ENGin

Nataliia is an English teacher from Chernihiv, Ukraine. She joined ENGin to upgrade her teaching skills and fix her spoken English — reasonable plan😊💪 ⠀ What did she not plan for? We'll let her tell you herself😉 ⠀ Watch the video and see what one volunteer can actually do😍 One conversation a week — that's all it takes to become someone's soulmate, dog advisor, and unofficial Christmas host. Join ENGin as a student or volunteer at enginprogram.org and see where it takes you✨

🤓 In Ukrainian, a name is rarely picked just because it sounds nice. It carries the meaning of a real, living word (peace, light, gift, glory) and Ukrainians often know exactly what their name means 🌟 ⠀ 💬 That makes names one of the warmest, easiest ways to start a real conversation with your Ukrainian student. Asking "What does your name mean?" usually opens up family stories, regional traditions, and laughs about nicknames. ⠀ ✨ Here are 7 beautiful Ukrainian names to get you started ➡️ Discover the culture of Ukraine right at your sessions with your Ukrainian student, because sometimes the best lesson hides inside a single word.

👨💻 When Alex first messaged Maria on October 1, 2023, neither of them could have imagined that two and a half years later, they would be standing together in the shadow of Wawel Castle in Kraków, unfolding a Ukrainian flag and attempting to sing a few lines of a Ukrainian song Alex had mentioned in one of their calls. But that is exactly what happened. ⠀ 😍 Alex, a volunteer from the United States, has now met two of his ENGin buddies in person, Maria and Yulia, both from Ukraine. The meeting place was Kraków, chosen as the most convenient city for everyone, and what followed was four days of city tours, long walks, countless hugs, and, as Alex put it, "some happy tears." ❤️🔥After Kraków, Maria headed off to visit her relatives elsewhere in Poland, while Yulia traveled north to Gdańsk with Alex and his wife Olga, where the group also reunited with Dalad, Alex's friend from Thailand, whom he hadn't seen in 32 years. ⠀ 💫 What makes this story particularly special is how much had already been built before anyone stepped on a plane. Over months of weekly calls, Alex had met Maria's parents, her sister, and several of her friends on Zoom. He had spoken at length with Yulia's children and her husband. Both women had met his entire family. And somewhere along the way, Alex noticed that Maria and Yulia — both working mothers with sons of similar ages — had a lot in common, so he introduced them to each other. They met in Kyiv, became friends, and by the time all three reunited in Kraków, they were not strangers finding each other for the first time. They were people who already knew each other deeply, finally getting to close the distance.🫂 ⠀ 💬 "Yulia ran up to me in Planty park, and then Maria did a similar run in a different part of town. Those first hugs, and the dozens after, were full of indescribable emotions, attempting to make up for the months/years of screen-only time." — Alex ⠀ ✨ They exchanged gifts, shared food, and laughed their way through some genuinely unusual culinary moments — Alex's Ukrainian friends tried day-old bagels from the New York area, while he got to sample kvas, a poppy roll, and more Roshen chocolates than he was prepared for. They were also given something far more meaningful: a Ukrainian flag that had been carried through difficult areas near the front line, signed by 50 defenders of Ukraine, and a pin with the red viburnum — symbols Alex says he and his wife will treasure forever.🇺🇦 ⠀ ✈️ Alex is already making plans for the summer, when he hopes to meet his third ENGin buddy back home in the US. ⠀ 🌟 Behind every ENGin connection is someone who decided to give an hour of their week — and ended up gaining so much more. If Alex's story resonates with you, we would love for you to be part of this community. Somewhere out there is a Ukrainian student waiting for a conversation partner who might, one day, become a lifelong friend. You could be that person, join as a volunteer at enginprogram.org/volunteer

😍🇺🇦 Every third Thursday in May, Ukrainians across the world wear their embroidered shirts to work, to school, to the supermarket, turning an ordinary day into a soft, threaded declaration of who we are. The holiday started in 2006 with one student in Chernivtsi and has since reached more than 100 countries. ⠀ ✨ But here is the part that surprises most people: there is no such thing as "the" Ukrainian vyshyvanka. Every region has its own patterns, colors, and stories stitched in. ⠀ Swipe through to travel across Ukraine pattern by pattern, and to meet ENGin teammates whose family vyshyvankas carry stories worth a hundred years ➡️ ⠀ 🎓 If you would like to engage with Ukrainian culture beyond a single day of celebration, consider our ENGin: Speak Ukrainian program. We offer 1-on-1 online Ukrainian lessons with vetted professional teachers based in Ukraine, open to learners worldwide at any level. All profits go directly toward supporting ENGin's flagship English program for Ukrainian students. ⠀ 🔗 Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dvUQAaKa

👩🏫 Meet Olena Nikishenko, our Speak UA teacher from Chernihiv. She's been teaching Ukrainian to volunteers from the US, South Africa, and beyond. How is it going? ⠀ 💫 One student sang a Ukrainian song on guitar mid-lesson. Another now chats about recipes in Ukrainian. One student's daughter staged a play by Lesya Ukrainka in the US. ⠀ 🇺🇦 This is what the Speak Ukrainian program does. It connects you, a volunteer who already supports Ukraine, with a real teacher, real culture, and a language that carries history, identity, and resilience. ⠀ ✨ The language doesn't demand perfection. It just invites you in. ⠀ 👉 Join the Speak Ukrainian program and come to your first remote class: https://lnkd.in/gcgwp6eg

👨💻 Bohdan joined ENGin three years ago to practice his English. What he didn't expect was that one day he would be walking through the castles of Lviv with his volunteer by his side, giving a tour, sharing Ukrainian history, and realizing just how far he had come. ✨ ⠀ 🌉 Despite a pretty big age difference, they never run out of things to talk about. Turns out that's what happens when English stops being a subject and starts being a bridge. ⠀ You don't need to have a plan, Bohdan definitely didn't. Join ENGin, meet your volunteer, and see where it takes you 😉 ➡️ 🔗 enginprogram.org.

💔 Today, May 15, has been declared a Day of Mourning in Kyiv, after two days of relentless attacks on Ukraine with drones, missiles, and ballistic strikes that took lives across the country, including children. We are holding everyone who is grieving today close to our hearts. ⠀ ❤️🩹 And it is precisely on days like these that we want to turn to the moments that remind us what we are all fighting to protect — the real, human connections that keep Ukrainians seen, heard, and held by the world. ⠀ ❤️🔥 Last Saturday, nearly 150 people gathered for our annual campaign launch event, For a Friend (Для друга), and for a few hours, six Ukrainians and two ENGin volunteers stood on a virtual stage and spoke about how a weekly conversation with a stranger from across the world had quietly, steadily changed their lives, confidence, careers, sense of being understood by someone beyond Ukraine's borders. The chat overflowed with voices from Ukraine and from every corner of the globe, and two ideas kept rising to the surface in everything that was shared: ⠀ 1️⃣ ENGin gives Ukrainians more than language practice, it offers a rare window into another person's lived reality, and a reminder that the world is paying attention. ⠀ 2️⃣ The friendships built through ENGin change lives on both sides of the screen, pushing students and volunteers toward their personal and professional goals, and turning them into advocates who carry Ukraine's story far beyond our program. ⠀ 💙💛 If you weren't able to join the event or want to revisit a favorite moment, we've put together a highlights playlist from each guest speaker: ⠀ ▶️ Watch the highlights playlist: https://lnkd.in/d5r-a96A ⠀ ▶️ Watch the full recording: https://lnkd.in/dZvvGi4y ⠀ If you are looking for a way to stand by your Ukrainian friends today and every day, supporting ENGin is one of the most meaningful things you can do, helping us grow, reach more Ukrainians, and make sure no one has to face the reality of war alone. You are always welcome to make a one-time donation or support us on a monthly basis: https://lnkd.in/dTTzQZam

Ever had this happen: you know all the tenses and grammar rules, but as soon as you need to say something, the words just fly out of your head? 🤯 We know the feeling. ⠀ English in Action is ENGin’s new community, where we don’t “teach” English — we live it. Instead of boring exercises, we discuss podcasts, videos, and essays that really resonate. ⠀ ✨ Why will it be awesome with us? ⠀ Because our beloved Community Leader is the incredible Paul Epstein from Oakland, California. Paul is a master’s degree holder in psychology, a drama therapist, and a master of improvisation. He knows the secret to creating a space where you stop being afraid of making mistakes and just start enjoying the conversation. ⠀ This isn’t just “another chat group.” It’s a place for those who: 🔹 want to add creativity to their English; 🔹 are looking for “like-minded” people for deep conversations; 🔹 are ready to go beyond textbooks. ⠀ 💳 Subscription cost: 150 UAH/month (an investment in your growth and support for ENGin’s mission). 🇺🇦 Opportunity is open to ENGin students. ⠀ 🔗 Claim your spot in the group now: https://lnkd.in/dt8Ww8bV

❤️🔥 You know how much we love hearing about our participants' in-person meetups, when, after a year, two years, or even five years of connecting online, students and volunteers finally get to give each other a big, real-life hug in the most unexpected corners of the world. ⠀ 😍 But this meetup? This one is a little different. ⠀ 🏢 In April, an entire community of volunteers came together at the American Coalition for Ukraine Summit — a gathering of advocates, experts, and community leaders from across the United States to discuss the future of Ukraine and the role of U.S. support. We love that our volunteers show up for Ukraine inside ENGin and well beyond it. ⠀ ✨ And what would it be without a warm conversation about the ENGin experience, in wonderful company, after a productive day at the summit? ENGin's virtual connection has brought together not just student-volunteer pairs, but something more unexpected — friendships between people united by a common goal: to help Ukraine speak to the world. ⠀ 🥰 Turns out, weekly online ENGin chats have a funny habit of turning into lifelong friendships. Whether you end up meeting at a summit, a café, or an airport somewhere in the world, it all starts with one conversation. ⠀ Ready to join? 👉 Sign up as an ENGin volunteer at enginprogram.org/volunteer and become part of a community that clearly knows how to have a good time — online and off 😉

😵💫 We all remember the chaos, the toxic pressure, and the near-burnout Andrea experienced in The Devil Wears Prada. She survived, but it took time and a heavy toll. ⠀ 💪 You don’t have to do it the hard way. When the world is out of control, your most powerful asset isn’t your resume — it’s your mind. ⠀ 💫 Join our Professional Resilience Workshop series with transformation expert Victoria Khazan. In just 4 sessions, you’ll learn how to stay grounded, think strategically, and lead even when everything feels like chaos. ⠀ What’s inside? 🔹 Stress Resilience (neuroscience-based tools) 🔹 Identifying Blind Spots & Biases 🔹 Strategic Thinking vs. Survival Mode 🔹 Defining your Professional Narrative ⠀ 🗓️ When: June 1, 10, 15, 22 ⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Kyiv time 💬 Language: English (Intermediate+) 🧾 Fee: $50 USD (All funds support ENGin’s mission) ⠀ 🤩 This workshop is open to everyone, whether you're an ENGin student, volunteer, or simply someone looking to grow professionally. ⠀ 🔗 Register by the link till May 31: https://lnkd.in/eTTT_p3a