Serhii Tokarev on DIY “Beehives”: how communities can create educational spaces

Tokarev Foundation, in collaboration with the savED charity, has launched a DIY guide for communities, businesses, and philanthropic organisations planning to set up STEM educational spaces for schoolchildren. The practical guide was presented on 16 April in Kyiv. This was announced by Serhii Tokarev — a Ukrainian impact investor, founder of Tokarev Foundation, and technology entrepreneur.

Why is a DIY guide needed?

This guidebook is based on the experience of rolling out the DIY “Beehives” network — practical learning hubs for teenagers. Here, they learn about new technologies, experiment, and see projects through to completion, working on robotics prototypes, programming, 3D printers, and laser engravers.

In Ukraine, the DIY “Beehives” network covers five communities in the Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, where in-person education has been hardest hit by the war. The pilot centre is located in the village of Tsarychanka. Tokarev Foundation opened it in partnership with savED.

According to a survey of 800 participants in the initiative, 96% of schoolchildren have acquired new skills, and more than half of them plan to use these skills in the future.

How a single pilot project became national infrastructure

“A single STEM learning space is a pilot project. A guidebook is infrastructure. This is the logic behind the transition from a one-off initiative to a systematic solution to the skills shortage that our country will have to tackle over the next 10–15 years. Unfortunately, no single community, ministry, or foundation will be able to tackle this challenge on its own,” says Serhii Tokarev.

Data from savED itself illustrates the scale of the challenge: in 2025, fewer than half of Ukrainian teenagers participated in extracurricular activities on a regular basis. The main reasons for this trend are linked to a lack of suitable facilities, a shortage of staff, and insufficient financial support. As a result, the country’s economy faces an acute shortage of specialists in chemical and mechanical engineering, automation, and electronics.

How investing in human capital can change everything

Oksen Lisovyi, Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science, emphasised during the presentation of the DIY guide: “Educational initiatives such as this are essential for training the professionals the country needs.” He also added that such spaces help shape future researchers, scientists, engineers, and other qualified specialists in various fields.

“For everything to work properly and deliver results, it is essential that tech philanthropy, business, charitable foundations, and the state work together under a common standard. That is why we have developed a working methodology and are making it available to anyone interested. In the DIY guide, you will find information on how to set up a space, give teenagers access to technical education, and train teachers,” adds Serhii Tokarev.