The Ukrainian Leadership Academy (ULA), founded in 2015, is now one of the platforms for shaping responsible and proactive youth. The Academy offers a transformative experience that unlocks the potential of young people and activists, significantly increasing their social impact. Teenagers are introduced to opinion leaders, politicians of various levels, and successful entrepreneurs. Over a decade of work, the UAL has proven its ability to create a community that is qualitatively changing the country.
Scale and educational portfolio
The UAL’s educational portfolio is extremely diverse. Its flagship product is a 10-month formation programme that bridges the educational gap between school and university for motivated teenagers aged 16-20. However, the Academy has expanded its influence to different age groups by launching a two-year boarding school for high school students and conducting educational camps for teenagers. Another powerful direction is the international LET (Leadership for Educational Transformation) programme, aimed at professionals, managers, and strategists in the field of education. All these programmes, including large-scale social projects, are implemented both in Ukraine and abroad.
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Geography of influence and social mission
The geography of UAL’s activities covers four key cities: Kyiv, Lviv, Uzhhorod, and Ternopil. More than 130 participants are currently studying at these campuses. At the same time, UAL is deeply integrated into solving urgent social problems, which is particularly clearly illustrated by the example of Ternopil.
Ternopil’s unique programme: Education for Sustainability
The Ternopil centre implements a specialised after-school programme with a clearly defined social mission. It is aimed at 15-16-year-olds (10th-11th grade students) who belong to the categories most affected by the war: children of military personnel, veterans, medics, rescuers and internally displaced persons. Selection for this programme is competitive, taking into account the child’s motivation, social context and potential.
The programme is based on two complementary pillars:
Academic component: This area focuses on making up for educational losses and strategic preparation for the future. It includes studying in specialised classes at the strongest comprehensive school in Ternopil, diagnosing and making up for educational losses, targeted preparation for the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT) starting in Year 10, as well as professional self-identification, strengthening and developing talents and potential. Yes, you understood correctly, after completing this programme, the child will receive a school certificate.
Formative component: This part of the programme is based on the idea of subjectivity — the ability of young people to be the authors of their own lives. Formation includes psychological support, mentoring meetings and ongoing reflection, lectures from leading experts in various fields, physical development and expeditions. Great attention is paid to shaping civic attitudes through volunteering and social activism.
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The path to leadership: admission stages
Admission to the main 10-month UAL programme is a competitive and carefully structured process aimed at selecting the most motivated candidates aged 16–20. The procedure begins with the submission of a detailed online application, in which applicants reveal their motivation, experience and leadership aspirations. After the initial screening, candidates complete additional tests and creative tasks. The final and decisive stage is a personal interview, which confirms the teenager’s readiness for an intensive year-long course and their compatibility with the academy’s values.
Figures that speak to the impact
Over the 10 years of its work, UAL has become an important community. During this time, 1,450 young people have graduated from key programmes. However, the Academy’s overall impact is much broader: more than 300,000 participants have been involved in various projects and initiatives. These figures demonstrate that UAL is a key force in shaping a new generation of responsible Ukrainian leaders.
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