300+ students admitted and awarded $78,000,000+ in full scholarships
UGS is a results-focused organization. Since 2015, we have facilitated the placement of 300 Ukrainian students from modest backgrounds into top boarding schools and colleges on full scholarships (i.e., covering tuition as well as room & board). Over the same 5-year period, we grew our applicant pool from 100+ to 750+, covering every region of Ukraine, including Crimea. 40% of applications come from students in small Ukrainian towns and villages. We scaled the number of scholars we support yearly from 10+ to 50+, determined to drive the critical mass of well-educated Ukrainians. Our Academic, Boarding school, and College advising teams played a critical role growing our community of Mentors and building strategic partnerships with top boarding schools and colleges. In addition to school placements, we have partnered with 40 Ukraine-based employers to facilitate 8-week summer internships for our scholars. To take the UGS impact beyond our organization, we also support and encourage our alumni in building their own entrepreneurial ventures, impacting new communities worldwide.
Example partner schools and colleges
Matriculations to boarding schools and colleges (сumulative number of UGS students admitted since 2015)
Boarding Schools
Colleges
Summer internship placements
Are you a Ukraine-based employer and woud like to offer an internship to our students? Please email jlemesh@ugs.foundation.
Ventures started by UGS community
PrivacySpy
PrivacySpy is an open project, featured by New York Times in 2020, that uses a consistent rubric to grade privacy policies on a ten-point scale. PrivacySpy is co-founded by Igor Barakaiev, UGS '16, Andover '20, Stanford '24.
Movadex
Award-winning software development and design agency that offers digital services to startups around the globe since 2018. Movadex merges art and business, offering a groundbreaking software outsource model at the highest quality standards. Movadex is co-founded by Salome Mikadze, UGS '15, Emma Willard '18, Georgetown '22.
YNGO PLUS
Youth NGO “PLUS” is a non-profit organization that provides free educational opportunities to Ukrainian youth. YNGO PLUS hosts webinars and online courses on different topics — from “writing perfect CV” to “robotics in Ukraine.” The team recently won a grant from InScience and UNICEF to create a board game that develops critical thinking and crisis-management skills. Co-founded by Nathan Syvash UGS ’20, Dartmouth ’25 and Liliia Alieksanova UGS ’20, Babson ’25.
DecidEd
DecidEd is a Ukraine-based non-profit with a mission of giving high school students equal access to information about higher education regardless of which school they go to or which city they live in. Students can check real reviews on the quality of education and employment opportunities in universities and on specific majors written by current students. DecidEd is co-founded by Nataliia Nevichana, UGS '16, Franklin & Marshall '21.
ENGin
ENGin is a peer to peer English language program that connects fluent English speakers to Ukrainian students for free weekly online speaking practice sessions. ENGin was founded by Katerina Manoff, the former head of college counseling at UGS, with the support of many members of the UGS community.
Mavka
Mavka is an educational non-profit that helps Ukrainian high school students, especially from underprivileged backgrounds, prepare for college-entrance exams. The platform provides personalized planner, collections of peer-reviewed study materials and practice tests. The big mission is to fight educational inequality and to promote the culture of self-directed learning in Ukraine. Co-founded by Artem Laptiev, UGS '17, Fryeburg '20, MIT '25, Tonia Zakorchemna, UGS '16, Fryeburg'19, Dartmouth '24, and Daniil Ozernyi, UGS '17, Northfield Mount Hermon '20, Northwestern '25.
Reports
Interactive list of scholars
Junior Academy of Science researcher in journalism. Winner of regional and all-Ukrainian Olympiads in Foreign literature, English and Ukrainian languages. Winner of recitation poetry contests. Writer. Poetess. Volunteer. Member of the student government.
Founder of the for-profit startup, finalist of Take Action Lab’25, Young European Ambassador, volunteer in Building Ukraine Together, volleyball and tennis player
Founder of "Math for Teens," tutored people in mathematics in projects "Plekayou" and "Tangle of Skills," social media manager in different projects, designer, and volunteer.
Winner of All-Ukrainian literary podcast competition “KruteZNO”, Erasmus+ participant, EducationUSA Academy Connects BU alumna; volunteer, project manager.
You are reading this now because, during the cold winter of 2023, my friend persuaded me to apply for an online project management camp. That camp marked the beginning of my project activities, and a year later, here is my biography on this website. So, I live in Kyiv, I have a cat, and I've never been an academic overachiever. Despite this, I completed two research papers for the Junior Academy of Sciences (JAS) and am working on a third one, participated in Olympiads, and am preparing for the next ones, while also aiming to become an overachiever. In extracurricular activities, I am a youth worker, volunteer, artist, and athlete. I regularly participate in various forums, volunteer constantly and on individual projects, exhibit my art in galleries, and compete in tournaments! Another fact about me: I'm a multidisciplinary individual! A bit of STEM, a bit of humanities, a bit of liberal arts. I love reading and actively encourage everyone to read Irena Karpa (seriously, read "Supermarket of Loneliness"!).
Kyiv Palace of Children and Youth aviation courses participant, artist, AFS Global STEM Accelerators program finalist, PLAST organisation participant, swimmer, school government leader.
Public activist, project manager, co-founder of NGO “Prostir VV,” trainer on soft-skills development, public speaker, Young Ambassador of Diversity, volunteer, and multi-instrumentalist.
Winner of the National Geography Olympiad and 5 Regional Olympiads. 2nd place at the national level of the JASU in the Human Biology section. Laureate of the President’s Scholarship for two times. Pianist and violinist.
Eco-activist, writer, content creator; Presidential Scholarship recipient, winner of INOVA and numerous national biology competitions. Leadership team member of the NGO “FRI” Lutsk. Co-founder of the international project UBB and an environmental club, host and mentor of tournaments in chemistry, biology, and journalism; twice nominated as the best young journalist in the oblast; beekeeper-amateur, JAS member
FLEX and Civic Education Workshop alumnus, winner of 15+ city, regional, and national soccer competitions, video editor & graphic designer with numerous completed projects, active volunteer
JASU winner in physics; silver medal in International Astronomy Competition; winner of several Pan-Ukrainian astronomy and physics olympiads and 8 regional level in Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Math, History; co-founder of NGO “INKVI”; debater
Winner of the international "INOVA" competition, winner of the national-level JASU competition, winner of multiple oblast-level Olympiads, creator of the "Cossack Steppes" computer game, android app developer, game developer, video editor, volunteer
JASU researcher in English language and literature, scientific magazine articles in linguistics author, visual artist, graphic designer, singer, English tutor volunteer
Winner of city and regional olympiads in Spanish, Junior Academy of Science researcher in English, English tutor, musician, volunteer, organiser of Lutsk Regional Session of EYP, vice-president of school.
Researcher in Computer Science, Medicine & History, six-time winner of the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine contest, gold medalist of the Kaohsiung International Invention & Design EXPO and national level of Regeneron ISEF, silver medalist of the GENIUS Olympiad USA and INOVA, rower.
Graduated from Uzhgorod Lyceum #5 in 2024. I love history and civics, and in college, I want to study politics and international affairs. I’m a FLEX 22-23 Alumna and a Civic Education Week participant, used to do track and field. I enjoy running long distance and baking. I can speak Ukrainian, English and French. One of my hobbies is writing poetry.
Winner of National Environmental Contest, Genius Olympiad’24, regional Olympiads in German, JASU researcher in English and Biology, environmental activist, Math tutor, volunteer.
Leadership at local division of scouting organization Plast, co-organizer of numerous Plast youth projects, winner of national Aerial Silks competitions, assistant coach, prize-winner of city-level poetry competitions and Opympiads in English, History and Math, religion researcher, volunteer, photographer.
Blockchain enthusiast, winner in olympiads in English, Linguistics, and IT, co-founder of the “Charity Bookstore” fund project, school council member, musician, trader, volunteer.
ASSIST scholar, winner of Ukrainian Go Championship among women, Junior Academy of Sciences researcher in Chemistry, ENGin volunteer, competitive figure skater and tennis player, artist.
ASSIST Scholar, "AntiAdvicee" digital magazine Founder, NC Youth and Government conference Officer, District Attorney's office intern, True Crime Club Founder, JASU researcher, national mock trial competitor, debater, volunteer.
Winner of the National Olympiads in Informational Technologies and Geography, won multiple regional Olympiads in programming and English, programmer.
State-wise Ultimate disk winner, mountain biking race winner, ecological sustainability activist, professional photographer, volunteer.
Winner and participant in national and regional Informatics and Physics Olympiads, nationally recognized Informatics researcher at the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, English and Math tutor, and volunteer.
National winner of Junior Academy of Sciences contest in Economics and Economics Olympiads; Regional Math & English Olympiads winner; Ukraine Leadership & Technology Academy finalist; Ukrainian Mind Bridge founder, tutor for refugee children, dancer.
Winner of regional astronomy olympiads, national debate tournaments, Gold Honour and National Award in International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition, article co-author, co-creator of a documentary film, volunteer
FLEX alumni, participant of the Civic Education Week in Washington, winner of the All-Ukrainian futsal competition, football player, volunteer, national finalist of the International Economics Olympiad, author of scientific works in linguistics.
Junior Academy of Science researcher in mathematics, 2nd place on the city stage. Participant on the city stage competitions in mathematics, physics and computer science. Winner of the national team competition in Tourism and Local History. Flute player, winner of the multiple city competitions and 3rd place on the national. Artist. Volunteer.
ULTA (Ukraine Leadership and Technology Academy) finalist, NGO “Yuni” founder, coordinator of offline and online speaking clubs, vice president of the Vinnytsia student council
Winner of multiple All-Ukrainian and Kharkiv Olympiads in Informatics, Physics, Math, and English, 2nd place in the regional Junior Academy of Sciences Research Competition in Computer Science, robotics engineer, ballroom dancer, basketball player, Math and Programming tutor, volunteer.
Educational volunteer at a youth center, pianist. Winner of the All-Ukrainian Linguistics Olympiad and multi-time winner at regional tournaments in History, Economics and Journalism, JAS researcher.
When science meets art! 5 research in the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, a Genius Olympiad Global'23 golden medal for chemistry research, and a publication in an American journal "IJHSR." I am also a graphic designer and Projector alumna.
Founder and Head of Ternopil branch of the NGO "FRI", volunteer, tutor, ERASMUS+ exchange participant, coordinator of civic education project "NextGen Society", EUStudyDays alumnus, regional-level JASU research competitions winner.
Winner of City-level Olympiads in English and Biology, Junior academy of Science researcher in Law and Natural Sciences, Dnipro Region Council scholarship winner, volunteer.
Winner of multiple city-level Math and IT and Oblast-level Physics Olympiads, EUStudyDays student, Lytseum student government ex-president, Town Highschooler Council member, Town activist, choreographer, Winner of 25+ national ballroom dancing competitions.
Leader of scout division, organizer at local and national events in NGO "FRI," JAS researcher, awarded with city mayor's scholarship, winner of a grant from British Council for own project, Erasmus+ ambassador, piano player, ski rider, windsurfer.
3rd place at the National stage of the Junior Academy of Sciences, a participant in city and regional-level olympiads in various subjects, winner of International music contests, 3d designer for “The First Sumy Humanitarian Headquarters.”
Public speaker, psychology researcher, STEP Academy alumnus; regional skiing competition winner, (co-)founder of English Speaking Club and HobbyHub; event organizer, tutor, volunteer, guitarist, mountaineer and pluviophile.
Winner of numerous national and international programming competitions, holder of a scholarship from the Kyiv City Council, Tangle of Skills tutor, football enthusiast
Co-Founder and coordinator of DeMind project, volunteer in FRI, Plekayou, EYP Ukraine, TED-Ed speaker, school president, Genius Olympiad, multiple city-level olympiad winner, rower, volunteer-tutor, Klitschko Foundation and Erasmus+ projects alumnus
Winner of multiple regional Olympiads in Economics and English, co-founder of local art initiative, coordinator of online Economics club, filmed in United Nations movie, social activist, former school president, ENGin volunteer, artist, contemporary dancer and CrossFitter
Founder of the book club "Knyhopad", winner of regional and district olympiads in English and Ukrainian language, "ENGin" and "Tangle of Skills" volunteer, writer of articles for media, founder of the book podcast "Knyzhkovyi Vykhor", dubber, author of poetry, finalist of the project “Aspen Teens: Fight for UA dream”.
JASU researcher in software engineering field, programmer, NJAS member; “Nourish&Flourish” and “EduShield” co-founder; TED-Ed Speaker, English tutor and translator, winner of language olympiads; Klitschko Foundations' projects participant; knitter.
FLEX alumna and FLEX city representative; Young European Ambassador in Ukraine; FRI member (head of HR 2022-2023); JASU researcher in English, founder of podcast series “Litchayka”; winner of regional olympiads in English and Ukrainian languages; Agents of Change alumna.
Manager of 10+ events for youth, volunteer, artist, winner of the National Law Olympiad and Regional Olympiads in Biology, Ukrainian Language and Literature, coordinator of “Let’s do it, Ukraine” in Chortkiv, finalist of the Upshift program
Winner of the international robotics competitions "Robotex" and "Robotiada," along with three national robotics competitions; founder of local English-speaking club; volleyball athlete; and ENGin volunteer.
A social activist, winner and participant of numerous city competitions in English, Ukrainian Language and Literature, a dancer, winner of dance contests, dance teacher for children, volunteer, participant in school self-government, interested in various hobbies ranging from football to fishing.
Researcher in neuroscience; Ukrainian Brain Bee bronze medalist, 8th place in the Ukrainian selection for IJSO, winner of city Olympiads in biology, chemistry, and physics; volunteer at ENGin and IYNA, English tutor; photographer, artist, guitarist.
JAS researcher in English and World Literature, winner of city-level Olympiads in Biology, Law, History and German, participant of Youth Voices of Ukraine project, Korean language learner, educational and translational volunteer, pianist.
Ukrainian Leadership Academy alumna, dancer, winner of multiple All-Ukrainian and international competitions, initiative groul of «The Unnoticed Song» advocacy campaign, co-organizer of the «Uncounted 1932.2022», activist, volunteer, English tutor
Volunteer, artist; winner of international architectural competitions, ambassador of Ukrainian union of architects, content creator in architectural project; researcher in Economics; the footballer, runner, the leader of the volleyball club.
Winner of olympiads in Ukrainian language, Informatics, Geography, Taras Shevchenko competition, JAS researcher, Technovation Girls semi-finalist, New York Junior Academy of Sciences member, author of biomedical articles, ENGin volunteer, dancer
Geography olympiads winner. Wrote scientific works in urbanistics, danced in the folk team for 10 years and won several competitions. Member of the youth non-profit organisation, organised 4 projects. Crocheted toys for volunteering projects. Love hiking and cycling.
Winner of multiple national and regional Olympiads in Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, and Astronomy, winner of the All-Ukrainian Tournament of Young Computer Scientists and Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Computer Science, volunteer, basketball, soccer, and chess player