350+ students admitted and awarded $94,000,000+ in full scholarships
UGS is a results-focused organization. Since 2015, we have facilitated the placement of 350 Ukrainian students from modest backgrounds into top boarding schools and colleges on full scholarships (i.e., covering tuition as well as room & board). Over these nine years, we grew our applicant pool from 100+ to 750+. 40% of applications come from students in small Ukrainian towns and villages. We scaled the number of scholars we support yearly from 10+ to 60+, 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 onechay@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.
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.
Snake Island Institute
Snake Island Institute is an independent Ukrainian organization strengthening the U.S.-Ukraine security partnership through strategic advocacy and diplomacy, battlefield-validated analytics, defense tech testing and innovation acceleration, and defense technonlogies communications. Snake Island Institute is co-founded by Maryna Hrytsenko, UGS ‘18, Vassar '23.
Reports
Interactive list of scholars
Winner of multiple city and regional-level olympiads in History, Law, English, French, and Ukrainian languages, Step Academy alumnus, winner of numerous all-Ukrainian and city-level ballroom dancing contests, football lover, tutor, and volunteer.
I write, I lead, and I explore - sometimes all at once. From literary awards to US adventures, volunteering, and creative projects, I turn ideas into actions and challenges into stories worth telling.
Researcher in Biology, 2nd place at National level of All-Ukrainian Tournament of Young Biologists and Zoologists; winner of regional level olympiads in biology and English; "Off-Grid" startup co-founder; mayor’s award recipient; YouLEAD'24 alumna.
Law, Programming, and History Olympiads winner; Marksmanship competitions winner; "AnticorX" platform founder; school vice-president and activist; entrepreneurial competitions organizer; ENGin volunteer; artificial intelligence enthusiast.
Winner of numerous national and international competitions in mathematics and informatics, programming tutor, interested in economics and philosophy
Actress, international and national acting contest winner, TED speaker, Lyceum vice-president, Erasmus+ participant, European Youth Capital Ambassador, volunteer, English Olympiad winner, co-founder of "Uabbworld" project, host, director, pianist.
Deputy Head of Youth Council, 2nd place at the regional stage of the National Olymiad in economics, violinist, double bass player in chamber orchestra. I am intrested in architecture, I do a sports tourism and participate in competitions, winner at the town stage of the National Olympiads.
Co-founder of Global Youth NGO, Rebuild Ukraine Ambassador on the European Youth Parliament Network, YouLEAD exchange program alumna 2024, and the first Ukrainian participant in the Telluride Association Summer Seminar.
Professional artist and winner of 10+ art competitions; co-founder of the non-profit Global Youth; YouLead U.S. Exchange Student; member of the European Youth Parliament; delegate at an international conference in Greece; FRI Kharkiv member; lead youth events; dancer, storyteller, and volunteer.
YouLead U.S. exchange program finalist 24, delegate at Halifax International Security Forum in Canada, winner of the Klitschko foundation programs, Goethe-Institut courses alumni 25, co-founder of Global Youth NGO, Vice-President at Zaporizhzhia Interact Club, member of the European Youth Parliament, ui/ux designer, volunteer, winner of the all-Ukrainian award for public activity.
Tutor English with ENGin and Plekayou, leading 400+ hours of lessons, and facilitate courses at Nobel Learning PBC. Reached over 1M+ views on YouTube, serve as PR manager with SpaceHUB, write policy proposals with YODEC in the Danube region, and lead youth projects through Active G, Her Horizont, and TKS.
2nd place in National Speedcubing competition (3x3 Blindfolded); Speedcubing club founder; JAS researcher in Architecture and Environmental Science (3rd place regional); basketball player and swimmer.
Silver medalist of the All-Ukrainian Genius Olympiad, mathematics researcher at the Junior Academy of Sciences, volunteer, poet. I am fond of archery and 3D modeling.
Participant of an international research program Global Problem-Solving Institute; Klitschko Foundation Debate Camp’24 alumna; silver winner of olympiad in Biology; performed internationally and nationally as a member of a dance group; a scout; artist.
I’m Maryna, 16, from Kremenchuk. A high school student passionate about psychology and languages. I tutor English, enjoy swimming and debates, and dream of studying abroad to help people, promote mental health, and make Ukraine better.
FLEX finalist, Candidate for master of sport and member of the Ukrainian national boxing team, winner of city and regional level olympiads in history, member of the New York Junior Academy of Sciences, tutor-volunteer, EUStudyDays student
National Physics Olympiad winner, regional mathematics, IT and astronomy olympiads medalist, pianist, a member of the city swimming team, prize winner in regional swimming competitions
Junior Academy of Science researcher in Law, Interact Club Charter President, runner, pianist, language learner, chess player, winner of regional and city-level olympiads in English, Law, and Physics
Passionate 10th-grader, international olympiads medalist and an aerospace engineering enthusiast. I have 3 younger brothers; we have a great time together playing games and talking about mathematics
Founder of the volunteer project 'English Club for Kids,' karate athlete, and guitarist. Winner of regional Olympiads in Ukrainian Literature and Math. Winner of Ukrainian and European karate competitions. Passionate about languages and leadership.
JAS researcher in Law, two-time bronze medalist of GENIUS Olympiad Ukraine in Creative writing, winner of 12+ debate tournaments and 5+ regional Olympiads, social activist, volunteer.
Founder of Democracy Hub in Kovel and co-founder of the "Bez Mezh" accessibility initiative, EU Study Days and Democracy Hub in Switzerland alum, JAS psychology researcher, national math tournament “Komandolomky" team lead, folk dancer.
Innovator passionate about physics, engineering, and design. Gold medalist at INFOMATRIX 2025, 1st place at the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and finalist at Eco-Tech Ukraine (ISEF affiliated). Founder of STEM clubs and organizer of workshops.
Multiple prize winner of regional olympiads in Math, Physics, Ukrainian; won 2 regional Informational Technologies contests in the 3D Modeling section; member of the town youth space; accordionist.
Novopecherska school scholarship student. Winner of multiple international music and economics competitions. Winner of regional olympiads in Maths, English, Physics, Economics. Public speaker. Leader of the school’s Student Council. School's music band co-founder. Volunteer. Dancer. Swimmer.
Yale Young Global Scholars alumni, multiple city and regional olympiads winner, European Youth Parliament member, Head of Education Department in City Youth Council, volunteer, social activist, math tutor
Junior Academy of Science researcher in Informatics and English literature; co-author of an article in English literature; volunteer in ENGin; prize winner in national team STEM-tournament; prize winner Kharkiv Olympiads in Informatics; ballroom dancer; volleyball player; debater
Junior Academy of Sciences researcher in mathematics, sociology and literature sections. Volunteer, participant of Youth Council of Mysteskyi Arsenal, author of feministic articles
Founder of the For Paws project, Her Horizon initiative, Ecoforum, Kysen' poetry book, and Share the Warmth action. Winner of numerous city olympiads, school president, tutor, Ukrainian Leadership Academy student, volunteer, and youth activist at all-ukrainian organizations.
Obtained 2 elementary art educations in theater and music. Winner of 30+ international and all-Ukrainian competitions in the categories of “art reading” and “flute.” Participant of 6 international exchanges. Kyiv Mayor’s Award laureate. Winner of rhythmic gymnastics competitions.
Junior Academy of Sciences researcher; Genius Olympiad Ukraine Silver Medalist. Head of student government projects and volunteer initiatives. Poet and musician (piano, guitar), football and table tennis player.
Winner of 15+ Olympiads in Ukraine and national tournaments. Passionate about music, history, and languages.
Prizewinner of 15+ Olympiads in STEM, Humanities and Social Sciences. 3rd place at the national level of the JASU in the Microeconomics section. Recipient of the Mayor’s Scholarship for two times. Volunteer, social media manager, teacher, Svitlo school scholar.
Winner of National History Olympiads, co-founder of the “Osonnia” community, Erasmus+ and Klitschko Foundation alumnus, artist, volunteer-tutor, dancer.
Filmmaker, photographer, and HMC Projects Scholar at a UK art boarding school. Researcher of the role of Ukrainian cinema in global political contexts. Social activist and volunteer in the field of education.
International Olympiad medalist in physics, astronomy and astrophysics; Ukraine Leadership & Technology Academy finalist; co-founder of Ukraine Mind Bridge; physics tutor; numismatist.
I have extensive experience in both academic and public activities, bringing together international, educational, and volunteer projects. I was a two-time winner of the international environmental competition Genius Olympiad in Rochester, USA, where I presented my own research and earned 2nd place in 2024 and 3rd place in 2025. In Ukraine, I am an active member of the “Young European Ambassadors” initiative, where I help promote knowledge about the European Union, contribute to organizing events, and take part in implementing educational campaigns. My academic interests span cultural, historical, and legal topics. I became a winner of the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine defense competitions in the fields of Crimean Tatar humanities and law. In addition, I am a four-time participant in Erasmus+ programs in Germany, which gave me the opportunity to engage in international educational projects, broaden my worldview, and strengthen my intercultural communication skills. I have a deep interest in politics and history, and in 2023 I was selected for the offline training program “EU Study Days” organized by the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine.