Organized by GSC International
Global Service Corps Ukraine Program
As an international service-learning volunteer organization, Global Service Corps (GSC) has been serving disadvantaged communities since 1993. We are now serving Ukrainians through the GSC Ukraine Program.
Like probably you, we were appalled during the early days of the full scale Russian invasion and decided to help Ukrainians and especially refugees and displaced people deal with their war-induced trauma. GSC reached out to Ukrainian NGOs and learned that Ukrainians want help finding employment by improving their English to plan for the future, which would also benefit their mental health. We launched the Drop-in Cafe Conversation Club (DCCC) program in response. This program along with our DCCC Telegram channel and our online US-Ukrainian concerts provide opportunities for community building, cultural exchange, support and service-learning.
HISTORY OF THE GSC UKRAINE PROGRAM
In April 2022, GSC launched an eight-week English-speaking club program with the assistance of our partner NGO TESOL-Ukraine, an international English training association. This program was very popular with US and Ukrainian facilitators and participants and was instrumental in building support, warmhearted friendships, and expanded community. We were impressed with the friendliness, resilience and brave resistance of Ukrainians during these trying times.
We recognized that many more Ukrainians want to improve their English and need to know they are being supported. The English-speaking club program has expanded to include Drop-in Cafe Conversation Clubs during various times and days of the week. Here is an interview of one of our outstanding Ukrainian student participants:
We are a gift-dependent nonprofit and we can only do this work because of your donation. Charitable donations are greatly appreciated and have allowed us to accomplish the following:
• An eight-week conversational English pilot project in the summer of 2022
o In collaboration with TESOL-Ukraine
o Six separate groups of weekly sessions of native English speakers and Ukrainian facilitators and participants
o Provided over 260 total hours of English group conversation experiences
• Launched the Drop-in Café Conversation Clubs in the fall of 2022
o Three to five weekly adult and young adult student conversation sessions of facilitators and other participants from September 2022 to the present
o Provided Ukrainians opportunities to practice their conversational English with native English speakers
o Teams of Ukrainian and US English speaker co-facilitators for each session
o Provided approximately 1600 total hours of English group conversation experiences for approximately 16,000 person-hours of conversational English practice as of 1/3/25.
o Each weekly session now averages 12 – 16 total participants with numbers growing (You are invited to drop in any time)
o Launched an English conversation club specifically for young adults and students
• Hosted in Portland, OR the President and Vice-President of TESOL-Ukraine for a six-day visit
o Assisted in their attendance at the TESOL-International annual conference
o Arranged a public presentation on the war in Ukraine
• Production of Ukraine-US virtual concerts
o January 5, 2023 Holiday Concert
o February 25, 2023 “Together Invincible” Concert at the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion
o December 30, 2023 “Together Invincible” Holiday Concert
o December 28, 2024 “Meditations on Peace” Holiday Concert
• Creation of Drop-in Café Conversation Club Telegram channels
o Main Telegram channel for interested Ukrainians, included 365 members as of 1/3/2025
o Young Adult Students Telegram channel, now including 80 members as of 1/3/2025
o Three additional Telegram channels for program administration
• Production of several promotional videos
o One example: Welcome to the Drop-in Café Conversation Club
• Hired an in-country Ukrainian Social Media and Administrative Assistant
o First-year law student at the Karazin Kharkiv National University
o Ten hours/week
• Provided tuition financial support for over 100 Ukrainians to receive a semester of one-on-one English tutoring
We look forward to expanding what has become a popular and meaningful program, especially to include more Ukrainian and US student participation through social media and other outreach. The accomplishments listed above have been achieved with a total pro bono administrative and volunteer facilitator staff (except for the recent hire of our Ukrainian assistant.) Further administrative and staffing support is needed to build on our program expansion. We will continue to prioritize direct support to Ukrainians through all our programs. Your ongoing interest and generous support are much appreciated.
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