Some students don’t just join a program — they bring it to life.
That’s exactly what happened when Ivano-Frankivsk Lyceum #11 became part of KidsKonnectUkraine. 
From day one, their students have stood out for their creativity, open hearts, and genuine curiosity. Whether they were sharing Ukrainian culture with American teens, reflecting deeply on global issues, or crafting powerful video stories — they always gave it their all.
These young people are active, thoughtful, and inspiring.
They’ve shown leadership, empathy, and the courage to express their voices — and we’re incredibly proud that they are part of our growing KidsKonnect community.
Here’s what they shared about their experience in the program:
“KidsKonnectUkraine is a truly important program for people nowadays, especially teenagers. Personally, it helped me start communicating with foreign students more fluently and made me less anxious about my English skills. It’s very useful for Ukrainian teenagers, who can share their opinions and experiences, and for foreign students, who can learn more about the situation in Ukraine. Also, sincere thanks to journalist Kathleen Hessert for encouraging students to engage with this program, which provides valuable opportunities, including travel and financial rewards. The financial support personally gives me a lot of motivation, knowing that we’re not alone – we have emotional and physical support, and that Ukrainian people are heard, seen and understood.”
Silvia Tomashivska
“Hi! It’s Stas from KKU. I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done so that everything worked out as well as it did. It was a really good chance to improve my speaking and confidence.
It really helped when I joined an international initiative CONN’COR, especially considering I’m studying food technology, not electrical engineering. I’m finishing my first year of a bachelor’s degree at Lviv Polytechnic National University.
I’ve really enjoyed being a part of Kids Konnect Ukraine and working together with everyone and I hope we will meet again someday. And I want to personally thank Kathleen Hessert for making it all come true.”
Stas Pochynok
“Kathleen, I would like to sincerely thank you for your contribution, your vision and your dedication to everything that you do. KidsKonnectUkraine is more than just a project, it is a true mission to connect youth from all over the world in these tough times of war. Your work is invaluable to us, and I’m sure the future has even more to offer.”
Sofia Trishchuk
Дехто зі школярів не просто долучається до програми — вони додають їй барв.
Саме так сталося, коли Івано-Франківський ліцей №11 приєднався до KidsKonnect Ukraine.
Від перших днів їхні учні вирізнялися творчістю, щирістю та невгамовною допитливістю. Вони з натхненням ділилися українською культурою з американськими ровесниками, глибоко міркували над глобальними темами, створювали яскраві відеоісторії — і завжди віддавали частинку себе у кожну справу.
Натхненний шлях ліцеїстів підтримувала вчителька Олена Горбата , чия відданість та підтримка допомогли учням засяяти ще яскравіше. Наша програма хотіла відзначити їхню активність — активну участь у всіх вебінарах, воркшопах та онлайн-зустрічах, і найактивніші та найяскравіші учасники були нагороджені нами сертифікатами та отримали від нас грошову винагороду.
Ці юні люди — активні, небайдужі й надихаючі.
Вони продемонстрували лідерство, емпатію та сміливість відстоювати власну думку — і ми безмежно пишаємося тим, що вони є частиною нашої зростаючої спільноти KidsKonnect.
#KidsKonnectUkraine#Lyceum11IvanoFrankivsk#ActiveVoices#StudentLeadership#UkrainianYouth#CulturalExchange#FutureChangemakers#GlobalConnections
