2. 21 What We Do
5 Why We Exist
2 Foreword
10 Our Journey
25 Our Projects
26 Stories From The
Ukrainian Social
Academy Team
28 Lessons Learned And
Plans For The Future
15 Success Stories
18 Our Impact In Numbers
3 About Us
CONTENT
- Social Entrepreneurship Program
- Social Innovation Management
- Ecclesial Administration
And Management
- Social Ethics And Leadership
Program
- Alumni Network
- Online Social Impact
Platform
3. 54
FOREWORD
The first four years of the
Ukrainian Social Academy
demonstrated a hunger for
civil and substantive dialogue,
renewed interest in the principles
of Catholic Social Teaching,
and enthusiasm for social
entrepreneurship in Kyiv and
beyond. The Ukrainian Social
Academy’s fourth year was a
time of opportunity, dialogue,
outreach, and integration as it
shared Catholic Social Teaching
more broadly and deeply, and
encouraged a new generation
of leaders to “salt, light, and
leaven” public life.
I hope that you will read this
Annual Report and see our
plans for leadership and social
enterprise development as
opportunities for you
to contribute to developing a more
just future and helping to form
young leaders for the Church
and the world we want and need.
An investment in the Ukrainian
Social Academy is an investment
in them.
The Ukrainian Social Academy
came about for a specific purpose:
to identify answers to the
existential question of why so
many young people risk passing
from having no work calling to
having no life calling.
In combining the Gospel with the
practicality of life, the Ukrainian
Social Academy embodies a great
initiative for the advancement
of young people, and a real
opportunity for local development
on a national scale. Its powerful
ideas have marked its success:
training young people, launching
cooperative initiatives, and
creating intermediaries, such as
“community animators”, as well
as a long series of tangible actions
and visible signs of effective, active
commitments in its 4 years.
Pope Francis has encouraged
secular and Catholic institutions
to not abandon refugees and
other vulnerable people who have
been “excluded and marginalized:
without a job, without options,
without a way out”. The Ukrainian
Social Academy is inspired and
challenged by Pope Francis’
vision, requiring new creativity
and collaboration to meet people
on the margins as a missionary
church promoting human dignity
and the common good.
In 2018, there was consolidation
and growth in the Ukrainian
Social Academy’s model, with
twin and inseparable mission
focus on young adults and
social enterprises. Our alumni
community swelled to over
3,500 and our offerings for their
human, spiritual and intellectual
development tried to keep up
with that demand. They formed a
vibrant and warm community of
friends, encouraging each other to
seek the magis, greater and deeper
all the time.
Over the year, the Ukrainian
Social Academy has grown from
a promising idea to a respected
place of civil dialogue in a divided
сapital; a place for leaders to
come together across political,
ideological, and ecclesial lines
to build bridges and advance
common principles; and a unique
source of encouragement and
development for young leaders
and social innovators in Kyiv.
For the rest of this year and
beyond, we will be driving ahead
with the development of our
linked Catholic social teaching,
social enterprise
and social inclusion projects.
These projects are deepening our
commitment to our faith seeking
justice.
Considering social impact as the
main objective, the Ukrainian
Fr. Dr. Mykhaylo Melnyk
Social Academy is exploring
a social enterprise model as a
new way to contribute to a more
just and sustainable society. In
his encyclical Laudato Si’, Pope
Francis called “the whole human
family together to seek sustainable
and integral development.” Social
entrepreneurship
is a transformative response to
this call.
We are excited to be developing
a social enterprise network for
students, graduates and mentors
to act as a hub for the incubation
of business ideas for social impact,
with a distinctively Catholic
approach. Central
to this will be the education and
mentoring of disadvantaged
young people in the incubation of
their own social enterprise ideas.
At its core, the Ukrainian Social
Academy seeks to support human
welfare and a vital church by
expanding the understanding,
practice and support of high
impact social innovation within
Catholic ministries.
The Ukrainian Social Academy
will also lead the development
of a breakthrough generation of
entrepreneurial and innovative
youth - a value-driven force that
creates new social and economic
value, creates new jobs and serves
as a role model to other youth.
Building all our activities around
the promotion of Catholic Social
Teaching and social innovations
directs us to achieving our vision,
which is to form a society with
developed, transformative leaders
of the Church and society, who are
equipped to build and shape
a more just and Christ-like world.
I am happy to speak further
with you and any organization
interested in helping us work
toward our mutual goals.
4. 76
The Ukrainian Social
Academy is an educational
center for the development,
implementation, and support
of social enterprises in
order to promote the socio-
economic development of
Ukraine. Our model of social
impact is carried out in three
main areas, each of which
complements each other
and contributes to the overall
vision of values and mission
of the Ukrainian Social
Academy.
ABOUT US
1.
The priority area of our activity is the
development of innovations in the
social sphere. We apply innovative
and sustainable learning methods
to implement and support social
businesses that are focused on solving
social problems.
2.
The Ukrainian Social Academy’s
activities are based on Catholic Social
Teaching. This is what defines the
identity of the academy and makes us
unique. We are developing young people
who are committed to the values of
human dignity, freedom, and solidarity,
ready for social challenges and are the
driving force behind social change.
3.
The Ukrainian Social Academy
forms not only professionals in social
entrepreneurship but also consciously
ethical leaders who use their potential
and skills to develop various spheres
of public life. We have created an
educational space to exchange ideas
and best practices in social innovation
and entrepreneurship, which can serve
as a platform for creating social change.
5. 9
5.
The Ukrainian Social Academy
is also a platform for studying
international best practices in the field
of Catholic Social Teaching, social
entrepreneurship and social innovation.
We analyze and adapt the experience of
our international partners to Ukraine
and create opportunities for sharing this
knowledge among our teachers, students,
and mentors.
5Facts why
we Exist
The Ukrainian Social Academy educates former orphans, homeless children,
refugees and other disadvantaged youth in Ukraine to become job creators
and social entrepreneurs with the ability to turn challenges into solutions.
1.
The Ukrainian Social Academy is the
only center in Eastern Europe based on
Christian social tradition aimed at training
ethical leaders of society and business to facilitate
and improve the effectiveness of the development
of projects for the disadvantaged on the ground.
Guided by Catholic Social Teaching, the academy
stimulates critical thinking, discussion and action,
principally through advocacy-oriented research
and capacity building to bring about ethically
informed choices and effective solutions to poverty
and unemployment among young people and
vulnerable groups.
2.
Through its activities, the Ukrainian Social
Academy promotes the solution of
acute social problems, in particular, poverty
and unemployment among young people and
vulnerable groups.
3.
Working in solidarity with the church
and various sectors, the Ukrainian Social Academy
strives to respond to the issues and concerns of the poor.
4.
The Ukrainian Social Academy is
a center of innovation in the social
sphere. It is a platform for high-quality
and professional interaction between
participants of social initiatives.
6. CooperatedwithUkrainian
NGOs,suchastheUkrainian
PhilanthropistsForum,100%
ofLifeandotherstopromote
theideasoftheChristian
SocialTeachingandsocial
entrepreneurship.
Establishedcooperationwith
theUkrainianMinistryof
YouthandSportstopromote
thedevelopmentofjoint
venturesamongyoungpeople.
1110
OUR JOURNEY
10 Victories of 2018
Promoted the topic of
social innovation on an
international level.
The Ukrainian Social Academy
became the first and only
organization to bestow a Social
Impact Award - an international
contest across more than 20
countries. The Ukrainian winners
represented our country at the
International SIA Summit in Georgia.
During the year, the academy’s team
took part in various international
conferences and forums with the
aim of presenting our activities and
sharing our achievements.
The events included:
• Social Innovation Summit
(March) in Stuttgart, Germany;
• CST-CEE 2020 Expert Council
(July) in Rome, Italy;
• 22nd International Congress
Started a social enterprise
program for veterans and
their family members.
The Ukrainian Social Academy is
helping to solve the problems of
the reintegration of soldiers from
Ukraine’s Anti-Terrorist Operation
in Eastern Ukraine into peaceful
life. Together with the Canadian-
Ukrainian Foundation, we launched
a business to educate veterans and
their family members so that they
can successfully launch their own
social businesses.
Created jobs for vulnerable
groups.
The priority direction of our activities
is to overcome poverty in Ukraine
and youth unemployment. Social
enterprises, created by Ukrainian
Social Academy alumni, have already
created 50 new jobs.
Conducted events in the
regions to identify social
needs and search for active
people.
We identify acute social problems
in the most remote cities and villages
of Ukraine and look for opportunities
to solve them. Thanks to our training
programs, participants began to
actively change difficult situations in
their communities, received business
skills and successfully launched
their own social startups. Dozens of
public activists and leaders joined
our programs and continue to work
on the implementation of social
initiatives.
Launched social businesses
that change lives.
Graduates of the Ukrainian Social
Academy are working on solving
the most acute social problems,
such as support for children
with autism and their families,
employment of people with
disabilities, plastic recycling and
providing healthy nutrition. About
20 social startups were launched
to help Ukrainians improve their
lives and about 200 other social
ideas are in various stages toward
becoming startups.
Collaborated with Caritas
Spes Ukraine on a social
ministry program and
Startedanonlineeducational
platformtoincreasethe
numberofparticipantsfrom
differentcities.
Following international best
practices, the Ukrainian Social
Renovabis (September) in Berlin,
Germany;
• Grantmakers East Forum (GEF)
(October) in Budapest, Hungary;
• 14th EVPA Annual Conference
(November) in Warsaw, Poland.
development of social
entrepreneurship for
disadvantaged groups.
The Ukrainian Social Academy
helps to develop the activities of
Caritas Spes Ukraine - one of the
largest charitable organizations of
the Catholic Church, which
is spread all over the world.
We launched a social ministry
program, which aims to promote
the sustainable development of
communities on a local level through
the implementation of social projects
and initiatives, and the development
of socio-entrepreneurial projects
for vulnerable groups, refugees,
orphaned children and prisoners.
WontheErasmus+Grant
Programforthe“Act4Impact”
projecttopromoteanddevelop
socialentrepreneurship
amongyouth.
Academy developed an online
educational platform that helps
future changemakers gain
entrepreneurial skills and start their
own social business. We received
more than 400 applications, which
demonstrates the interest in the
subject of social entrepreneurship
and people’s trust in our organization.
7. 1312
SUCCESS STORIES
Anna Poniarchchuk and Anastasia
Martynenko have been following
a “zero waste philosophy” for
several years. They managed to
find alternatives to all plastic
everyday use items and have
turned their lifestyle into a
business. These Ukrainian Social
Academy alumni opened the
first zero-waste goods store in
Ukraine, called Ozero. In its first
year, the founders gained over
1,000 followers, who have become
admirers of life without garbage.
A careless attitude toward nature
has worried the girls since
childhood, and now they’ve
decided to do their utmost
to minimize waste and teach
people to produce less garbage.
They applied for an educational
program for social entrepreneurs
in the Ukrainian Social Academy,
and together with experts, learned
to develop the idea for their
business.
“Training at the Ukrainian Social Academy gave us the impetus to turn
our idea into an active project and helped make our crazy dreams
into a functional business model. When we came to the Ukrainian
Social Academy, we thought that our idea was simply unrealistic
and nobody would believe in it. We did not have any experience,
but we were eager to start a good and useful business. And we heard
that the Ukrainian Social Academy team believed in us, which is
how we were able to launch our social enterprise,” the girls said.
Today these young entrepreneurs are holding lectures and master
classes on eco-adaptation, conscious consumption, and working
with organizations and companies.
Together with foreign partners, Ozero is participating in the youth
exchange “Go Zero, Danube!” in order to reduce waste in the
Danube region. Participants in the international program will learn
more about waste issues in Ukraine, Germany, and Romania, as
well as about options for solutions and sustainable alternatives. As
part of the internship, they will also meet innovative entrepreneurs
who can inspire action and change in their own countries.
The long-term goal of these girls is to continue developing their
store, conducting training courses for organizations and companies,
and broadening cooperation with organizations that promote
conscious consumption.
In our lectures, workshops and other
events, we offer solutions for those who
are worried about their health and the
well-being of future generations
Ozero
Anna Ponikarchuk
and Anastasia Martynenko
8. 1514
Education at the academy led me to make
interesting acquaintances with like-minded
people, networking and an opportunity to
win the Social Impact Award. People who
come to the Ukrainian Social Academy are
trying to help each other and everyone who
wants to launch their social business
Maria Sorokina’s
Re-beau
Maria Sorokina is the founder
of the ethical jewelry brand re-
beau, which transforms recycled
materials into stylish accessories.
Part of revenue from the startup is
spent on cleaning up the territory
of Ukraine.
Mary was thinking of
manufacturing jewelry even
before she came to the Ukrainian
Social Academy’s team.
In addition to the grant money she
got from the Social Impact Award,
her project got the opportunity
to take part in an international
summit in Georgia.
In Ukraine, there are less than 170 cinemas. In small towns and villages,
there are not enough cultural sites. According to statistics from the
Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, 65% of young people believe
there is a lacking of places where it is possible to spend their free time
in an interesting and useful way. Ukrainian Social Academy alumna
Nastya Suprun decided to help solve this problem. Her project Kinobus,
a mobile cinema, is designed to create alternative cultural recreation
activities for young people in small cities in Ukraine and to popularize
Ukrainian cinema.
For six years, Nastya Suprun has been studying cinematography and
to start this project she got inspired by the history of cinema. She said
she came to the Ukrainian Social Academy with a dream and did not
know that her project was a social business yet. “For me, it was an
experiment, research and an attempt to popularize cinema, conducting
various thematic sessions, shows on the street, in creative spaces, or even
on the water. Everyone wants something interesting, fresh, and easy
Mobile
Cinema
Kinobus
that would can leave them with
positive emotions and feelings.
So far, humanity has not invented
anything more accessible than
cinema.”
So, soon meaningful, bright,
and deep movies will be seen in
more than 50 cities and towns
of Ukraine. This social business
can earn money by selling not
just tickets for the shows, but
from the special atmosphere,
delicious food, and unforgettable
emotions - something that cannot
be felt just through a computer
screen. Kinobus is a movie theater
without borders, it’s a movie
theater for everyone.
SOCIAL COMPONENT:
Solving the problem of the aimless free time
of young people in small towns of Ukraine.
9. 1716
Oksana Remizova won the Social
Impact Award. Her project “3D:
Good, Action, State” created an
inclusive space for two to six
year old children with mental
disabilities, mild forms of cerebral
palsy and physical disabilities.
The space allows them to work
productively with specialists and
gradually integrate into society by
developing their logic, attention,
memory and thinking, enriching
their vocabulary and training their
behavioral processes.
That is how this young lady started
looking for various opportunities
to make her dream come true and
consequently she got a chance
to study at the Ukrainian Social
Academy. “The most valuable
thing is that the academy didn’t
just listen to my idea, they believed
in it. Here I got knowledge and
skills that are extremely important
for every social entrepreneur. Even
after completing the training, I feel
like our team cares and is always
happy to help,” said Oksana.
Oksana Remizova’s
3D Project
Our project was designed to target changing
stereotypes and maximally include children
with special needs into society. We believe
that most of the children who will be
trained in our space will be in a socializing
surrounding. Step by step, starting with our
region, we want to make society live more
in a moral, conscious and human way
A Women’s Mentoring Project was designed to show how two women
who businesses and are experts in their fields can become mentors
to each other and earn significant profits from meetings focusing on
professional growth.
The idea to create a joint women’s project came after mentorship at the
Ukrainian Social Academy. Natalya Zaveruha and Svetlana Oleynikova
decided to share their professional experience with future social
entrepreneurs and help them launch businesses. Together with young
social innovators, the mentors worked for three months to improve their
social projects.
“I am grateful to the Ukrainian Social
Academy for giving me a chance to try myself
in a new role as a teacher and a mentor.
I’m overjoyed by the fact that I found another
valuable resource in my life - the help and
support of people who are seeking something
more. Moreover, I met incredible people, who
became my peers in work and self-development,”
said Natalya.
Svetlana said that in today’s society we are used to the fact that big
companies, successful businesses, and other large organizations are
usually headed by men. Entrepreneurial activities are not considered
female. Society needs more initiatives that would show that the power
of women is in forming a community, and that we can talk to each other
not only about shoes and dresses.
Women’s Mentoring
Project
Natalya Zaverukha is the
CEO and owner of the agency
Manageable, which outlines and
optimizes business processes; She
has 11 years of experience in the field
of IT and consulting; She’s a business
trainer, an expert on business process
automation, and a mentor
at the Ukrainian Social Academy.
Svetlana Oleynikova is the
CEO and owner of the consulting
company Synergy Development
Consulting, sales director and
co-owner of the organic food
community Organic Club, an
expert in fundraising and business
development, and a mentor at the
Ukrainian Social Academy.
10. 1918
Ten young people with
chromosomal anomalies and
mental development problems
work as baker assistants, packers,
waiters and sales assistants.
Their internships last one year.
After a year of internship and
training, they are eligible for full
employment.
In addition, in 2019 it is planned
to open a cafe in which people
with Down syndrome and mental
health problems will work. Another
program to support and accompany
workers with special needs in the
workplace with a social worker-
teacher will also be created.
Bakery 21.3
The Inspire program believes that everyone has the right to equality
and inclusion. The project’s mission is to try to help everyone with
a disability to achieve this. The project’s team does this by providing
individuals and their families with educational, therapeutic and leisure
Inspire - Adult
Programme
Bakery 21.3 is where people with
Down syndrome are invited to become
employees. The name of bakery 21.3 is
the date of the World Day for People with
Down Syndrome - March 21.
25% of profits will be reinvested into
creating new jobs and to pay salaries
for social workers who will accompany
workers with disabilities in the workplace.
services all under one roof.
Through community involvement
and independent living skills
training, the programme aims to
provide people with disabilities
opportunities to integrate into
the community and have a
better quality of life through age
appropriate physiological, social,
recreational, domestic and self
care activities.
Clients start their training by
taking general courses to enhance
their skills and increase their
effectiveness at career exploration,
while getting assistance in making
realistic vocational choices. Inspire
also advocates for inclusion,
educates the general public, and
raises awareness.
Inspire’s very holistic approach allows clients
to develop in many ways, combining life skills
and improving their well-being with results
in terms of employment and education.
12. 2322
WHAT WE DO
Social Entrepreneurship Program is a educational program aimed at
developing and scaling social businesses in Ukraine. The program is
based on the Miller Center’s social entrepreneurship methodology at the
University
of Santa Clara in Silicon Valley.
The mission and vision of the program are to overcome poverty
and youth unemployment through the development of social
entrepreneurship, with the aim of creating positive changes in society.
We see a world where people are the creators of their own future,
where due to the strength of business and innovation, they can provide
sustainable economic and social influence.
Social Entrepreneurship Program
This is an educational program
where all participants, especially
marginalized youth, are in charge
of themselves and become social
entrepreneurs, starting with
their own jobs after meeting
program requirements. Scholars
who join the Ukrainian Social
Academy often come directly
(e.g. from a refugee camp) or
have gone through very difficult
life experiences that need to be
Pre-accelerator
Online works with entrepreneurs at early-stage
enterprises to create business plans and test
assumptions. By the end of the Pre-acceleration
Online program, each participant has a viable
strategy for growing their social enterprise in a
financially sustainable manner with a validated
business model.
THE PROGRAM CONSISTS OF TWO STAGES:
Accelerator
Prepares mid-stage enterprises for scale and
investment. This program
helps social entrepreneurs refine their expansion
strategies to serve new geographic regions
or serve existing customers with additional
products or services.Applications recieved
Participants enrolled
our programs
Workshops & Events
Submitted social
projects
Social Business projects
have been presented
195
180
43
72
10
transformed. They are not planning
to start a social enterprise and
their mind is often focused on
pure survival. We give them
empowerment and community, so
that many of our students start to
consider their past as a strength,
rather than an object of shame. Their
life experiences are valuable skills
that no one can learn in a school.
A former marginalised individual
can create a social enterprise with
and for people like themselves and
disrupt the status quo.
The Ukrainian Social Academy distinguishes itself from other capacity development organizations for social
enterprises through the quality and depth of its mentoring.
The mentors, coach educate and encourage program participants
for the duration of the social entrepreneurship programs.
13. An integrated program that prepares clergy for
effective and efficient parish and diocesan leadership.
The content of the course emphasizes various
aspects of fundraising, transparent management of
financial resources, organization and management of
employees, and effective communication strategies
Ecclesial Administration
And Management
Applications recieved
Participants enrolled
our programs
Workshops & Events
Submitted projects
Social Business projects
have been presented
115
25
21
5
3
Applications recieved
Participants enrolled
our programs
Workshops & Events
38
24
7
with the dual aims of promoting faithful stewardship
and fostering growth through evangelization.
The program’s goal is to take inspiration from proven
best practices from the secular business environment
and assist clergy and key figures in parishes, dioceses
and religious orders with the management of day-
to-day administrative responsibilities and to best
respond to particular challenges and difficulties that
might arise.
We offer the tools needed to support those
responsible for serving the primary activities of the
church. The program recognizes the “managerial”
role of the priest as implicit in their vocational
responsibilities and seeks to introduce new
approaches and methodologies, new managerial and
organizational techniques for identifying, solving
and even preventing crises, as well as reflecting on
the place of the priest’s managerial responsibilities
within their call to live as a shepherd and servant.
2524
This is an educational program for the organizational
development for leaders of social initiatives aimed at
solving public problems.
The goal is to strengthen the capacity of civil
society organizations and individuals (leaders of
social initiatives and projects) to apply innovative
approaches to solving urgent societal problems.
Social Innovation Management
Upon completion of the program, participants:
- acquire knowledge and skills necessary for
the organizational development and strategic
planning of their own businesses
- gain support from mentors and experience
with the best foreign experts who train teams
of participants on constant development and
monetization in the public sphere
- can develop a comprehensive PR-strategy
for their project, and know how to search for
an effective target audience, communication
channels and key stakeholders.
- will have an opportunity to work in a team
of like-minded people, get acquainted with
and communicate with representatives of civic
organizations and experts, engage in reforming
the country and influence internal processes.
14. 2726
financial support for the development of the best projects and research;
Social Ethics And Leadership
Program
An educational program aimed
at developing leadership potential
built on the ethical values and
principles of Christian Social
Teaching. The program is designed
to support development into
the valuable portrait of ethical
leaders that Ukraine needs today
in various spheres of public life, as well as provide participants with the
tools they need to make complex decisions.
The purpose of the program is to form a new generation of leaders in
various spheres of social life through the study of the social doctrine of
the church, Ukrainian and international experience, communication
with leading specialists, and the creation of a network of active people.
Benefits of the program:
interdisciplinary, because we teach leadership through the prism of
Christian social doctrine, political science, business administration,
economics, international relations, and project management;
lectures from leading Ukrainian and foreign experts;
mastering theory through practical cases and the experience
of successful leaders;
work on your own research project and tools to implement
it upon completion of the program;
possibility of attending the international module.
15. The Alumni Project has created
a community of graduates and
participants of Ukrainian Social
Academy programs, community
events, mentoring and counseling
support for graduates and their
involvement as lecturers in the
curriculum of our programs.
Through the alumni project, we
organize weekly business games,
not just for entertainment, but
to develop entrepreneurial skills,
strategic thinking, and empathy.
In addition, the Ukrainian Social
Academy organizes open public
meetings. These provide a chance
to get acquainted with social
entrepreneurs, representatives of
charities and non-governmental
organizations; get involved
in discussions about acute
social problems; and exchange
experiences between the business
and public sectors.
We strive to show everyone that being part of our team is a great opportunity to:
• associate with like-minded people - young and
experienced social entrepreneurs
• support business projects, and obtain
informational and mentoring support from the
Ukrainian Social Academy
• Participate in the Ukrainian Social Academy’s
educational and informal events as speakers
and mentors
• get access to professional consultants in the
business sector
• obtain discounts on the Ukrainian Social
Academy’s educational programs
2928
OUR PROJECTS
Alumni Project
Our goal is to create a space for the exchange
of experience and to search for new interesting
acquaintances, to establish cooperation between
representatives of the third sector, business and
government, to promote the activities of the
Ukrainian Social Academy and relevant curricula.
16. Our events:
• Social Business and Ukrainian Media: How to Find
Points of Contact
• How to Build a Social Business that Cares About the
Environment?
• Women’s Leadership and Social Business
• Faith, Common Good, and Democracy in the Time
of Pope Francis
• How to Turn Experience into a Socially Beneficial
Project?
• Benefits or Risks: Which Does a Social Business Have
More Of?
• Inclusion: How and Why Can You Make Schools
Comfortable for Everyone?
• Faith, Hope, and Courage in the Time of Fear
• Happy Elderly: Projects that Make Them Feel This
Way
• From Charity to Social Business: How and Why?
• Lecture for Journalists: A Person in a Social Text
• Convening on Overcoming Polarization Through
Catholic Social Thought
3130
17. 3332
Online Social Impact Platform
The Online Social Impact
Platform is an educational tool of
the Ukrainian Social Academy,
which offers affordable business
education here and now. It
includes instructive interviews
with specialists in business fields,
visual teaching materials like
infographics and videos, real
cases of social entrepreneurs
from Ukraine and abroad, special
Aim: To create high-quality educational
media, which provides additional training
opportunities for social entrepreneurs.
Make business education accessible
anywhere and anytime. To expand the
audience of consumers of the Ukrainian
Social Academy’s educational projects.
Contact with the editorial team: The ability to ask any question
about your own business and promptly receive a text response
from a specialist.
educational opportunities for reading clubs
and alumni of the Ukrainian Social Academy,
in addition to motivation for improving their
own projects, interactive materials and a way
to obtain feedback.
Advantages of the
online platform:
Training materials that are available online for residents
of any city or country
Top social entrepreneurship news
Stories about the experiences of the most prominent
Ukrainian social startups
Personal profile with unique educational materials
18. 3534
STORIES FROM THE TEAM
Story 1.
Snizhanna Belyaeva
Marketing Communications Manager,
PR Department Team Leader
Recently, in a book on design thinking, I read the phrase that work should
not be capitalized. People need passion, a sense of purpose and a sense of
meaning in everything they do. For me, the Ukrainian Social Academy is a
combination of all these things, because I’m doing a job that suits both my
abilities and soul. Here, I feel my involvement in the creation of the future
of my country, the future of people who come to us to study, and everyone
whose eyes light up with a thought about a dream. After completing the
Ukrainian Catholic University, one of the best universities in Ukraine, I
sought a place that would help me apply the knowledge and skills I learned
to make long-term changes in my country and share the values of the
university community. Today, my dream is being fulfilled. I work in an
organization where human dignity and the public good are of the highest
value. And this is exactly what I follow in my own life.
The biggest thing that inspires me at work is people. This team of
professionals makes a personal contribution to our large and important
work. Although each of us is unique, we are all united by one important
mission - to develop professionals for the sake of social change. I am glad
that I work on a team that is always
ready to help. We are the only
community that rejoices in joint
victories and solves difficulties
together. Challenges and defeats
only strengthen us, and make
us stronger and ready to move
forward. In addition, our students,
teachers, and graduates are our
inspiration to create. Everything we
do - it’s for their sake.
The Ukrainian Social Academy
gives each of us the opportunity
to grow and learn. Thanks to
this, I had a great chance to get
valuable experience and knowledge
about the coffee business in Italy.
My trip to the capital of coffee,
Trieste, expanded my perception
of how to develop corporate social
responsibility in the coffee industry
and I realized what a difficult path
coffee takes before we drink it from
our cup. During the five-day trip, I
made unforgettable acquaintances,
heard inspirational stories, and
experienced a new country.
Moreover, I was able
to tell everyone about the success of our organization
and passed a course on coffee making. Now I’ll know
for sure how to tell the difference between good
coffee and bad.
My professional duties include establishing
communication with our members and the public,
and writing stories about our alumni and the
activities we conduct. Moreover, I am the team
leader of the PR department and I am responsible
for marketing, which is a rather new field for me. But
I find it very interesting and important, and I want
to develop my skills. The Ukrainian Social Academy
promotes my growth as a professional. Thanks
to the academy, I studied marketing strategy at Kyiv-
Mohyla Business School [kmbs] - a school for leaders
who seek changes for themselves, their companies,
their country, and the world. Furthermore, I
completed an intensive marketing course at the Kyiv
Academy of Media Arts - the first specialized project
in Ukraine dedicated to studying creative specialties.
I have gained invaluable experience and useful
links that I can apply to develop our organization.
I also pass on my experiences to my colleagues and
help them become better. At the Ukrainian Social
Academy, we strive to ensure that each of us does
not stop learning and enrich ourselves with new
knowledge. Only through learning and sharing
knowledge, we can succeed.
19. 37
Story 2.
Ivanka Bed
Program Manager, Social
Impact Award Country
Coordinator
Two years ago, after I finished
studying at the Ukrainian Catholic
University, the Ukrainian Social
Academy became the place where
I could grow personally. Every
day, I learned something new,
and every day I got better. I have
developed not only professional
skills such as organization,
decision-making, creativity, etc.
but also empathy, communication
skills, and teamwork. With
each new project, I grew up as a
human, and I learned to take on
more and more responsibilities.
I have learned to see the whole
picture and some of its elements,
and most importantly, to see the
role of everyone in it, regardless
of profession, religion, and
worldview. I have expanded
my borders. For example, it has
been an international learning
experience to coordinate the
Social Impact Award, as well as a great opportunity to study through
the academy - at the School of Coffee in Mannheim (Germany). The
discovery of new knowledge, organizations, countries, and people have
contributed to expanding the boundaries of my worldview.
All the free time I have I dedicate to volunteering, in particular to the
International Charitable Fund Circle of Friends, whose mission is to help
orphans, graduates of boarding schools and orphanages find their place
in life and realize their God given potential. I consider volunteering as
service, and it helps me set priorities and gives me strength to overcome
challenges and difficulties every time I do it. This is all because of the
people, values, team, passion, and awareness of being a part of something
big helps make you more than you were before.
The Ukrainian Social Academy
is more than work for me. After
all, it’s important for me to
invest all my talents in people,
in positive changes, and in
something that will leave a
trace on the earth (in the best
sense of the term trace).
20. 3938
Story 3.
Sergiy Oliynyk
Management Development
Programs Manager
I first learned about the Ukrainian Social Academy
when I studied political science at the Taras
Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. I was
studying the subject of a social state, namely existing
world trends for improving people’s lives. My
cooperation with the academy started as a member
of one of its summer schools. Then, as a volunteer, I
was constantly involved in the organizational process
of projects.
Thanks to one of its projects, I received an
opportunity to continue my studies abroad at the
University of Sofia in Florence, Italy, where I focused
on studying social entrepreneurship. During my
studies, I joined projects involved in an international
movement promoting social entrepreneurship
around the world called “Economy of Communion”,
and got involved in the international organization
Fazenda da Esperanca that helps people with
different types of addictions.
After completing my studies, I returned to Ukraine
and immediately began working at the Ukrainian
Social Academy as manager of the programs on
managerial development, and in this, I personally
made a quantum leap in my professional growth.
Working on the project format allowed me to try
myself in many roles. This has been an extremely
interesting and quite responsible activity. Sometimes
deadlines are short, arrangements break down and
the weather doesn’t make me feel happy, and in
such difficult moments, when I am almost ready to
doubt myself, the emotion of participants who are
acquiring new knowledge gives me inspiration to
implement at least a few hundreds of new projects.
During my time here, I have made a lot of
acquaintances with interesting people, each of whom
not only wants to change the surrounding reality, but
is constantly working to make these changes more
extensive and systematic.
Story 4.
Yulia Lysenko
Online Program Manager and
Community Manager
Any organization’s most valuable resource is its people.
It is not just about workers - the creators of certain
services and goods, but also about the consumers of
these goods. For the Ukrainian Social Academy, the
most valuable treasure is the students, graduates, and
guests of our events, as well as collaborators on our
curriculums - the project lecturers and mentors.
Therefore, my goal as the creator of the community of
the Ukrainian Social Academy is to make our space
a platform for the establishment of new, valuable
relationships and partnerships and, moreover, a place
where you always want to come back to gain even more
knowledge, skills and valuable advice.
The organization of open events at the Ukrainian
Social Academy is one of the most effective ways to
keep in touch with the community and attract new
people. These meetings also communicate the values
of the Ukrainian Social Academy. Through the events,
a sense of belonging to the academy is formed in real
time. These meetings also enable the graduates of our
programs to try out being lecturers and for newcomers
to get a clearer picture of both the community itself and
the path that awaits them if they continue studying at
the Ukrainian Social Academy.
For me, the organization of these events and the
opportunity to see the community recharges my energy.
When you see the eyes light up of the audience and their
impulses to make changes, you understand that your
work has value, because it makes something good.
Another project of the academy that I started managing
from the very beginning - Online Hub, an online
educational platform for entrepreneurs, is closely linked
to my work with the community. After all, the project
is intended to broaden the knowledge necessary for
entrepreneurs and transformers further than the academy
can reach physically.
21. For a company to develop successfully, it is extremely important that
all team members work not only to accomplish separate tasks, but
that they know, understand and embody its mission. A breakthrough
organization exists only when it employs people for whom the corporate
mission coincides with their personal mission. For me, the Ukrainian
Social Academy is precisely such an organization, because its entire
team is united by common values and vision, which is, the same vision
for societal changes. This is important because a common vision is a
motivator for making these changes.
I got my first higher education at the Ukrainian Catholic University
(Lviv, Ukraine). After that, I continued my studies at the Catholic
University of Leuven (Leuven, Belgium), specializing in the field of
Christian Social Teaching. The core of my interests was business ethics,
including issues related to CSR, ethical branding and marketing.
Additionally, I attended different internship and short-term programs
at universities in Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovakia. All of them were
related to the topics of Christian Social Teaching, civic society, human
rights and leadership. After coming back to Ukraine, I worked as the
lecturer at the Ukrainian Catholic University, teaching social ethics and
Christian social thought for different faculties and majors. Now, I am
still part of the Ukrainian Catholic University as a visiting lecturer at
university programs and schools.
My first acquaintance with social entrepreneurship was in Leuven.
Therefore, the Ukrainian Social Academy for me is also an environment
for personal and professional development in a field I learned about
during my studies. My work here gives me a creative way to discover
innovative entrepreneurial approaches in solving global issues such
as poverty and unemployment,
especially among young people.
What is most rewarding in my
job is to see the success of the
academy’s graduates - social
entrepreneurs who combine
excellent professional skills
with sound ethical values and
compassionate hearts. This
motivates me personally to put
more and more effort into making
our educational programs as
effective and accessible as possible
for everyone who wants to be an
engine of social change.
4140
Story 5.
Petro Darmoris
Chief Operations Officer
I am personally
convinced that
social entrepreneurship
is an effective tool for
overcoming many acute
social problems. This
is a promising area
for self-realization for
everyone who has the
ability to get involved
in entrepreneurship,
especially young
individuals, because
it enables people to
create their own paths
of economic, social and
environmental freedom.
Therefore, I am glad to
be part of a team that is
an initiator, as well as a
creator of social change
here and now.
22. 4342
PLANS
The experience of
conducting educational
programs of the academy
in different regions
of our country shows
multidimensional
diversity.
Each region has its own critical
problems that require urgent
solutions. Accordingly, the
business decisions generated by
our participants are also unique
and specific to their context. This
fact once again proves the need
for training on the principle of
subsidiarity - as much freedom as
possible for participants and only
necessary constructive assistance
on our part.
The participants of our
programs are also very
different.
Everyone comes to us with a
different experience from doing
business - some people start
with an idea, and others have
the desire to improve and scale
already existing social businesses.
Therefore, our programs in 2019
will be even more customer
oriented. The online program
will allow all beginners in
entrepreneurship to acquire basic
knowledge and skills, and training
in the accelerator will provide
individual work for each project
team with mentor-professionals
that is supplemented by several
joint modules.
So far our main activity
has been to conduct
specialized educational
programs in Kyiv and
regions for various target
audiences.
The success of these programs
has led us to the next step -
the creation of a full-fledged
educational center not only for
training, but also for forming
social innovators. The Center
for Social Innovation will
become an incubator that will
allow startups to fully engage in
training and work on improving
their businesses. At the same
time, the center will become a
platform for cooperation between
organizations and structures in the
social sphere, as well as a bridge
for establishing cooperation with
large businesses.
For The Future
2018 was a year
of organizational
development and growth.
We increased the number of
our programs, and accordingly
increased the number of internal
processes, the integrity of which
depends on the success of each
program. In 2019, we will make
significant efforts to improve
our organizational and internal
business processes.
Working in the field of
social entrepreneurship,
we have become
reputable players,
opinion leaders, and
industry experts.
That is why we strive to grow
professionally as experts
in various aspects of doing
business, in particular, social
entrepreneurship. With this aim,
we are applying for scholarships
and investing in the professional
growth of our employees, whom
we want to see as successful and
in-demand teachers in programs
of social entrepreneurship and
innovation.
International events that
the Ukrainian Social
Academy participated
in this year showed that
Ukraine’s experience with
social entrepreneurship
was interesting and
important for the
international community.
That is why our strategic decision
was to create new educational
programs in cooperation with
leading international educational
centers in the field of social
entrepreneurship, who we will
continue cooperation with. At the
same time, we will continue to
communicate and cooperate with
leading international communities
and associations of social
entrepreneurship in order to
keep exchanging experience and
developing new methodologies
and projects together.
We also plan to
creating new platforms
and enterprises for
educational purposes.
This will allow us to share our
products and programs with wider
target groups and simultaneously
give us new revenue opportunities.
LESSONS
Learned
