Youth Connect for Ukraine Summer School Concludes in Lviv

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Five Days of Leadership and Artificial Intelligence: Highlights from the Youth Connect for Ukraine Summer School

The Youth Connect for Ukraine: Artificial Intelligence for Professional Development and Leadership summer school has concluded in Lviv. It was jointly organised by the Fund of the President of Ukraine for Education, Science, and Sports, the British Council, and the Ukrainian Catholic University.

From 13 to 17 July, 24 students from frontline regions who are part of the Fund of the President of Ukraine’s community of talented youth developed leadership competencies, mastered modern artificial intelligence tools, and worked on their own social action projects.

"This event in Lviv is unique for the Youth Connect for Ukraine programme. Its first distinctive feature is its theme, as it combines our youth leadership development methodology with the topic of artificial intelligence and the expertise of the Ukrainian Catholic University. Its second distinctive feature is that it is aimed at young people living in regions near the line of contact who are part of the Fund of the President of Ukraine for Education, Science, and Sports' network of talented youth. We brought this group together in Lviv, and the huge potential of this format has been evident from the very start of the event. I sincerely thank all our partners for their close and productive cooperation,"

said Arsen Kelichavyi, Head of the Youth Connect for Ukraine programme.

Day 1. Introductions, Values, and AI as a Leadership Tool

The summer school began with participants getting to know one another, building a shared space, and identifying their personal expectations for the training.

Participants were welcomed by Youth Connect for Ukraine project coordinator Daria Voronina, the Fund’s Head of Community Strategic Development Anastasiia Kuleba, and certified British Council trainers Anna Gladka and Nadiia Yurova.

Through hands-on exercises, participants explored their own identity, values, life experience, and beliefs that shape their leadership. Anna Gladka led the “Iceberg of Identity” exercise, and together with Nadiia Yurova, participants used personal stories to find the shared values that unite the Youth Connect for Ukraine community.

The day concluded with a lecture by Fund Board member and UCU Director of Innovation Oleksii Molchanovskyi on artificial intelligence as a leadership tool, its history, and its current capabilities and limitations.

Anastasiia Prudnik, a participant and Computer Science student at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, shares:

"The exercise on identifying our own values was important for me, because we all hold them subconsciously, but making decisions from a place of awareness is, in my view, far more effective."

Day 2. Leadership Styles, Empathy, and Critical Thinking

The second day of the programme focused on the practical competencies needed for leadership and teamwork.

With British Council trainer Nadiia Yurova, participants compared different leadership styles and explored the power of collective action. During Anna Gladka’s sessions, they practised active listening, empathy, and non-violent communication, learning to hold dialogue that helps ease tension and build trust.

A separate session led by Nadiia Yurova focused on critical thinking and the cognitive biases that can affect a person’s decisions.

"Before, my leadership was mostly intuitive, but thanks to this summer school, I gained practical command of active listening, empathy, non-violent communication, and critical thinking. We talked about different leadership styles and how there's no single correct one: each can be more suitable depending on the circumstances,"

said Anastasiia Prudnik.

Day 3. AI for Problem Research and a Leader’s Cognitive Skills

On the third day, participants moved on to more in-depth work with artificial intelligence tools.

AI engineer and UCU Innovation Office specialist Kateryna Akhynko showed participants how to use artificial intelligence to research complex social problems faster and in greater depth.

Anna Gladka and Nadiia Yurova then ran a social action simulation game. Participants went through the whole process — from defining a problem and shaping an idea to presenting their team’s solution and receiving feedback.

"Beyond useful information and practical skills, what came through was an understanding that AI is only a supporting tool. Our awareness and our capacity to feel remain decisive, because it is always people who create meaning,"

said participant Sofiia Sus.

Ukrainian psychologist Anastasiia Shyroka, Associate Professor at UCU’s Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, spoke about the human qualities that matter more and more in a world strengthened by technology. Her lecture focused on a leader’s cognitive skills in the age of artificial intelligence.

"Ms. Anastasiia's lecture fundamentally changed how I understand my own thinking and gave me tools for improving how I learn. From the other lectures, I came away with new tools and ways of applying AI to benefit my studies and my projects. When we build artificial intelligence into our solutions, we don't always pay attention to issues of environmental impact, security, and the privacy of users' data. Beyond solving the problem at hand, it was very important for us to consider the ethical dimension of our technological solution,"

said Anastasiia Prudnik.

Day 4. Data Analysis and Building AI-Powered Projects

The fourth day focused on turning ideas into practical solutions. With Kateryna Akhynko, participants learned to analyse text and numerical data using AI tools, apply them to make well-founded decisions, automate individual processes, and build prototypes.

After the training sessions, teams moved on to independent work on their own social action projects, with mentoring support from experts.

Anastasiia’s team worked on a solution focused on digital literacy among older adults.

"My team and I put together a comprehensive solution for introducing training and creating a safe space, so that older adults could get familiar with technology and build digital safety skills. Every project was original, brilliantly thought out, and well executed. It made me realise: if we can build a solution like that in two days, imagine what we could change given more time."

Day 5. The Future of Professions, Project Presentations, and Wrap-Up

The final day opened with a discussion of how the development of artificial intelligence is changing the economy, the labour market, professions, and business processes. The session was led by Kateryna Akhynko.

Oleksii Molchanovskyi presented participants with examples of AI use in education, science, medicine, culture, and the civil society sector.

The centrepiece of the day was the pitching session for the teams’ AI-powered projects. After the presentations, participants reflected on what they had learned, articulated their key takeaways, and received certificates for completing the programme.

According to Anastasiia Prudnik, an important outcome of the school was not only new competencies, but also the community formed over the five days.

"An unexpected addition to my personal growth was spending every hour of the day with other people who are just as ambitious, inspired, and driven to succeed. Our shared trips to the dining hall and the café, evening walks at the end of each day, and late-night conversations will stay with me as very warm memories. Over these five days, these people became like family to me. I'm confident we'll meet again on other projects, and that this community will live on and keep growing. Combining soft and hard skills in a single project gave us exactly the kind of knowledge today's young people need. Change requires leadership, and leadership paired with artificial intelligence can become a powerful driving force — if you know where and how to apply it."

"Over five intense days, I realised I had finally ended up in the right place. This school made me reconsider my own values, helped me tell my strengths and weaknesses apart, and reminded me how important it is to hear and understand others. At Youth Connect for Ukraine, you can find your people, broaden your horizons, and get the push toward action you need,"

said Sofiia Sus, a participant in the school.

Background

The Youth Connect for Ukraine: Artificial Intelligence for Professional Development and Leadership summer school was delivered by the British Council in partnership with the Fund of the President of Ukraine for Education, Science, and Sports and the Ukrainian Catholic University.

The initiative combined the British Council’s youth leadership development methodology, the Ukrainian Catholic University’s expertise in artificial intelligence, and the Fund of the President of Ukraine’s systemic work to build a community of talented young people.

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