EduTech Labs: Safe Spaces and Real Support for Refugee and Vulnerable Children in Moldova

For over a year now, EduTech Labs have become much more than classrooms. They are vibrant, energetic spaces where refugee children from Ukraine and other countries, together with vulnerable children from local communities, learn, play, and regain their confidence. Here, they take part in educational activities, creative workshops, and emotional support sessions - all within a safe and welcoming environment where they feel heard and understood. For many of them, the EduTech Lab is a space where they can be themselves and connect with other children.

Why Were EduTech Labs Needed?

As of September 2023, over 108,000 Ukrainian refugees were registered in the Republic of Moldova, nearly 49,000 of whom were children. Only about 4% of them were enrolled in the Moldovan education system - the lowest percentage in the region. The rest continued their studies online through platforms provided by Ukraine’s Ministry of Education, though without a clear monitoring system.

The Ministry of Education and Research of Moldova offered Ukrainian children the option to either enroll in local schools or continue their studies online. Many - especially students in the final years of school - initially chose the online path. Over time, however, it became increasingly clear how important it is for these children to learn in a safe, structured, and friendly environment where they can interact with peers. As a result, efforts to gradually integrate them into the formal education system began.

To support this transition and ensure access to quality education and emotional support, UNICEF, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research, established EduTech Labs in several schools across the country. These spaces act as a bridge between online learning and traditional schooling, helping children study, connect, and benefit from essential services in a safe and inclusive environment.

What Are EduTech Labs?

EduTech Labs were primarily established to provide refugee children from Ukraine with the opportunity to continue their studies online in a safe environment. At the same time, these spaces are open to both Ukrainian and Moldovan children, offering access to non-formal educational activities and psycho-emotional support, including:

• Remedial lessons in Romanian, English, Mathematics, Geography, and History;
• Recreational activities such as drawing, music, sports, and chess;
• Psychological counseling provided by specialists;
• Digital materials for online studies;
• The possibility to connect online to lessons from the Ukrainian educational program;
• Information about child protection services.

In the second phase of the labs’ implementation during the 2024-2025 academic year, over USD 750,000 was allocated by the UK Government (FCDO UK) and the United States Government (Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration - BPRM) to support EduTech Labs as part of international efforts to integrate refugee children into Moldovan schools.

The initiative aims to create an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable educational and social environment for both refugee children and those from local communities. The project places particular focus on vulnerable groups, including Roma children, children from ethnic minorities, children with disabilities, children from low-income families, and single-parent families.

What We Have Achieved Together, in Numbers:

• 81 EduTech rooms set up nationwide;
• 70 spaces dedicated to the inclusion of refugee children, with 20 facilitating formal online learning according to the Ukrainian educational curriculum;
• 2.145 children supported through EduTech activities;
• 735 refugee children directly benefited;
• 32 children with special educational needs included;
• 178 trained and active facilitators; 

The EduTech Labs project is implemented by UNICEF and the Ministry of Education and Research, in partnership with People in Need (PIN). Data collected by PIN show that 51% of all beneficiary children participate daily in EduTech Labs activities, and 41% participate two to three times per week. Children appreciate the friendly atmosphere and creative activities, while parents notice visible changes: increased confidence, well-being, and smooth social integration.

To meet the diverse needs of children, EduTech Labs facilitators have been trained in educational inclusion, emotional literacy, psychosocial support, gender-based violence prevention, and trauma-sensitive approaches.

Inclusive education works when it is child-centered

Inclusive education takes shape when it truly responds to the needs of every child. With the support of UNICEF, the Ministry of Education, and implementing partners, EduTech Labs pave a concrete path toward quality education - ensuring that no child remains invisible or forgotten.