How supporting youth projects helps communities grow: The case of the VolunTEENS program
In times of war and change, young people are uniting their communities through volunteering. They’re showing that they, too, want to be part of rebuilding and shaping Ukraine’s future. The educational program VolunTEENS helps high school students turn their ideas into action and make life in their communities better. We conducted a study on the program’s impact to understand how volunteering affects both students and the communities they serve. We spoke with participants, volunteers, and partners — and collected numbers, stories, and feedback along the way.
The goal of the program: make volunteering a positive first experience
Last year, Ukrainian Volunteer Service, together with UNICEF Ukraine, launched VolunTEENS — a comprehensive educational program for young people. As part of the program, school teams joined volunteer hackathons in Lviv and, with the support of trainers and mentors, learned how to design and implement their own volunteer projects — from the first idea to real-world action.
Nataliia Kalantaienko
Head of partnerships at Ukrainian Volunteer Service
“Young people are often talked about — loudly and constantly — as the future. But the truth is, they’re not waiting around for a better future. They’re creating it in their communities right now. Through volunteering, they’re driving change where they live: helping people, bringing their peers together, creating meaning and sharing it with others.
That’s why educational programs that include mini-grants — especially for school students — are so important. For many of them, volunteering is their first experience of responsibility. Not because someone told them to do it, but because they want to be helpful, to fix something that’s not working. It’s a way to learn how to act, to think, to look for solutions. At the same time, it’s a path to personal growth — both in hard and soft skills.”
Understanding community needs
VolunTEENS empowered students not just to volunteer, but to create real change in their communities. While developing their projects, participants learned to notice social challenges around them and respond to the needs of local residents. The program didn’t limit them in terms of themes — in some towns, teens felt the need for a shared space to spend time together, while in others, they wanted to support the elderly.
In the first round of funding in 2024, VolunTEENS supported 14 projects across various cities and communities. More than 1,380 volunteers and participants joined in to bring these ideas to life.
Here are the main directions students chose for their projects:
- Environmental initiatives — cleaning up public spaces, planting greenery, and running awareness events about environmental protection.
- Social support — hosting cultural events and workshops in geriatric care homes and institutions for people with disabilities.
- Educational projects — organizing sessions on career guidance and first aid skills.
- Youth spaces & leisure — setting up hangout spots for teens and hubs for volunteer or civic engagement.
- Cultural and artistic activities — literary evenings, concerts, cozy house shows, and theatrical performances to strengthen community ties.
Volunteering that shapes young leaders
91% of participants said they became more confident in themselves.
The program gave them space to take initiative, step into responsibility, and lead their teams. This clearly shows that with the right support, young people are fully capable of launching and running impactful, socially useful projects.
Thanks to this experience, school students gained their first hands-on taste of civic engagement. They became more united, proactive, and aware of the issues their communities face.
Teamwork that drives results
Young people learned how to collaborate effectively, solve problems together, and build meaningful partnerships — skills that will serve as a strong foundation for their future initiatives. One of the core messages of the program was that while you can volunteer alone, teamwork allows you to achieve much more.
During focus groups, participants shared that while their teams started out as spaces to brainstorm ideas, they eventually became the very engine that powered success and problem-solving.
Naturally, there were also disagreements — but mentors helped guide the teams through them. In the end, many students said those challenges only strengthened their collaboration and helped them grow.
A lasting impact
82% of teens plan to continue volunteering in the future.
15-year-old Arina from the village of Blyznyuky
“I can see that students and teachers in our community have become more active. They’re more engaged in different projects now. And our school’s environmental events turned into a platform for leadership development and new friendships.”
Many VolunTEENS participants have already started mentoring others, joining local youth councils, or launching new volunteer projects of their own. It’s proof that the program doesn’t just work in the short term — it plants seeds for long-term change.
Why it matters right now
Andrii Vasheka
Adolescent Development Officer at UNICEF Ukraine
“Volunteering isn’t just about helping others or building social cohesion. For young people, it’s also a pathway to developing soft skills, socializing, and figuring out whom they want to be professionally.
By joining volunteer initiatives, teens don’t just make an impact in their communities — they also gain competencies that help them grow into independent and successful adults.
That’s why youth volunteering is one of UNICEF’s key priorities. Our experience with the VolunTEENS program, run in partnership with the Ukrainian Volunteer Service, proves that with proper training and support, young people can implement truly meaningful and complex projects. We believe this experience should be scaled — so that every young person in Ukraine has the opportunity to unlock their full potential.”
Nataliia Kalantaienko
Head of partnerships at Ukrainian Volunteer Service
“Unfortunately, there still aren’t many programs in Ukraine that support youth volunteering at the local level. It’s often underestimated — seen as just a way to fill spare time.
But we’ve been seeing (and backing it up with research) that if you give young people trust, resources, and just a bit of guidance, they’ll go far beyond expectations. And that’s no exaggeration — it’s a real strength of our country.”
Learn more about the impact of the VolunTEENS grant competition in the research.