Shape Ukraine’s future.
Brave Generation builds the next generation of Ukrainian leaders. Designed to cultivate a global community of changemakers, the organization offers pathways to international education and hands-on leadership experience dedicated to Ukraine’s recovery and its democratic future.
How did a project that started with volunteers unlock $26M+?
Discover the two-pillar model behind it, built on $3M+ in pro bono support and delivering $44 of impact for every $1
Told by our students. Supported by UCAP, Yale’s International Leadership Center, USIP, UN Women, the British Council, Razom for Ukraine and others.
Who is behind Brave Generation?
When Tetiana Kotelnykova founded Brave Generation, she already knew what war does to a young person’s future. She was 14 when Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014. She was 22 when the full-scale invasion began.
Scholarships changed the course of her life. She graduated from Columbia University and then from Yale, opportunities she says she never imagined for herself.
In 2022 she started a volunteer project to help Ukrainian youth access the same kind of transformative education. That project became Brave Generation, a nonprofit that now serves 400 young people a year.
“Now, for nearly half my life, I’ve been displaced. I’ve lost people. I’ve watched Russia take what it wanted, and I’ve watched the world redraw the lines afterward.”
Our Mission
Brave Generation empowers the next generation of Ukrainian leaders by providing pathways to international education, real-world leadership experience, and lasting relationships with young leaders around the world.
Our Vision
We aspire to graduate 1,000 young leaders by 2030–each ready, willing, and able to build Ukraine’s future as well as be an inspiration for others globally.
Hear From Our Community
Helping students
The company is making her best to provide students with the best studying and internship opportunities. As it is a non-profit organization, a lot of depends on funding, but managers are always willing ho help!
Experience with Brave Generation
I had the most precious experience with Brave Generation through EmpowerHer program, which focuses on helping young people with their academic pursuits. You won`t find anything better than what they give their participants: mentorship, information sessions with alumni/current students from top universities, mental health support, language exams preparation, and many more. Brave generation helped me tremendously with realizing that one should not be scared to dream beg, and I am so grateful for that.
Brave generation
My name is Yeva, I’m 22 years old, and I come from Nizhyn in the Chernihiv region. I’m taking part in the program this year and I truly enjoy it. It’s a wonderful community of motivated people. I’m currently attending an IELTS preparation course, working with a mentor, and getting ready to apply for a Master’s degree. I’m genuinely happy that I found out about this program.
This community is unlike anything I’ve experienced before.
Hello! I`m Olha. I am 21 years old, studying psychology, and currently researching PTSD interventions. My goal is to continue with a Master’s degree in clinical psychology.
Unparalleled support to get accepted to top-tier universities!
The Brave Generation Fellowship has indeed changed my life for the best! Not only did I receive support with my applications to different universities from exceptional people and a fully covered preparation course for IELTS, but I also made a lot of friends both among mentees and mentors, worked on interesting projects, and met really accomplished people.
Amazing experience
Amazing experience, good mentorship and suportive comunity!
EmpowerHer programme experience
My name is Anastasiia. I`m from a small mining town called Dniprorudne, located in southern Ukraine, which is currently occupied. I`m 21 years old and have just finished my bachelor`s degree in biomedical engineering at the best technical university in Ukraine. I`ve been involved in Brave Generation`s activities from May 2025 to September 2025.
Rated 4.3 / 5 based on 7 reviews. Showing our favorite reviews.
Our Leadership Development Programs
The Brave Generation Fellowship is our annual flagship eight-month program focused on education and leadership development. We prepare Ukrainian youth to become global leaders who will play a key role in Ukraine’s recovery by gaining international education, building strong transatlantic connections, and bringing back skills, ideas, and global networks.
In 2025, Brave Generation organized the EmpowerHER program with the support of UN Women. Recognizing the critical role women play in post-war recovery and peacebuilding, we provided access to international education and leadership development for displaced young women. The application process for the program is currently closed. You can find more videos and updates on Instagram.
Our Transformative Education Programs
This leadership program, in partnership with Yale’s International Leadership Center, is cohort-based and provides online training along with an in-person component at Yale University.
The ImpactUA program, in partnership with Razom for Ukraine, organizes summer internships with Ukrainian local NGOs. Participants include American students and Ukrainian students who left Ukraine after the full-scale invasion, working together in teams on internships focused on different aspects of Ukraine’s recovery.
Pillar 1 — International Education
Through a rigorous selection process, Brave Generation chooses 80–100 talented young Ukrainians from difficult backgrounds each year, all committed to Ukraine’s recovery. Each Fellow is paired with a handpicked mentor from a top American or European university. Together, they spend the year preparing applications to world-class universities while building social impact projects for Ukraine. Each Fellow receives:
A Global Mentor From a Top University
Every Fellow is matched with a mentor from a top global university. Selected. Trained. Aligned to their goals. Eight months of structured mentorship follows — authentic, unique, delivered entirely weekly through our digital platform that tracks progress and holds both mentor and Fellow accountable.
Practical Support That Changes Lives
Every Fellow receives whatever stands between them and education — academic advising, English prep, standardized test prep, fee coverage for standardized tests, travel assistance to universities, and more. What might seem small for us is life-changing for students.
Mental Health Support as the Foundation
Every Fellow has access to mental health support through individual and group therapy sessions, because mental health is the foundation of successful learning, focus, memorization, and leadership.
A Community That Lasts a Lifetime
Fellows meet weekly with 80+ peers who support each other’s growth, and join a network of 450+ peer mentors who stay connected long after the program ends. As one of our participants put it: “I know that I am part of the Brave Generation family. I’ll remain part of this community for a long time to come.”
Media Coverage
Expertise That Spans Continents, Rooted in Ukraine’s Urgent Needs
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