Holiday season is coming!

This week we enjoyed a truly special online speaking practice for Kherson and Mariupol youth on the topic “Holiday Season Is Coming”.

From the very beginning, the meeting was filled with a cozy, friendly, and supportive atmosphere, where everyone felt comfortable sharing ideas, opinions, and even dreams in English. We talked about how people prepare for winter breaks, how to manage end-of-year deadlines without stress, and imagined our perfect Christmas destinations and magical holiday festivals around the world.

To make learning even more enjoyable, our friend, a VSPP, Alana Underwood suggested us playing the “Alias” game, where participants described winter-related things, Christmas movies, and holiday songs without naming them. This activity brought lots of laughter and helped improve vocabulary, fluency, and confidence in a fun and natural way.

It was a great example of how English can be improved in an enjoyable, relaxed way — through communication, games, and real-life topics. Warm conversations, active participation, and positive energy made this session truly memorable.

Thanks to everyone who joined us and helped create such a welcoming space. The holiday spirit is here, and so is the joy of learning together.

No Stress December

How do you feel when the year is going to its end, but you still have lots of work to do before deadline?

Our last Youth English-speaking session turned into a warm and thoughtful space where our teens from Kherson and Mariupol and explored what it means to stay calm, balanced, and positive during one of the busiest months of the year.

We began with a light but meaningful activity — “Finish the Sentence About December.”

Participants shared honest thoughts on given sentences. This simple task opened the door for everyone to use our new target vocabulary such as overwhelmed, burnt out, unwind, take a breather, and boost my mood.

Then we moved to “What Would You Do?”, a set of real-life December scenarios.

Students discussed situations like overloaded schedules, social expectations, last-minute tasks, or supporting a friend who feels drained — and they practiced giving calm, practical advice using phrases like set boundaries, stay grounded, reset my mindset, and prioritize myself.

Our final activity — “No Stress December Plan” — brought out so much creativity. Everyone designed a mini action plan featuring: three stress triggers and solutions; mood-boosting ideas; a realistic social media rule.

It was inspiring to see how confidently everyone used the target vocabulary to build healthy, mindful December habits.

Thank you to all our participants for being open, supportive, and full of positive energy.

Let’s keep this mindset and make December not just busy — but meaningful and stress-free.

Do your best! Helping people

Last session for Kherson and Mariupol Youth was all about kindness, generosity, and using our gifts to make the world a little brighter — and our students did an amazing job! We explored the theme through fun and meaningful speaking activities: warm-up conversations about acts of kindness and moments when someone made our day. “This or That” debates where students chose between helping strangers vs. friends, giving time vs. giving money, and other thought-provoking options. Useful phrases practice to express empathy, offer help, and share opinions. Our youth showed so much heart, creativity, and openness. It was inspiring to hear their stories and see how willing they are to “give minds and give hearts” in their everyday lives.

Let’s keep spreading kindness — one word, one action, one English lesson at a time. 

Power Outages

During our last inspiring English-speaking session with our adult learners we discussed an essential topic “Power Outages” and it turned out to be a true lesson in flexibility and resilience. We started our class on Zoom, practicing vocabulary and real-life situations connected to electricity, power outages, and unstable connection — something everyone in Ukraine deals with almost daily. We discussed how to explain technical problems in English, learned new expressions, and shared personal experiences of recent blackouts.

But right in the middle of the lesson…the power went out. For many groups, that would be the end — but not for us.

Within a few minutes, we smoothly moved our discussion to Telegram and continued practicing in the chat. It became a perfect real-life exercise.

Despite the challenges around us, the atmosphere stayed warm, supportive, and full of humor. We proved once again that learning never stops — not even when the electricity does.

Thank you to everyone who stayed connected (in every possible way!), adapted quickly, and kept the conversation alive. Your motivation is truly inspiring.

The importance of keeping in touch

Do you think it’s essential to keep in touch with people you were connected ti? During our last English-speaking session for Kherson and Mariupol youth, we explored the topic of “Relationships and Communication.” The meeting was full of lively discussions, new vocabulary, and meaningful reflections on what helps us build strong connections with others.

We kicked off with a fun warm-up activity called “Hot Takes,” where participants shared their opinions on thought-provoking statements — for example, “It’s OK to have many possessions.” Everyone had to agree or disagree and explain their choice, which set the tone for spontaneous and confident speaking.

Next, we moved on to learning and practicing phrasal verbs related to communication — such as keep in touch, speak up, make up, and count on etc. Using interactive slides, we discussed real-life examples and shared personal stories:

What’s the best way to keep in touch with friends who live far away?

How do you usually make up after an argument?

What qualities do you look for in someone you can count on?

With engaging visuals and friendly atmosphere, participants practiced not only their English but also valuable communication skills — listening, expressing opinions, and supporting one another.

Great thanks to our friend, a VSPP, Alana Underwood for being a part of our group