We heard such feedback this summer in virtually every community where the DECIDE Summer Clubs “We are at home – in Ukraine” were organised.

As previously reported, career guidance was the main theme of our summer clubs this year. This was indeed a fantastic experience! During the summer, the children and teenagers who participated in the clubs attended 391 career guidance events and toured more than 300 locations.

Overall, DECIDE Summer Clubs 2026 “We are at home – in Ukraine” brought together over 3,600 children and teenagers from 23 communities in 8 regions of Ukraine. Each community helped young participants discover professions that are key to its own development.

Zhytomyr region opened up the incredible world of forestry and timber processing to children and teenagers; the children visited granite quarries and granite-processing plants.

In Chernihiv and Sumy regions, the project participants learnt about the professions of baker, vet, doctor, police officer, librarian, and forester. The children saw how fresh bread is made, and in some cases were even able to get involved in the process themselves.

Odesa region amazed the participants with its variety of professions. There, children discovered the agricultural sector, tourism, and the work of rescue workers, process engineers, and television professionals. The most exciting part was the factory tours, where they could take a look behind the scenes of the production processes and see how familiar products are made.

In Ivano-Frankivsk region, the children learnt about professions that are an integral part of life in the Carpathians: from rafting instructors to workers at cheese dairies and mountain farms.

Kyiv region also offered an insider’s view of many professions: the children visited bakeries, pharmacies, hotels, and banks, and met doctors, florists, and other specialists.

Poltava region gave kids an insight into the agricultural sector, traditional crafts, and modern eco-business. During the excursions, the participants visited businesses and workshops and learnt from experts what their working day actually looks like.

In Lviv region, our participants visited the DECIDE careers guidance hub, and during the workshops they were able to test themselves in different professions – from floristry to technical specialisms.

But the most important part came after the excursions. Back at their clubs, the children spent a long time discussing what they had seen, completed professional quests, did team tasks, attended masterclasses and, more and more often, talked not only about professions but also about their own dreams and the future!

Teachers were the first to notice these changes.

‘It was clear that the children were really excited. They returned from excursions with a sparkle in their eyes, talked endlessly about what they had seen, and were already asking the very next day where they would be going next.’

These changes were just as valuable for the parents, as the children came home every day with new impressions and enthusiastically recounted where they had been and what they had seen. It was lovely to see them sharing their discoveries with such enthusiasm!

The young participants themselves sum up this summer very simply:

• ‘I made new friends and realised that every profession is interesting in its own way.’
• ‘I liked the excursions best of all. It was interesting to see how people actually work, rather than just reading about it.’
• ‘The treasure hunts were really cool! It was great fun, and we were always busy doing something.’

We wanted the DECIDE Summer Clubs 2026 “We are at home – in Ukraine” to be just like this! So that for children discovering the world of professions would begin not with a textbook, but with real-life encounters, genuine conversations and personal experience. Because sometimes just one field trip is enough for a child to think for the first time, ‘Perhaps this is exactly what I want to do in the future.’

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