USAID/Ukraine’s “New Pages of Ukrainian Heroism” campaign tells the stories of women who are making history, working behind the frontlines to support Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction. Follow the campaign @USAIDUkraine on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Hanna Telychko is a social entrepreneur, founder of A-Robot - a network of STEM education centers - and chair of the board of Territory of Sustainable Development, a civil society organization.
Hanna currently lives and works in Rivne, but is originally from Donetsk oblast, where she lived until Russia’s full-scale invasion. With assistance from USAID’s Economic Resilience Activity, she founded a network of robotics centers in the cities of Vuhledar, Kurakhovo, Volnovakha and Novotroitske, where more than two hundred children attended classes each month.
“The most important thing we adults have to do is to help our children become successful and happy," Hanna explains.
"My entrepreneurial activity started in 2015 with a question: ‘What skills can I help my children develop that will help them be successful and happy in their adult lives?’ My husband and I decided that robotics, programming, and innovative design would help our children look confidently into the future in 10–15 years. So, we started educating the future leaders in the Vuhledar community!”
Hanna has continued her work since relocating her family to Rivne. With support from USAID and other international partners, she conducts free robotics workshops for children across western Ukraine, holding 1,500 classes in 2022. Participants range from five to 13 years old and, in addition to assembling robots, children learn teamwork, logical thinking and the English language.
Also with USAID support, the Ukrainian team led by the Telychko family took part in the Robotex International festival in Tallinn, Estonia, one of the world’s largest international robotics festivals. The Ukrainian team won!
Hanna is immensely proud of this achievement:
"Even during [Russia’s full-scale war], our students and coaching staff continue to represent Ukraine at international robotics competitions."
Despite the challenges created by Russia’s full-scale war, Hanna is committed to helping young people across Ukraine learn valuable skills and build successful futures, contributing to the country’s recovery.
