Czech textbooks for thousands of Ukrainians in the Czech Republic are available through the PPF project
Some 340,000 Czech textbooks, Czech-Ukrainian dictionaries, and teachers' manuals have been distributed through the Textbooks for Ukraine program. These resources, intended for all ages, were supplied free to schools, other educational institutions, and individuals.
“With our non-profit and charity work firmly fixed in education, we knew from the outset that if we wanted to help Ukrainian refugees effectively, we should concentrate on what we’re good at,” says trustee of The Kellner Family Foundation Petra Dobešová. “Whether we’re helping refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine or assisting people who have been here much longer and already found a second home in the Czech Republic, it is important that they become proficient in Czech for their successful integration into society here.”
The project organisers set up a re-edition of existing textbooks and publication of new teaching resources to help Ukrainian refugees, especially children, with access to education and smoother integration into the Czech education system.
“Our initiative has helped avert the problem of a looming shortage of resources in teaching Czech to thousands of Ukrainian schoolchildren. We have an advantage over the public sector in that we are more flexible and able to act more quickly. I would like to stress here how effective and mutually beneficial the collaboration on the project has been, not only with the Ministry of Education but also representatives of educational institutions, outreach workers, and NGOs who work with immigrants, especially the META society for young immigrants and the CIC – Centre for the Integration of Foreigners. Everyone worked on the project as much as they could to get it done in record time,” says PPF Foundation trustee Jana Tomas Sedláčková.
The Textbooks for Ukraine project has drawn great interest and exceeded initial expectations. The number of books required has consequently risen to over 100,000 copies, and even then, each book has already been allocated this summer. Exceeding 11,000 orders placed via the www.ucebniceproukrajinu.cz portal, all books were fully processed and shipped by the beginning of the new school year with help from partners in e-commerce, logistics and distribution (Heureka, Mailstep, PPL, Shoptet).
The Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports estimates that as many as 70,000 students from Ukraine will be enrolling in school levels in the new 2022/2023 school year. The learning materials they have received under the initiative by PPF Foundation and The Kellner Family Foundation will ease their way in learning the Czech language and navigating through this new environment.
Notes for editors:
PPF Foundation was established in September 2019 to assist talented people with dedication, resolve and visions to develop Czech society and who strive creating for an environment of greater openness through their efforts, talents and work on projects in international contexts.
The Kellner Family Foundation was established by Renáta and Petr Kellner to support long-term educational projects for students and teachers at primary schools and students at secondary schools and universities. The Foundation seeks out and supports motivated children and young people who are living in conditions that make it difficult or impossible for them to access quality education. Since 2002, the Kellner family has donated CZK 1.7 billion through the Foundation to socially beneficial projects.
PPF Group operates in 25 countries, investing in multiple sectors, including financial services, telecommunications, media, biotechnology, real estate, and engineering. PPF Group’s reach spans from Europe to North America and across Asia. The Group owns assets to the value of EUR 42.2 billion and employs 78,000 people globally (30 December 2021).
