Students of the Department of Psychology participated in an art therapy project for children

For two years, the Department of Psychology of Zaporizhzhya Polytechnic National University actively participated in the implementation of the art therapy project “Art Helps” from the “Friends of Children” BF (https://www.facebook.com/pryyateliditey) with the sponsorship of the Charity Organization UCARE, Inc. (https://www.facebook.com/groups/UCAREInc). The project involved holding group art therapy classes in several cities for children affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In Zaporizhzhia, the psychologists of the “Art helps” project at the beginning were students of the psychology department Kateryna Filonenko and Sofia Cherednychenko (SN-113m), and since March of this year, practical psychologist Olena Hanotska and 3rd-year student Kateryna Lashchenko (SN-112). Tetyana Borodulkina, associate professor of the Department of Psychology, provided methodical support to project participants.

The main program of the project was implemented on the basis of Zaporizhzhya specialized boarding school II-III grades “Sichovy Collegium”, where psychologists Olena Hanotska and Kateryna Lashchenko conducted a series of art therapy classes for students of grades 9-B in the spring.

During the classes, participants performed the following creative tasks:
— exploring emotion through colors and creativity
—creating their own talisman of strength
—drawing their inner state with coffee
—composing a collective fairy tale and searching for symbols of support
—working on the theme of self-identification through creative portraits

The meetings were aimed at creating a safe creative space for self-expression, support and personal growth of students. Through games, creative tasks and reflections, schoolchildren learned to better understand themselves, their emotions and resources. Creativity helped students find answers to important questions, feel supported and aware of their strengths.

The Department of Psychology was glad to participate in the implementation of a socially important and psychologically useful initiative. The Zaporizhia project team expresses its gratitude to Marina Krysa, president of the “Friends of the Children” BF, project coordinators from the “Friends of the Children” BF, sponsors from the Charity Organization UCARE, Inc., Valentina Yershova, director of the Zaporizhia Specialized Boarding School II-III grades “Sichovy Collegium” and the pedagogical staff of the collegium for fruitful cooperation.

We work together — we develop together!