The donated exhibition is a humanitarian educational aid provided as part of a series of projects aimed at promoting science engagement in Ukraine in 2024. These initiatives have been launched and implemented by Ecsite — the European Network of Science Centres and Museums — with the support of the Simons Foundation (the USA) and in cooperation with the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (JASU).

“A few years ago, over 2,000 Norwegian school children shared their most creative ideas in a competition called ‘Project Fantasy’. Eleven inventions were selected and brought to life in an exhibition, celebrating the boundless imagination of young minds. The exhibition toured from VilVite centre all across Norway to 12 other science centres and became a huge hit among families. It fills us with pride and joy to know that the exhibition will now be available in Ukraine,” said Lars Leegaard Marøy, CEO of VilVite, Bergen Science Center.

The JASU’s team adapted the exhibition for Ukrainian visitors. It was first presented in Ukraine from October 14 to November 14, 2024, as part of the interactive space “Open the Portal to Science 2.0” in Kyiv.

The exhibition invites visitors to explore different types of energy, learn how to generate electricity using swings and see how children’s ideas, e.g. the ‘SoundCane’ exhibit, can improve accessibility for people with visual impairments.

“Ecsite’s collaboration with the Simons Foundation and VilVite, Bergen Science Centre, in donating the ‘Project Fantasy’ exhibition to the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine demonstrates our community’s solidarity with the people of Ukraine and our unwavering support for Ukrainians. Nearly three years into the war, the message behind ‘Project Fantasy’ — that everyone has the power to dream and innovate through science — resonates more profoundly than ever. I would like to thank Lars Leegaard Marøy, his team at VilVite and all our members who continue to support our Ukrainian colleagues,” said Catherine Franche, Executive Director of Ecsite.

Stanislav Dovgyi, President of the JASU, expressed his gratitude to the international partners for their fruitful cooperation and support of JASU’s educational initiatives. “By investing in education today, we are building the foundation for the successful development of our country. We highly appreciate the support of our international partners, who help us create new educational opportunities for Ukrainian children and youth. ‘Project Fantasy’ exhibition also inspires Ukrainian children and youth to bring their ideas into reality,” he noted.

The ‘Project Fantasy’ exhibition is open for visitors at the JASU’s Science Museum in Poltava from November 25, 2024, to July 2025. This Museum was established in cooperation with the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” and the Poltava branch of the JASU.

The ‘Project Fantasy’ exhibition was made possible through a collaboration with Equinor’s ‘Heroes of Tomorrow’, Oslo Science Centre at Teknisk Museum, Vitensenteret i Trondheim, Science Center of Northern Norway, Vitenfabrikken at Jærmuseet, and VilVite, Bergen Vitensenter as a project coordinator.