grants
ImpactUA Internships: From Three Weeks to a Lifetime of Commitment
Every year on November 17, the world marks International Students’ Day, honoring
November 12, 2025
ImpactUA is a U.S.–Ukraine internship program connecting Ukrainian and American students with Ukrainian NGOs through hands-on, project-based placements. Led by Brave Generation and Razom for Ukraine, the program is designed to build long-term engagement with Ukraine by combining meaningful professional experience, cross-cultural collaboration, and civic contribution.
ImpactUA moves beyond short-term exposure. The program is built on the belief that sustained, practical involvement with Ukrainian NGOs strengthens future leaders, professionals, and advocates who remain connected to Ukraine well beyond the internship period.
Deadline: 10 Feb 2026
Deadline: 20 Feb 2026
From pilot to expansion
The ImpactUA Internship Program was launched in 2025 as a pilot initiative, bringing together 16 interns for a three-week, in-country internship experience with Ukrainian NGOs. The pilot demonstrated strong interest from both students and host organizations and confirmed the value of immersive, hands-on engagement with Ukrainian civil society during wartime.
Building on this experience, ImpactUA 2026 marks a significant expansion of the program. The 2026 edition is currently in active development and will offer a two-month, full-time internship experience, increasing both the duration and depth of engagement. The program will include 30 in-person internships in Ukraine and 10 remote internships supporting Ukrainian NGOs from abroad.
This expansion reflects the success of the pilot year and the growing need for sustained, structured collaboration with Ukrainian NGOs during wartime and recovery.
ImpactUA places students and recent graduates aged 18–25 into full-time internships with Ukrainian NGOs. Interns work directly with host teams on defined projects, contributing skills and capacity while gaining professional experience in a real organizational environment.
The program is designed for American students and recent graduates, as well as Ukrainian students who began their studies abroad following the start of the full-scale invasion. Through ImpactUA, participants gain firsthand experience working within Ukrainian NGOs, develop professional skills in a high-responsibility context, and build relationships that often continue beyond the internship period.
ImpactUA combines in-person and online components to ensure strong preparation, meaningful integration, and continuity before, during, and after the internship.
The program includes pre-program online preparation, such as orientation sessions, contextual briefings, and introductions to Ukrainian NGOs. Participants traveling to Ukraine take part in an in-person orientation and cultural immersion in Lviv at the start of the program.
Internships run full-time during June and July, with placements conducted either in person in Ukraine or remotely, depending on the internship format. Following the internship period, participants remain engaged through post-program online activities in August, including reflection sessions, alumni engagement, and continued coordination that supports long-term involvement with Ukraine.
ImpactUA partners with Ukrainian NGOs operating under wartime and recovery conditions. Host organizations are selected based on their readiness to integrate interns into ongoing work and provide meaningful, project-based professional experience.
Organizations that participated in the 2025 pilot program included Index, Unbroken, Ridni, the Charitable Foundation Promprylad, Warm City, Right to Protection, Mediaforum, Ukrainian Volunteer Service, and Cities4Cities.
While interest in supporting Ukraine remains high among students abroad, opportunities for sustained, practical engagement with Ukrainian NGOs are limited. Many existing programs offer short-term or observational experiences with limited integration into real organizational work.
ImpactUA addresses this gap by embedding interns directly within Ukrainian NGOs, prioritizing substantive contribution over symbolic participation, and encouraging long-term professional, civic, and advocacy connections with Ukraine.
For many participants, ImpactUA becomes a starting point for continued involvement with Ukraine through research, professional work, public advocacy, or long-term collaboration with Ukrainian partners.
ImpactUA is committed to accessibility and inclusion. While participants are generally expected to cover their own participation-related expenses, including travel, accommodation, and living costs, the program offers need-based financial support for participants who would otherwise be unable to take part.
This approach allows ImpactUA to engage highly motivated participants from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds while ensuring responsible and transparent use of program resources.
Looking ahead
ImpactUA 2026 represents the next step in building a durable U.S.–Ukraine community of young people committed to Ukraine’s civil society, recovery, and global advocacy. By expanding the program’s scale and duration, ImpactUA continues to invest not only in individual internships, but in long-term relationships and sustained impact.
If you have any questions regarding the program or the application process, please contact us at:
anna.tiunkova@bravegeneration.org
Every year on November 17, the world marks International Students’ Day, honoring
The future of Ukraine is being built today – thanks to the
