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Why $35? Here’s Exactly What It Funds
A single TechExplorers classroom costs $35,000 to fully equip and operate for one year. This is not an estimate — it is a line-by-line budget developed by the TechExplorers team based on real costs in Ukraine.
Here is where every dollar goes.
Equipment and Technology — $21,662
The classroom is built around 10 fully equipped workstations: laptops, network cables, and peripherals that allow students to practice drone operation in simulation software from day one. Flight practice happens on Mobula 8 micro-drones — 15 aircraft per classroom — paired with FPV goggles and 10 radio control units. Charging infrastructure and batteries are included.
Three complete engineering kits round out the technical setup. Each kit contains professional soldering stations, components for assembling 3-inch FPV drones (ELRS 2.4GHz standard), propellers, antennas, and repair consumables. Students do not just learn to pilot — they learn to build, solder, and maintain the machines they fly.
Personnel — $9,818
A qualified TechExplorers instructor teaches for 11 months. A program coordinator manages operations for 12 months. Both are trained through TechExplorers’ own instructor school — the same school that ensures consistent, high-quality teaching across all program locations.
Logistics and Operations — $3,520
Delivery of equipment via Nova Poshta, administrative costs, and operational support account for the remaining 10% of the budget. Dignitas Ukraine maintains a 95% program spend ratio overall, verified by three consecutive clean audits conducted by Goldenthal & Suss Consulting, P.C.
Every dollar donated goes directly toward a real classroom, for real children of defenders, with real accountability behind it.
35 Facts About Ukraine Worth Celebrating
Ukraine is more than the headlines. As this country marks its 35th Independence Day, here are 35 facts that reveal the depth, creativity, and resilience of a nation that has shaped the world in ways most people never learned in school.
1. Ukraine is the geographic center of Europe. A stone monument near the village of Dilove in Zakarpattia Oblast marks the spot recognized as the geographical center of the continent — a position that has defined Ukraine’s role as a crossroads of civilizations for millennia. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
2. Ukrainians wrote one of the world’s first constitutions. Cossack statesman Pylyp Orlyk’s Constitution of 1710 established separation of powers and democratic principles decades before the U.S. Constitution was drafted. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
3. Ukraine voluntarily surrendered the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal. Under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine gave up more nuclear warheads than any other country in history — in exchange for security guarantees. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
4. Kyiv is older than moscow by seven centuries. Kyiv was founded in the 5th century and served as the capital of Kyivan Rus, one of medieval Europe’s most developed states. Moscow was founded in the 12th century. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
5. Ukraine has eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites. St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Kyiv, the historic center of Lviv, the Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans in Chernivtsi, Odesa’s historic center, the Wooden Churches of the Carpathians, and the ancient beech forests of the Carpathians are among them. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
6. The deepest metro station in Europe is in Kyiv. Arsenalna station sits 105.5 meters below ground — deeper than a 30-story building is tall. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
7. Ukraine invented one of the world’s most recognizable Christmas carols. “Carol of the Bells” was composed by Ukrainian musician Mykola Leontovych and is now performed in concert halls across the world every December. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
8. WhatsApp was founded by a Ukrainian. Jan Koum was born in Kyiv and grew up in Kyiv Oblast before emigrating to California, where he co-founded one of the world’s most widely used messaging platforms. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
9. A Ukrainian engineer built the modern helicopter. Igor Sikorsky, born in Kyiv, designed the world’s first commercially successful helicopter. His company, Sikorsky Aircraft, still builds helicopters used by U.S. presidents. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
10. A Ukrainian led the Space Race. Serhiy Korolev, born in Zhytomyr, was the chief rocket engineer behind Sputnik — the first satellite — and Yuri Gagarin’s first human spaceflight. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
11. Ukraine produces more sunflower oil than any other country on earth. Sunflower fields are not just Ukraine’s national symbol — they represent real agricultural power that feeds the world. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
12. Over a quarter of the world’s most fertile soil is in Ukraine. Chernozem — black soil — covers vast stretches of Ukrainian land and has made the country one of the planet’s most important agricultural regions. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
13. Ukraine pioneered the modern postal code. While the UK introduced postal indexing first, Ukraine launched the first comprehensive modern postal code system in 1932 — assigning a unique number to every city, town, and village. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
14. Ukraine was the first country in the world to legally recognize digital passports. In 2021, Ukraine gave its government app Diia (Ukrainian for “action”) full legal equivalence with physical documents — and in 2024 added the world’s first fully digital marriage registration. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
15. Odesa has catacombs eight times longer than Paris. The tunnels beneath Odesa stretch an estimated 2,500 kilometers — compared to 300 kilometers under the French capital. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
16. Ukraine’s tallest structure is also the world’s tallest free-standing lattice tower. The Kyiv TV Tower stands 385 meters — one of the tallest structures in all of Europe. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
17. The city of Lutsk is home to the world’s longest apartment building. Built in the 1970s in a honeycomb design, it stretches over 2.75 kilometers. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
18. Kryvyi Rih is the longest city in Europe. At 126 kilometers from end to end, it is also the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
19. There is a town called New York in Ukraine. The village of Niu-York in Donetsk Oblast was founded in the 19th century by German Mennonites — long before New York City became the city most people picture. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
20. The city of Donetsk was founded by a Welshman. John Hughes, a Welsh businessman, established a settlement around a mine in the 19th century. The city was originally called Hughesovka. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
21. Ukraine has its own “Stonehenge.” Near Rozivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the Stone Tomb archaeological site features granite formations covered in petroglyphs 4,000–5,000 years old. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
22. Kherson Oblast has a desert. Oleshky Sands is one of the largest deserts in Europe — located just 25 kilometers from the city of Kherson. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
23. Ukraine has a “Venice” of its own. The small town of Vylkove in Bessarabia sits directly on the Danube River, where residents travel by boat from house to house. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
24. Lviv has a pharmacy that has been open since 1735. The oldest working pharmacy in Ukraine is still operational — part museum, part medicine shop. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
25. Ivano-Frankivsk has the only Art Deco town hall in Ukraine. It is also the only public building in the country with a gilded top — an architectural feature otherwise reserved exclusively for churches. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
26. Ukraine’s longest gypsum cave is also Europe’s longest. The Optimistic Cave in Ternopil Oblast ranks among the five longest caves in the world. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
27. “Heart of Darkness” author Joseph Conrad was born in Ukraine. Conrad — born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski — was from Berdychiv in Zhytomyr Oblast. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
28. Ukraine shaped modern documentary filmmaking. The 1929 film “Man with a Movie Camera” by Ukrainian director Dziga Vertov pioneered split screens, slow motion, and other techniques that defined cinema. The British Film Institute named it the greatest documentary ever made. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
29. An ancient Ukrainian art form predates Venetian glass. The glassblowing technique of “guta glass” has existed in Ukraine since the era of Kyivan Rus — contemporary with, and independent from, the Venetian tradition. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
30. Ukraine is one of only four countries that has voluntarily disarmed nuclear weapons. This remains one of the most consequential acts of non-proliferation in modern history. (Source: Britannica)
31. Ukrainian athlete Yaroslava Mahuchikh holds the women’s world record in high jump. She cleared 2.10 meters in July 2024 — breaking a record that had stood for over 35 years. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
32. Ukraine’s Carpathian Mountains are home to some of Europe’s last ancient forests. The primeval beech forests of the Carpathians are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and among the oldest undisturbed woodland ecosystems on the continent. (Source: Britannica)
33. Ukraine’s Hoverla peak rises 2,061 meters above sea level. It is the highest point in the country, located in the Carpathian Mountains near the Romanian border. (Source: Britannica)
34. The Dnieper River is one of Europe’s longest. Flowing through the heart of Ukraine from north to south, it has shaped the country’s history, settlements, and identity for thousands of years. (Source: Britannica)
35. Ukraine has over 1,000 monuments to a single poet. Taras Shevchenko — Ukraine’s national poet and symbol of resistance — has 1,068 monuments across the country and 1,167 worldwide. No other Ukrainian figure comes close. (Source: Kyiv Independent)
How to Join the Campaign
Ukraine has given the world constitutions, carols, helicopters, and WhatsApp. It has held its ground for 35 years against pressure, occupation, and full-scale aggression — and it is still building.
The children of defenders deserve a classroom where the next chapter begins. TechExplorers provides that space — free of charge, staffed by certified instructors, built on a fully transparent budget.
The campaign runs from August 10 to August 24, 2026. The goal is $35,000. Your donation of $35 covers one child’s share of a year of STEM education. Every contribution is tracked, every dollar accounted for.
35 Years of Freedom. $35 for the Future.
FAQ
What is TechExplorers?
TechExplorers is a [STEM education initiative]([INTERNAL LINK: /techexplorers/]) run by Dignitas Ukraine that provides free drone piloting, FPV engineering, and technology training to children of Ukrainian defenders and veterans, aged 7 to 17.
How is the $35,000 used?
The full budget funds one classroom for one year: equipment (laptops, Mobula 8 drones, FPV goggles, engineering kits), a certified instructor for 11 months, a coordinator for 12 months, and logistics. A detailed breakdown is included in this article.
Is Dignitas Ukraine a verified organization?
Yes. Dignitas Ukraine is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 92-3194330) based in New Jersey. We maintain a 95% program spend ratio and have received three consecutive clean audits from Goldenthal & Suss Consulting, P.C.
Why August 10–24?
The campaign opens on August 10 and closes on August 24 — Ukraine’s Independence Day — to mark 35 years of sovereignty with a concrete investment in the next generation.
Can organizations or companies donate?
Yes. For institutional giving or partnership inquiries, contact us at info@dignitas.fund.
