This is not the first time that the Klitschko Foundation has provided students with work experience. Dreamship was created for Ukrainians studying abroad to showcase career opportunities in Ukraine, join the charity culture and share the foundation's experience. Ukrainian students studying in Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Greece joined the project.

 

“Our idea was to create an online internship that is really effective. So that every intern can feel like an important and necessary part of the team through laptop screens. That there were not only real tasks from managers, but also an exchange of experience, useful materials, own cases. That it was a space of creativity and creativity, as well as their own ideas and opportunities to implement them, "- says project manager Sofiia Tarasiuk.

 

The interns worked in three areas - project management, communications and fundraising. So, some learned to develop, announce, and implement projects. Others - to create content for social networks, write materials for the media, cover the activities. The third is to look for donors and partners in Ukraine and abroad.

 

“The most interesting part was getting acquainted with the work of the foundation, because everything was new and, indeed, for the first time. The first search for resources, the first email distribution, the first designs in Figma, the first translations! And for me, everything I do for the first time is very, very fascinating, ”says Alina Kotlyarova, an intern in the communications department.

 

“This is a cool project for the first internship. I gained skills in the field of project management and joined the implementation of the fund's projects. In addition, we attend interesting lectures on career development, interviews, communication, and even emotional burnout. The most memorable lecture was about writing a resume. During the class, Anna Mazur commented on the resumes of all interns and gave useful advice, so I knew exactly what I needed to fix. Now I feel that I am ready to find a job, because I have the necessary experience and skills," says Ulyana Kuziv, an intern.

 

In fact, the project was not limited to working in the fund. There were weekly lectures from experts for the development of skills for employment, challenges for self-development in the format of Bingo, weekly selections of useful resources. Also, during all three months, the interns worked in teams to create the idea of ​​their own project, one of which will later be implemented together with the foundation.

 

“There were many valuable ideas, but it was necessary to choose the best one to develop it into a holistic plan and presentation for the foundation team. This experience taught me that you can always reach a consensus if you research the opinions of others, do not be afraid to ask questions, and be open to new ideas, "- says trainee Lyudmila Germanyuk.

 

To make the interns comfortable working together, the emphasis was on communication and the first weeks of the internship were devoted to dating and team building activities.

 

“I managed to improve my teamwork skills. I've never been a fan of teamwork because I've always been used to taking on too much. The foundation realized that working in a team is really easier and better. The most important thing is to build trust,” says trainee Victoria Zlochanska.

 

Regardless of the field of work, all interns agree that teamwork and time management were the biggest challenges of the project that were overcome.

 

A personal challenge and a favourite part of the internship for Victoria Samuseva was the opportunity to join the Klitschko Foundation project "Challenge Academy" as a mentor. The girl had no such experience before, and she was impressed by 6 days of communication with teenage participants. She is happy to have developed her "mentoring" and communication skills, and is grateful for the help and advice of more experienced colleagues in the project.

 

The interns tested all their skills in August through a three-week expert internship in the fund's partner organizations - Mystetskyi Arsenal, Pro Bono Club Ukraine and NFZ Fashion Pitch. After all, one internship is good, and two are more experience.

 

And what's next? After the Dreamship, some interns continued to work with partner organizations. For example, Ulyana Kuziv now represents NFZ Fashion Pitch in Lithuania. Others are studying and looking for new internship and work opportunities. And some interns will continue to work with the foundation to implement their own project, which we will talk about later!