In Washington, D.C., Ukraine House hosted a presentation on the UActive programme, which supports students from the affected regions of Ukraine. The presentation included a meeting with alumni of the UActive programme, which was created by Spirit of America Worldwide in partnership with the non-profit foundation SavED. The programme aims to develop the leadership potential of Ukrainian youth and support their initiatives in war-affected communities.
This was reported by Ukraine House.
Young activists from Kyiv, Chernihiv and Mykolaiv regions presented their projects at the event. Despite the war, they have been able to create youth centres, theatres, sports clubs and cultural spaces that have become points of recovery and hope for their communities.
UActive trains youth in entrepreneurship, civic leadership and recovery skills. Since its launch in 2022, more than 700 students from 20 schools have participated in the programme. The project has now expanded to the Dnipropetrovska and Kharkivska oblasts, a testament to its success and demand.
"We are proud of the young people who are already shaping the future of Ukraine! We are deeply grateful to our partners for supporting the UActive initiative - together we are giving young people the opportunity to rebuild their communities and create change that will have a lasting impact," said SavED Charity Foundation.
According to Anna Novosad, co-founder of SavED, UActive is a key programme for young people from the frontline regions. Together with mentors and partners, the foundation helps students from small communities to believe in themselves and their power to influence the future.
"These are not just lectures. These are concrete tools for implementing your own projects. Including financial support. And this March, a real step up! For the first time, UActive participants went on an exchange to the United States. One of the best public schools in America - Woodgrove High, Virginia - invited our teenagers for a week and a half for an international summit," says Novosad.
She notes that for a week and a half, Ukrainian children had the most immersive American experience of learning in a classroom, interacting and living with a local family.
"Ukrainian youth are given practical tools that empower them to make a difference in their communities. To feel involved. To want to stay and develop Ukraine," she concluded.
The Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, Oksana Markarova, also emphasised that young people are a source of inspiration and resilience.
"The UActive programme, developed by Spirit of America in partnership with savED, teaches leadership, entrepreneurship and civic engagement skills to high school students in the formerly occupied territories. Thank you to Olesya, Katya, Nazar and Yasa for the fascinating presentation of their projects in Ukraine to the guests of the event! The resilience, creativity and determination of Ukraine's youth is a testament to the bright future of our country, as the next generation believes that change is only possible if we take action,"said Markarova.
The Spirit of America team, led by Jim Heick and Colin Denny, as well as SavED co-founder Anna Novosad, received sincere thanks from the event organisers for supporting Ukrainian youth at this critical time.
Author: Inna Mikhno