Dobrodiy Club at the Family Festival by Gen.Ukrainian and KSE

On July 18–19, Dobrodiy Club became part of the Family Festival organized by Gen.Ukrainian and the Kyiv School of Economics — an event dedicated to mental health, teenage support, and creating safe spaces for families. These topics deeply resonate with the club’s mission, so the team prepared meaningful activities where every participant — both child and adult — could find something valuable.

Art Therapy for Children and Teenagers

During the art therapy session with a psychologist, children and teenagers created their own affirmation paintings — colorful reflections of their inner world.
Through creativity, they learned to express emotions, voice inner experiences, and find personal points of strength.
Each artwork became a reminder that art can help process complex emotions and nurture emotional resilience.

Open Discussion for Parents: “(Not) Just Teenagers”

While the children painted, the adults joined an open discussion panel titled “(Not) Just Teenagers: How to Understand and Support Youth in Times of Turbulence.”

Today’s teenagers are growing up in a complex, unstable world — facing constant pressure, rapid internal changes, and the challenge of self-discovery. What adults often perceive as “laziness” or “indifference” is, in fact, a deep process of identity formation.

The discussion aimed to build bridges of trust between generations, helping adults better understand teenagers’ emotions and learn tools for meaningful, supportive communication.

Key Topics of the Discussion

• Myths about teenagers: Why phrases like “it’s just hormones” or “they’ll grow out of it” can do more harm than good. Behind every “rebellion” lies a need to be heard — and it’s vital to recognize those signals.
• Developmental changes and needs: How the teenage brain, body, and emotions evolve, and how this affects communication, behavior, and self-esteem. Why this stage is both unstable and critically important for personality development.
• How adults can offer support right now: What to do when a teenager “shuts down”? When is it time to seek professional help? Participants learned how to be a source of stability and trust, not control, and how to build that trust step by step.

The discussion was moderated by Valerii Velychko, actor of the National Academic Drama Theater named after Ivan Franko, and featured Viktoriia Vitkalova, a child and adolescent psychologist and art therapist, as the main speaker.

“The most important thing I wanted to tell adults,” said Viktoriia Vitkalova,
“is to listen to their teenagers. Try to understand what they’re really saying through their actions, emotions, and even their rebellion. Sometimes, simply having understanding eyes across from you can become a source of strength for a teenager in crisis.”

The discussion sparked sincere interest — participants actively asked questions, took photos of slides, shared personal stories, and sought advice.

Shared Mission of Support and Understanding

Dobrodiy Club sincerely thanks the Kyiv School of Economics and Gen.Ukrainian for the opportunity to share knowledge and create a space of support, empathy, and open dialogue.

Adolescence is a crucial stage in shaping the adults who will soon define our future. Teenagers don’t need judgment — they need presence. They don’t need control — they need support. Because their present is, in fact, our shared future.