Holding The Light Through The Darkness in Ukraine

There are moments when resilience is not a plan or a choice. It is simply what remains when everything familiar is stripped away. Recent weeks in Kyiv have been exactly that.

Systematic Russian attacks brought power outages across the city and region. Heating systems failed while the snow and extreme cold set in. Nights were filled with air raid sirens, and mornings began with uncertainty. Life slowed, sometimes stopped, but it did not disappear.

Keeping School Open in a City Under Strain

At Kyiv International School (a QSI school), we did not pretend these days were easy. Heating was lost and restored repeatedly. Classes moved into warmer spaces. Our generator, essential during outages, struggled in the severe cold and froze more than once. Each challenge required adjustments, securing fuel, running backup systems late into the night, and planning every school day with contingencies in place.

During this period, Ukraine’s Ministry of Education recommended remote learning or an extended winter break. Many schools understandably closed their campuses. At KIS, leadership prepared for remote learning but made a deliberate decision: as long as we could provide a safe, warm environment with electricity and water, we would remain open. 

These days were hard, but full of purpose. What sustained us was not equipment alone; it was people.

More Than A School

Like many Kyiv residents, our staff members lived without heat, water, or electricity at home. For some, the school became the only place to charge a phone, cook a meal, or take a hot shower. In those moments, KIS was more than a school. It was shelter, it was warmth…it was the preservation of humanity. 

Acts of kindness mattered. Our cafeteria partner, Sunny Side, quietly provided free hot soup for staff to take home. Small gestures carried deep meaning during days when the city felt fragile.

To support families, the school adopted a hybrid learning model. Students could attend in person or join classes remotely. No family was forced to choose between safety and education. This balance worked because it was built on trust. The school became a safe haven regardless of one’s circumstances. 

Despite sleepless nights, constant alerts, and long commutes through a city under pressure, teachers and students came to school. Every. Day. Because education, even in wartime, is an act of hope.

Every Step of the Way

This strength has deep roots. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Kyiv International School closed its campus and shifted immediately to online learning. The human impact was far harder.

During that time, Quality Schools International (QSI) stood firmly behind its staff. The organization arranged evacuations, provided transportation, preserved jobs, maintained full salaries, and offered stability when it was desperately needed. Across QSI campuses worldwide, funds were raised, and support was mobilized. KIS was never alone. 

Meanwhile, vital work continued quietly on campus. A safety shelter was created in the basement, sandbags were placed in ground-floor windows, generators were installed, and safety protocols were rewritten for a new reality.

In February 2023, Kyiv International School became the first international school in Ukraine to reopen its campus after the invasion started. It was more than an operational decision; it was a statement of responsibility and belief in the future. School fees were reduced to support families facing extraordinary financial strain, while families who had the means were encouraged to donate to humanitarian efforts. 

Kyiv International School continues not because conditions are favorable, but because its people are exceptional. The community remains united, compassionate, and steadfast-even on the hardest days.

In times of crisis, institutions reveal their values, and KIS and QSI have stood with the community and Ukraine!