DIY “Beehives” for communities: how a new guidebook will help develop technology education
Tokarev Foundation, in collaboration with the savED Charitable Foundation, has launched a practical DIY guide for communities, businesses, and philanthropic organisations wishing to set up modern educational spaces for schoolchildren. The guidebook is based on the experience of developing the DIY “Beehives” network — STEM centres in regions where traditional education has suffered the greatest losses due to the war. Serhii Tokarev, an IT entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Tokarev Foundation, spoke about the initiative.
What are DIY “Beehives”?
A DIY “Beehive” is a hands-on learning space where teenagers can work with technology not just in theory, but through their own experiments and projects. In such centres, schoolchildren are introduced to laser engravers, programming tools, 3D printers, robotic prototypes, and other technological solutions.
The DIY approach involves independent research, creation, and testing of ideas. In other words, pupils do not simply listen to theory, but immediately put their knowledge into practice: they model, assemble, programme, analyse errors, and see their own projects through to completion.
How the network of STEM spaces works
The DIY “Beehives” network currently covers five communities in the Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. These are areas where, due to the war, children often have limited access to high-quality offline extracurricular education, technological equipment, and hands-on STEM activities.
The pilot centre operates in the village of Tsarychanka. Last year, it was visited by over 800 schoolchildren. According to a survey, 96% of participants were introduced to new technologies, and more than half plan to use the skills they acquired in the future.
According to Serhii Tokarev, the centre in Tsarychanka is just one example. However, the DIY guide makes it possible to scale up this experience and turn it into part of a broader educational infrastructure.
Why such a guide is important for communities
According to savED, in 2025, only 41% of Ukrainian schoolchildren regularly took part in extracurricular activities due to a lack of funding, staff shortages, and a lack of well-equipped spaces where children can learn through hands-on experience.
At the same time, the Ukrainian economy is already facing high demand for specialists in mechanical and chemical engineering, automation, electronics, and related technical fields. This is precisely why creating STEM spaces in communities can be not only an educational initiative but also a strategic investment in the future labour market.
This DIY guide is designed to help those who want to open such a space but do not know where to start. It contains practical advice on training teachers, fitting out premises, selecting equipment, and creating conditions for children to have free access to modern technology education.
Investment in human capital
The organisers of the DIY “Beehives” view this initiative as a long-term investment in human capital. In their view, the development of such spaces can help Ukraine systematically address the shortage of technical personnel while providing schoolchildren from different regions with access to high-quality STEM education.
“Success can only be achieved when charitable foundations, business, the state, and tech philanthropy work together. That is why we are providing the DIY guide to all interested parties. It explains how to train teachers, equip spaces, and create conditions for free access to modern technology education,” emphasises Serhii Tokarev.
