ENGin

ENGin

ENGin

We pair Ukrainian English learners with English-speaking mentors for online conversations offering language practice, cultural exchange and friendship

Kyiv city, Kyiv, Ukraine, 02000

Ukraine

Nonprofit

Young people in emerging democracies lack the opportunity to engage with the world outside their personal bubble – their village, their town, their country. They face a dual barrier: a lack of language skills and few opportunities for safe, meaningful connections across difference. Political unrest, humanitarian crises, and conflict further exacerbate these challenges. On an individual level, such isolation prevents young people from fulfilling their academic/professional potential; on a national level, it stunts economic growth and social development. Ukraine perfectly exemplifies this struggle. Despite 91% of Ukrainians studying English in school, Ukraine ranks 29th of 35 countries in Europe in English fluency: just 1% of Ukrainians consider themselves fluent in English. Ukraine ranks 34th of 41 European countries on the DHL Global Connectedness Index, 38th of 41 on the KOF Social Globalization Index, and 37th on the KOF Economic Globalization Index. The result? Since independence in 1991, Ukraine has failed to live up to its potential as a vibrant European democracy. For decades, it’s remained among the poorest countries in Europe, dogged by a Soviet legacy of apathy and corruption. russia’s recent invasion dealt another critical blow, creating an urgent need for cross-border connections to rebuild a devastated economy and society.

ENGin is an innovative, highly scalable online mentoring program grounded in authentic cross-border connection. We pair Ukrainian English learners and English-speaking volunteers for weekly videochat conversations. In just one hour/week, our volunteers create a safe, authentic online space for their learners to break the language barrier, discover a new culture, seek academic or professional guidance, and receive emotional support. Volunteers also reap significant benefits, building cross-border friendships, learning about students' countries, and honing their leadership skills. Our program is run on a proprietary online platform designed to yield maximum impact at a low cost to facilitate rapid scaling. ENGin acts as a connector, vetting, training, matching, and supporting participants. These relatively small inputs unlock tremendous value, driven primarily by conversation partners’ independent sustained engagement with each other. In the future, we aim to connect over a million globally-minded Ukrainians with English speakers in the US and worldwide, forging supportive, authentic relationships, building a foundation of English fluency, and opening doors to academic and professional opportunities. Taken together, a million incremental improvements in participants’ lives will catalyze economic and social development at a national scale.

We work with Ukrainians located in all 24 regions of Ukraine and war refugees (primarily throughout Europe). Our learners include adults (primarily in their 20s and 30s) and children (age 9-17), and are 73% female. We serve an incredibly diverse population, which includes refugees, internally displaced people, veterans and active duty military members, and learners with physical disabilities. Our diverse global volunteer base includes English speakers aged 13-89 living in 140+ countries around the world. Volunteers have a multifaceted impact on students' lives, spanning four main areas: * English Fluency: Maximum speaking time in a safe, comfortable environment builds confidence and rapidly improves spoken English. * Cultural Exchange: Volunteers introduce students to their cultures while learning about their students’ culture. * Friendship and emotional support: Having a friend across the world - ready to listen, empathize, and care - creates a safe space for students. * Academic and professional mentorship: Students are matched with volunteers who share similar interests, opening opportunities for deeper targeted support.