The project “eDU Hubs and Mobile Centers” (EHMC) was launched by the face-to-face Consortium meeting in Baia Mare, Romania 3-6 June 2025.
The project is led by YMCA Romania, with YMCA Slovakia, YMCA Germany, YMCA Europe as partners being co-funded by the European Union through the ESF+ Social Innovation+ initiative and by Accenture Foundation.
The “eDU Hubs and Mobile Centres” model offers a holistic way to analyse and address the current needs of Ukrainian refugees through offering personalised support tailored to individual and community needs. It actively involves the Ukrainian community and key stakeholders in developing and implementing activities, fostering ownership and responsibility.
The hubs will provide integrated services for all age groups, creating a safe space for connection, learning and growth. Services include legal and educational support, child care, employment assistance, medical and mental health services, character development, leadership programmes, and efforts to enhance self-esteem and autonomy.
To continue refining and upscale this social innovation, the project objectives are as follows:
- To support the project implementation through high-quality management and coordination of existing and new partners involved.
- To facilitate the co-creation, communication, and mutual learning of project partners and a wider community of practitioners.
- To explore, conceptualise and institutionalise an innovative approach to the matter of upskilling and community integration of Ukrainian refugees through the model of “eDU Hubs and Mobile Centres”.
- To provide space for community stakeholders to interact for joint analysis, planning and solutions’ implementation in the sphere of integration and social inclusion of Ukrainian refugees.
- To train, mentor, and implement the innovative approach of integration and social inclusion of Ukrainian refugees through the “eDU Hubs and Mobile Centres” model.
- To ensure wide dissemination of the designed and tested model’s findings and best practices of integration and social inclusion of Ukrainian refugees as well as advocate for higher level change to support the further scaling of results.
- To include more stakeholders in the process and service delivery.
The “eDU Hubs and Mobile Centres” project started in April 2025 with online meetings of the Consortium, with preparation of the detailed survey for needs assessment, with setting the means of communication. It will be an 18 month journey to go with the further follow up on the results.
The in-person meeting of the Consortium in Baia Mare, Romania included the following key topics:
- Overall concept of the project and work packages interconnections.
- Ways of communication and coordination, including the Communication Strategy.
- Needs assessment – finalising the questionnaire that will help to understand what matters most to displaced people and the communities welcoming them.
- Defining the concept of the Stakeholders Mapping.
- Outlining the vision of the Capacity Building training for those who provide the services.
- Planning dates of the final dissemination event in Brussels in September 2026.
- Working on internal agreement among partners.
- Creating the Risk mitigation plan.
The project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the EU nor the Granting Authority can be held responsible for them.
Project co-funded by the European Union through the ESF+ Social Innovation+ initiative and by Accenture Foundation.
