The Ukrainian Red Cross contributed to the preparation of a draft law on volunteering within the general, vocational, and higher education systems

This draft law became the first to be adopted by the Ukrainian Parliament in 2025, passing unanimously with 298 votes in favour.

The draft law includes provisions for:

• The development of volunteering within general, vocational, and higher education.
• Recognition of students’ volunteering activities as internships, provided the volunteering aligns with their field of study.
• The issuance of a certificate to volunteers confirming their participation in volunteer activities with public, charitable, or volunteer organisations.
• The inclusion of volunteer experience in motivation letters for admission to educational institutions.
• The requirement for heads of educational institutions to support the development of volunteer initiatives and encourage student participation in volunteering.

The law was drafted by the Committee on Education, Science and Innovation of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Red Cross, the Ukrainian Volunteer Service, the Soloma Cats Charitable Foundation, and other volunteer organisations.

“Volunteering is the voluntary and free allocation of one’s time to socially beneficial causes. We must foster a sense of responsibility towards our country from childhood,” stated Roman Hryshchuk, Member of Parliament of Ukraine.