025, Oksana Kubrak, Head of the Department of Strategic Planning of Sumy City Council, presented Sumy’s Lifelong Learning Strategy. This initiative is part of a collaborative effort by cities in the UNESCO Global Learning Cities Network, including Lviv, … Continued

In early June, a UNESCO delegation visited the city of Sumy to support the development of a Lifelong Learning Strategy for the local community. This visit was part of an ambitious effort to create a comprehensive, inclusive lifelong learning system … Continued

On April 13, 2025, Palm Sunday, a day of peace and reflection for Christians worldwide, our city of Sumy suffered one of the deadliest attacks since the beginning of the full-scale war. Two Russian ballistic missiles struck the heart of … Continued

We are excited to announce the release of the new brochure, “A Ray of Light: Caring for Yourself and Loved Ones in Crisis Situations,” developed by the NGO “Lifelong Learning Centre” to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) and those affected … Continued

As part of a short-term project aimed at providing mental support to the population, three online sessions were conducted, offering participants a deeper understanding of their emotions, practical coping strategies, and a sense of community support. Our topics: “Loss and … Continued

On January 25–26, 2025, a partnership meeting was held in Kyiv, organized by the DVV International Representative Office in Ukraine as part of the project “Enhancing the Professionalization of Adult Learning and Education (ALE) Centers in Europe.” The event was … Continued

On January 23, 2025, Viktoriia Sukhareva and Halyna Dmytrenko delivered a lecture titled “Stress, Resources, and Self-Regulation Methods for Yourself and Those Around You” to representatives of the executive bodies of Sumy City Council. The session focused on vital aspects … Continued

On January 22, 2025, as part of the collaboration between the NGO Lifelong Learning Centre and Sumy State University, an lecture titled “Managing Stress, PTSD, and the Protocol for Working with Acute Stress Reaction Effects” was held for students of … Continued

On January 15, 2025, the staff of Preschool Educational Institution No. 1 “Romashka” had the opportunity to participate in a training dedicated to mental health, conducted by Halyna Dmytrenko, a leading specialist and psychologist at the Sumy Regional Clinical Hospital … Continued

From December 2–5, 2024, the 6th International Conference on Learning Cities (ICLC 6), organized by UNESCO in partnership with Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia, brought together 700 participants, including policymakers, mayors, lifelong learning experts, educators, researchers, and representatives of NGOs … Continued

On December 5-6, 2024, the XIII Civil Society Development Forum “(You)STAND” took place, becoming one of the largest platforms for dialogue between civil society, businesses, media, government authorities, local self-government, and the international donor community. The event gathered over 4,000 … Continued

From October 2023 to December 2024, the project “Reintegration of War Veterans through Educational Opportunities” aimed to facilitate the reintegration of veterans and their families through education, psychological support, and skill development for professional and personal growth. Key Project Outcomes: … Continued

On November 27, 2024, the stakeholder meeting of the project “Reintegration of War Veterans through Educational Opportunities” took place at the Congress Center of Sumy State University. The event brought together representatives of local government, veteran organizations, educational institutions, and … Continued

On November 9, the official award ceremony for winning cities and successful projects in adult education, organized by the Ukrainian Association of Adult Education (UAAE), took place. The city of Sumy proudly earned the honorary title of “Capital of Learning … Continued

To download the informational guides The Lifelong Learning Centre is proud to announce the finalization of the “Strength of Spirit: Supporting Veterans in Sumy Region” project, which is dedicated to providing comprehensive psychological support for veterans and their families in … Continued

The Lifelong Learning Centre recently conducted a comprehensive six-hour training session in Psychological First Aid (PFA) for students of the Psychology program at Sumy State University. This training aimed to equip future psychologists with critical skills to address urgent psychological … Continued

The Lifelong Learning Centre successfully conducted an engaging offline training session on September 21, 2024, titled “Psychological Support During Explosions: How to Help Yourself and Others.” This practical, hands-on training was designed for educators, medical workers, social service employees, government … Continued

Last week at the Lifelong Learning Centre we have witnessed a blend of challenges and successes. Despite facing tough circumstances, we are proud to share significant progress in two of our key projects dedicated to supporting veterans and their families. … Continued

We are thrilled to congratulate our co-founder and chair of the board, Yuriy Petrushenko, who has officially begun his Fulbright Scholar program at the Institute for Public Affairs & Civic Engagement (PACE) at Salisbury University, USA. His project, focused on … Continued

On September 7, 2024, in Sumy, a six-hour intensive training was held for educators, healthcare workers, social service employees, government officials, and anyone who interacts with people who have experienced crisis situations. The event gathered participants eager to enhance their … Continued

We are pleased to announce that, as of today, our project aimed at the reintegration of war veterans and their families into civilian life through educational opportunities has successfully completed the majority of its planned activities. The goal of our … Continued

We are pleased to announce that one of the most in-demand educational courses of our project in June 2024 was “How to Talk to a Veteran?” This course attracted the attention of 138 participants, including veterans, their families, and professionals … Continued

Since May 2024, our organization, in cooperation with psychologists from the Sumy Regional Clinical Hospital for War Veterans, has begun implementing a project to support the mental health of veterans and their families. A series of offline training sessions were … Continued

In a significant development last month, the NGO Lifelong Learning Centre officially signed two memoranda of cooperation with NGO Mental Health and the Communal Non-commercial Enterprise of the Sumy Regional Council “Sumy Regional Clinical Hospital of War Veterans.” This partnership … Continued

Since February 2024, coaches Inna Balagurovska and Oleksiy Balagurovsky have been working with veterans as part of the ‘Social Entrepreneurship’ course and subsequent consulting. And finally, success! One of the participants has received funding from the ‘Diya’ program. This application … Continued

During the last two years, 2022 and 2023, at least three projects supporting the mental health of the population were implemented at our Center. These initiatives were financed by MedAir in Ukraine and DVV International in Ukraine, along with the … Continued

On March 6, American University Kyiv, in collaboration with the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine (AmCham), hosted a pivotal session as part of the AmCham Business School series. The event was led by our esteemed CEO, Hanna Shvindina, who … Continued

The NGO Lifelong Learning Centre is thrilled to announce a significant achievement in its mission to promote education: our organization has participated in promoting the lifelong learning concept, and now Sumy City has become a member of the UNESCO Global … Continued

The Lifelong Learning Centre is delighted to share the accomplishments of our partnership in the Jean Monnet Project “Educational Agenda for Intercultural City Development” (ID No 101047729 ERASMUS-JMO-2021-HEI-TCH-RSCH). Our NGO has played a pivotal role in enhancing the project’s reach … Continued

The NGO “Lifelong Learning Centre”, within the framework of the project “Reintegration of War Veterans through Educational Opportunities”, announces the selection of specialists to conduct the course “Social Entrepreneurship”. We are looking for: Lecturer – to deliver training sessions, prepare … Continued

In December 2023, the practice-oriented course aimed at the integration of veterans and their families, titled “When We Come Home…,” was successfully conducted. The course focused on critical issues related to trauma and its impact on life, covering topics such … Continued

The “JOINING EFFORTS – MAKING THE STRONG STRONGER” national online event was recently hosted, marking a significant step in Ukraine’s ongoing response to the challenges of the Russian aggressive War against our country. This pivotal gathering brought together a diverse … Continued

On December 15, 2023, a significant stakeholder meeting was held at the SumDU Congress Center, gathering around 50 participants from the Sumy region. The event focused on discussing the reintegration of male and female veterans through educational opportunities. Facilitated by … Continued

The NGO “Life Long Education Center” has become a partner in the project “Reintegration of Veterans through Educational Opportunities,” implemented by the German Adult Education Association – Institute for International Cooperation DVV International in Ukraine with financial support from the … Continued

The Lifelong Learning Centre proudly shares about the successful cooperation with MedAir in Ukraine. Within the project, the training series titled “First Psychological Aid” was held in 2023. One of them took place on December 9, 2023. Conducted at the … Continued

Dr. Yuriy Petrushenko, the head of the NGO Lifelong Learning Centre, took part in a session on strategic development and management of Adult Education Centers in Eastern Partnership countries. This event, held in Georgia from October 16-20, 2023, was a … Continued

The Lifelong Learning Centre is proud to announce that its leader, Professor Yuriy Petrushenko, Head of the Department of International Economic Relations and a Doctor of Economic Sciences, was invited to James Madison University in Virginia, USA. He participated in … Continued

The NGO Lifelong Learning Centre is pleased to report that Sumy police officers have participated in a psychological training session focusing on the basics of communication in crisis situations that took place on 9th of August 2023. The attendees included … Continued

On March 30, 2023, the Lifelong Learning Centre, in collaboration with DVV International Ukraine, organized a significant event at the Congress Center of Sumy State University titled “Adult Education as a Driver for Development and Post-War Recovery in the Sumy … Continued

The Lifelong Learning Centre is excited to announce the participation of its CEO, Hanna Shvindina, in the public discussion titled “Socially Responsible Universities.” This event is part of the University Resilience School, held on March 12, 2023. It aims to … Continued

On the 11th of March, this Saturday, the Round Table on “Mental Health Support for Residents in Times of War and After it” took place. That was networking aimed at reconnecting the hotheads who work in mental health support at … Continued

In a significant move towards international educational collaboration, the Lifelong Learning Centre reports on a recent development. On February 10, in the German twin city of Sumy – Celle, a methodological seminar was conducted under the Urban X-Change Network project. … Continued

In August 2022, the project aimed at the implementation of psychosocial support for Sumy oblast started. This project is funded by the humanitarian organization MedAir in Ukraine, and is one of the many designed to help the residents of Sumy … Continued

In December 2022, the first cohort of participants got the unique opportunity to accomplish a newly tailored course, “Intercultural City Development”. The course took place within Jean Monnet Module «Educational Agenda for Intercultural City Development» (ID No 101047729 ERASMUS-JMO-2021-HEI-TCH-RSCH). CEO … Continued

On the 9th of December, the Urban X Change Conference took place online, aimed at fostering transnational partnerships of adult education facilities from the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and the USA. On the 9th of December, the Urban X Change Conference … Continued

In times of despair and uncertainty, it is extremely important to do something meaningful in a certain time frame, namely, small and clear tasks divided to fit into the multi-colored puzzle of a large-scale international project. With the beginning of … Continued

We invite you to the events of the Week of Informal Education “The Art of Living Together”, which takes place within the framework of the “Urban X-Change Network” project in cooperation with VHS of Celle (National University from the German … Continued

The founder and head of the chair, Yuriy Petrushenko, and CEO, Hanna Shvindina, participated in Intercultural Strategy Development for Sumy City in 2019. The ideas and knowledge they gained became a core of the project, which got funded by educational … Continued

In August 2022, the project aimed at the implementation of psychosocial support for Sumy oblast started. This project is funded by the humanitarian organization MedAir in Ukraine, and is one of the many designed to help the residents of Sumy … Continued

MedAir, an independent, and neutral humanitarian organisation inspired by Christian faith, has started a set of projects devoted to helping people in Sumy region. One of the directions is PFA and psychoeducation. The training was designed by Medair and provided … Continued

The Education Festival within the Urban X-Сhange project is took place in Celle, in 1st and 2nd of July. During two intensive days participants exchanged ideas about further directions of humanitarian aid for Sumy in Ukraine, types of help, and … Continued

On October 13, 2021, the public organization “Lifelong Education Center” held the first evening festival of non-formal education, “The Art of Learning Together,” on the occasion of the German Weeks in Ukraine. Guests from the German city of Celle came … Continued

“The art of learning together” is 36 exciting trainings in three areas during one evening. The festival is organized by the NGO “Center for Lifelong Education” with the support of the German Embassy in Ukraine, Sumy State University, DVV International … Continued

Olena Bilotserkivska, a project manager at the NGO Lifelong Learning Centre, has now become a member of the Youth Council under the Sumy Oblast State Administration! The Youth Council is a consultative and advisory body at the regional state administration, … Continued