Overview
In response to the urgent need for safe, high-quality learning environments in war-affected communities, IREX introduced the Pop-Up School model—a fast, cost-effective, and community-driven solution to restore access to education. IREX installs Pop-Up Schools—modular structures that can be produced and installed quickly—in communities where schools have been damaged or destroyed, ensuring children in the communities most impacted by the war can return to school, and providing valuable community gathering spaces in areas where much of the infrastructure has been destroyed.
Each Pop-Up School is supported by a tailored education recovery roadmap for restoring quality education services, which is developed in partnership with local authorities. IREX also provides mentorship and training to help communities manage the schools effectively. Local governments assume full oversight and financial responsibility for the operation and maintenance of Pop-Up Schools once they are installed, ensuring their sustained use and functionality.
Recognized by Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science, the Pop-Up School model is now being promoted as a blueprint for broader recovery efforts. It demonstrates how innovative, community-based solutions can restore not just education, but hope, stability, and opportunity in the face of crisis.
