In January 2026, a winter camp for teenagers aged 12–17 took place in Ivano-Frankivsk as part of the “SviTY” program. The primary goal was psychological recovery, overcoming the effects of stress, and the social adaptation of children who have experienced trauma.
To measure the actual impact of the program, pre- and post-camp surveys were conducted among the participants. The collected data proves that seven days in a safe environment provide a powerful boost to restoring the teenagers’ emotional resilience and inner resources.
Who participated in the program?
The camp hosted 23 teenagers from all four “SviTY” centers located in Lviv, Cherkasy, Khmelnytskyi, and Zhytomyr. The majority of them face increased daily stress on their nervous systems:
- 69.6% (16 individuals) — Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who lost their homes due to hostilities;
- 13.0% (3 individuals) — children of military families experiencing chronic stress;
- 17.4% (4 individuals) — children from families of fallen defenders and teenagers in difficult life circumstances.
Key results: How did their emotional state change?
A comparison of psychological and emotional state assessments before and after the camp revealed a significant positive leap. The overall psychological recovery rate reached 95.7%.
- Doubling the level of joy: The proportion of children experiencing joy increased from 43.5% to 82.6% (a +90% growth).
- Emergence of “delight”: After the camp, 73.9% of teenagers noted feeling a sense of delight. For children with traumatic experiences, this is a crucial marker of emerging from a state of emotional numbness.
- 100% overcoming of loneliness: By the end of the program, not a single participant reported feeling lonely (prior to the camp, this figure was 4.3%).
- Reduction in negative symptoms: The overall levels of fatigue, indifference, and anxiety dropped by 78.5%.
Social adaptation and new connections
Losing their usual social circle due to relocation is one of the most difficult factors for teenagers. The camp program helped participants restore their communication skills and trust in their peers:
- Ease of communication: The number of teenagers who find it easy or very easy to connect with peers increased from 34.8% to 60.8%.
- Breaking down barriers: The rate of communication difficulties decreased almost fourfold — from 17.4% to 4.3%.
The overall social adaptation index of the participants grew by 74%, indicating the high effectiveness of the group training sessions.
Assessment of atmosphere and comfort
Psychological recovery is impossible without a sense of physical and emotional safety:
- 100% of participants positively evaluated the travel arrangements and their overall impression of the program.
- 95.7% of the teenagers gave the highest rating to the psychological atmosphere and the sense of support at the camp.
- 91.3% of participants were thrilled with the excursion and art therapy program (visiting Bukovel, the water park, the theater, etc.).
Participants’ feedback
“I really liked that at the camp you could just be yourself. No one forced us to join activities; we wanted to do it ourselves. I found new friends and realized that “SviTY” participants, even from different cities, have a lot in common. This camp gave me strength and beautiful memories.”
— Veronika, 14 years old
“It was my first time at a camp with such a great program — both interesting and useful. I felt joy and peace. I was deeply impressed by the ethno-performance at the theater and how much people love their country.”
— Anastasiia, 17 years old
