Together, we empower young Ukrainians to rebuild their country and lead change around the world

Ukrainian youth today face immense challenges.

Without targeted intervention, the world risks losing a generation of leaders, innovators, and changemakers.
Brave Generation rewrites this story.

1.4 M

face mental health issues

4.6 M

struggle with education

Our Mission

Brave Generation supports Ukrainian youth most affected by war, equipping them with transformative education and leadership development to unlock and maximize their potential as the next generation of Ukraine's leaders and changemakers.

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Our Approach, Thoughtfully Designed for Ukrainian Youth

At Brave Generation, we build leaders and changemakers through an approach grounded in two core pillars: transformative education and leadership development. These components shape every program we design.

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Transformative Education

Potential begins with learning. Through transformative education, young people gain the confidence, knowledge, and curiosity that awaken purpose.

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Leadership Development

Potential takes shape through action. Through real-world skill-building and authentic leadership opportunities, young people strengthen their voice and grow into confident, purpose-driven changemakers.

How We Strengthen the Core

For youth affected by war, mental health support and an inspiring social environment are essential enablers of learning and leadership. That’s why we integrate them into our programs where needed, to strengthen and sustain our core mission.

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Mental Health Support

For young people affected by the trauma of war, emotional stability is essential to learning and leading effectively. That’s why we integrate mental health support as a core enabling component across many of our programs—helping participants build resilience, regain clarity, and process trauma.

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Inspiring Social Environment

We also understand that trauma can create isolation and disconnection. To counter this, we foster an inspiring social environment—a sense of belonging and shared purpose—by building strong peer communities and networks of support, both nationally and internationally.

Our Vision

By 2030, Brave Generation will have supported a cohort of 1,000 young leaders equipped to guide Ukraine’s recovery through transformative education and leadership, shaping not only their nation’s future but also inspiring the world.

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Hear From Our Community

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Our Leadership Development Programs

Our Transformative Education Programs

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STRUGGLE · RESILIENCE · PURPOSE

The Story of Brave Generation Is the Story of My Life

— Tanya Kotelnykova, Founder

“I was 14 when the war in Donbas began and my hometown was occupied by Russian-backed forces, and 22 when the full-scale invasion started while I was a university student in Kyiv. Thanks to the scholarships I received along the way, I was able to graduate from Columbia University and Yale University, an opportunity I never could have imagined for myself. I built this organization for Ukrainian youth who are living through what I lived twice. I created it to give more young people access to transformative international education, as I once had, and to develop the leadership skills and connections needed for the future of our country. Seeing every day how the war devastates young people’s lives, especially their mental health and education, I believe that Ukraine’s recovery depends not only on rebuilding infrastructure, but on rebuilding the lives of its young people who will one day lead the country’s reconstruction.”

Read Our Story

From a volunteer effort, we have grown into an international nonprofit operating in Ukraine and the United States.

$18.5M+

in scholarships

$2.18M+

in pro-bono services

Media Coverage

Expertise That Spans Continents, Rooted in Ukraine’s Urgent Needs

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