In March, BBF provided a grant to Music in World Cultures (MWC) to support a new season of summer music camps for children in Ukraine. The camps, running from mid June to the end of July, are scheduled to take place in Zdolbuniv, Irpin, Katyuzhanka, Kyiv, and other areas affected by the war—either previously occupied or currently serving as hubs for refugees and internally displaced persons.

The grant will help fund weeklong music day camps that offer children opportunities to sing, play instruments, move, play games, and share meals together. According to MWC President Steve Benham and his wife Kris, the camps aim to create a supportive environment where children can express themselves, feel seen and heard, and experience temporary relief from the stress of living in a conflict zone.

“These camps give Ukrainian children who are struggling with living in a country at war an opportunity to escape for a little while from the realities of wartime,” the Benhams shared. “They provide a space to talk about fear and uncertainty, to feel loved and seen, and to have fun—singing, playing instruments, moving, and just being kids.”

A small U.S.-based team, including Steve and Kris, plans to travel to Ukraine in June to support and teach alongside MWC’s local Ukrainian teams at camps in Zdolbuniv and Irpin.

In 2024, BBF provided a grant to help fund five similar camps across four locations. The program reached hundreds of children and provided a structured setting to help them reconnect with their peers and process trauma through creative expression.