Aspen Teens: Fight for UA Dream: Teen Teams Developed Projects to Support Their Communities

Can a teenager change their city? Launch an initiative that addresses a real problem in their community? Build a team that thinks strategically and acts together? The Aspen Teens: Fight for UA Dream project, implemented by the Aspen Institute Kyiv and the Klitschko Foundation, proves that yes — they absolutely can.

This new format is designed for teenagers ready to take responsibility and act, as well as for their teachers. Its main goal is implementing social projects in local communities. The camp brought together 12 teams of teens and their mentors.

The online intensive laid the foundation: how to understand your community, where to look for ideas, and how to apply project management skills. The offline camp near Lviv was built on that foundation through hands-on project refinement. Naturally, the days were also filled with inspiring conversations about leadership, responsibility, and the power of trust.

During the camp, participants took part in several motivational meetings:

• Yuliya Tychkivska, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Kyiv, and Angelina Osadcha, Director of the Klitschko Foundation, shared insights from their professional journeys.
• The group visited Lviv’s City Hall to meet with Mayor Andriy Sadovyi — and his symbolic advisor, Levchyk the cat, who confidently joined the discussions.
• Participants also visited the Superhumans Centre, where they discussed the culture of interaction with people with amputations alongside the Centre’s team.

The teams have already refined their projects. Now it’s time to implement them. Over the next two months, participants will be launching their social initiatives with the support of mentors who have substantial experience in project management.

Olha Maslova, PhD in Biology, co-founder of the Nobilitet project and the Naukpopil channel, and Vіacheslav Rudnytskyi, CEO of Savvy, moderated the camp’s discussions and activities.

The Aspen Teens: Fight for UA Dream project is about practice, action, and growth.

We are grateful to everyone who contributed to making this project happen, especially to our partners at the Klitschko Foundation for their enduring collaboration, the participants for their energy and initiative, and the mentors for their guidance and support.