Author:
Yuliia Didenko
The first “12–21” youth space, created by the Olena Zelenska Foundation, has opened in Bila Tserkva. Voices of Children, together with the Coordination Center for Mental Health under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, contributed expertise, methodological support, and strategic vision to the initiative.
According to UNICEF, 73% of young people aged 14–34 are in need of psychosocial support. The war has intensified these challenges. Stress, uncertainty, forced displacement, and separation from loved ones have become part of everyday life for many adolescents. Young people are leaving their homes, losing their familiar environments, and experiencing anxiety about the future.
According to UNICEF, 73% of young people aged 14–34 are in need of psychosocial support. The war has intensified these challenges. Stress, uncertainty, forced displacement, and separation from loved ones have become part of everyday life for many adolescents. Young people are leaving their homes, losing their familiar environments, and experiencing anxiety about the future.
How the “12–21” Model Will Work
“12–21” is a network of friendly, barrier-free, and free spaces for adolescents and young people aged 12 to 21, designed as a response to the challenges of war. The initiative is based on the Danish Headspace model, adapted to Ukrainian realities, including life during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The “12–21” spaces combine leisure activities, peer-to-peer interaction, and professional psychological support. They include areas for socializing, interest-based clubs, and quiet spaces for privacy. Psychologists and social workers are part of the team and are ready to provide professional assistance.
The “12–21” spaces combine leisure activities, peer-to-peer interaction, and professional psychological support. They include areas for socializing, interest-based clubs, and quiet spaces for privacy. Psychologists and social workers are part of the team and are ready to provide professional assistance.
This year, new spaces will also open in Chernihiv and Khmelnytskyi, and in early 2026, in Kryvyi Rih and Odesa.
I am grateful to the Coordination Center for Mental Health under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and to the Voices of Children Foundation for their expertise, methodological support, and strategic vision, which helped create an approach that truly responds to the real needs of young people,
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