School closures, shelling, and displacement has made access to education especially difficult for children in Ukraine.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, at least 2,600 schools(opens in a new tab) have been damaged in the country, 300 of which were completely destroyed. Additionally, 2.5 million children(opens in a new tab) have been internally displaced within Ukraine as their families seek relative safety in the western part of the country.
This has posed a new kind of challenge to Ukrainian regions hosting refugees, such as the city of Lviv. To help bring displaced students back to school, local charity fund Team4UA(opens in a new tab) initiated the construction of a 3D printed school. The project is created in partnership with Lviv City Council and with technology provided by Danish 3D construction company COBOD and the Danish construction company, 3DCP Group(opens in a new tab).
The 3D printed school began construction in September 2022 but, according to Team4UA, was temporarily halted due to massive Russian missile attacks(opens in a new tab) which cut electricity. Work has now resumed and the school, which will host around 100 pupils, is meant to open in 2024.