Despite the hardships of life during the war, Ukraine continues to prioritize its children and their future. STEM is FEM is one of the local organizations supporting youth and their ambitions and helping women get into STEM fields. Last year alone, the project received over 4,000 applications for various activities promoting STEM disciplines. Serhiy Tokarev, the project’s founder and IT entrepreneur, shared details about its recent efforts.
In 2023, STEM is FEM launched an educational course on Urbanism as part of its initiatives. They partnered with Diia.Osvita, a national platform initiated by Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, to ensure the course was accessible to any Ukrainian child interested in the subject, no matter where they were. According to UNICEF, over half of Ukraine’s children have been displaced, making online education a crucial focus.
According to Serhiy Tokarev, the four-month course educated 50 girls, offering deep insights into architecture and urban planning. Participants explored public spaces in the cities of Ichinia, Trostyanets, and Okhtyrka—Ukrainian cities that have suffered greatly from the war—and developed their own reconstruction projects for these areas.
The top ten projects from the course were refined by industry professionals and given the chance to be implemented on-site. Additionally, three graduates were offered a unique opportunity to contribute to the research for Okhtyrka’s master plan and complete an internship with Urban Reform NGO.
“The team is actively working to ensure that as many people as possible gain knowledge about urban planning—understanding what our cities are like and what they can become, what elements should be preserved, and what needs improvement. With the enormous task of post-war reconstruction ahead, it’s essential to engage the younger generation in the restoration of Ukrainian cities,” says Serhiy Tokarev. Tokarev is best known for investing in the hit Reface app, which had trended on the app stores.
According to Tokarev, urban planning wasn’t the only focus for STEM is FEM in 2023. In the fall, the project partnered with Ukrainian women’s lingerie brand brabrabra to launch an educational module Light Industry. Thirty girls met industry experts, listened to motivational speakers, explored the clothing production process, and had the chance to develop their own lingerie collections.
“To have highly qualified professionals in the future, we must provide education today. The shortage of experts doesn’t begin at the hiring stage—it starts when young people don’t pursue specific fields of study. That’s why it’s essential for us to create educational initiatives for schoolgirls and students, introducing them to STEM fields where women are underrepresented,” emphasizes Elizaveta Korenko, head of STEM is FEM.
Korenko adds that STEM experts are concerned about the current shortage of skilled personnel in these industries, especially in Ukraine. However, only a few initiatives work directly with young people to encourage them to pursue careers in STEM.
Serhiy Tokarev believes it is crucial to attract as many women as possible to STEM fields, as technological progress depends on a diversity of perspectives and experiences. Initiatives like STEM is FEM contribute to the success of technological development not only in Ukraine but around the world.