Field Notes #3: Art & Hope in Vinnytsya

In April 2025, our founder, Jack, traveled across Ukraine to visit artists, educators, and students supported by Ukraine Freedom School. These blog entries, drawn from his dispatches, offer a firsthand look at the resilience, creativity, and compassion found across a country still at war.

In Vinnytsya, our first official site for Ukraine Freedom School, I met Kate—a sharp journalist fluent in English with deep knowledge of local orphanages. She’s joining us as a project-based researcher and assistant. One of her first tasks will be supporting Dennis, one of our lead teachers, and conducting data gathering across the region.

Dennis and children

Vinnytsya is one of Ukraine’s safer zones, and its centrality makes it ideal for piloting new initiatives. We’re excited to deepen our roots here.

Also in the works: a student art project to be featured at our fall fundraising event, Collateral Kindness. With help from our partners in Odessa, Kyiv, and Bisbee, we’re building bridges—through education, creativity, and compassion.

In the meantime, while we curate for our upcoming art project, check out some of the works below by our beloved students!