Activities and events

NGO “Academy for Heroes” is opening enrollment for an SMM course to help participants gain skills that allow them to work from anywhere in the world, create engaging content, promote brands, and build a career in the digital space. Social media today is not just about being good at Instagram or Facebook. It is one of the most in-demand fields, where people who can think, communicate, and create are needed. And that is exactly what we will be teaching.

Within the walls of Lviv Polytechnic National University, the Academy for Heroes officially launched two new educational programs for veterans – Automated Software Testing (QA) and Military Tech C++.

Participants of the Data Engineering and Python Fullstack programs had the opportunity to visit the international IT company EveryMatrix and get a closer look at how it operates from the inside. During the tour, veterans learned what EveryMatrix does, what products the company creates, and how the main processes of a modern IT company are organized. Company representatives spoke about team structures, cooperation between departments, and the full software development cycle – from idea to finished product. Such visits help participants better understand the requirements of the IT market, see opportunities for professional growth, and gain additional motivation for learning.

At the Academy for Heroes, together with partners, a special psychosocial support session titled “Spring Workshop of Dreams: The Path of Strength” was held. Children of veterans, active servicemen and servicewomen, and fallen Defenders of Ukraine took part in the event. The session became a safe and warm space where every child could feel support, care, and understanding. The core of the activity was art therapy – a gentle yet effective way of working with emotions. Through creativity, participants learned to process their experiences, find inner resources, and gradually restore their belief in their own future. Under the guidance of experienced specialists, the children had the opportunity to express their feelings through drawing and to create their own symbol of strength – a personal image reflecting inner resilience and hope. Surrounded by peers, this process felt natural and sincere, free from pressure and fear of being misunderstood.

Representatives of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Lviv visited the Academy for Heroes, including the Head of the Political and Economic Department, Consul Krzysztof Łukjanowicz, and Public Diplomacy and Media Officer Yuliia Demchenko. During the visit, the guests familiarized themselves with the activities of the Academy for Heroes, its educational initiatives, and social projects aimed at supporting veterans. Special attention was given to programs that help veterans acquire new professions, particularly in the field of IT. The representatives of the consulate expressed interest in the prospects of scaling the Academy’s activities, including the establishment of new branches in other cities across Ukraine. Opportunities for international cooperation were also discussed, including the involvement of IT companies in Poland in supporting veterans through educational and career initiatives.

On March 21–22, a spring camp took place for veterans enrolled in the NGO “Academy for Heroes” programs Python Backend Development and System Administration and Technical Support at the cozy educational and wellness camp “Polytechnic-2.” Two intensive days were filled with energy, discoveries, and genuine team synergy! Camp participants actively engaged in the trainings Time Management and Design Thinking, Creativity, and Problem Solving, which could be felt in every moment of their work. There were no indifferent glances, no passive presence – only genuine interest, thoughtful questions, and sincere involvement in the process. The camp was greatly supported by instructors Maryana Yaroslavivna Hvozd and Volodymyr Pankiv, who not only shared their experience but also created a space for open dialogue, support, and development for each participant. The camp atmosphere was truly warm and friendly, inspiring openness, experimentation, and the courage to make mistakes. It is in such an environment that the boldest ideas and strongest connections are born.

Yesterday, representatives of the NGO “Academy for Heroes,” Oleksii Druhov and Mariia Kondyrevych, had the honor of attending the DOU Award ceremony — an event that each year brings together the strongest, brightest, and most valuable initiatives of the Ukrainian IT community. It was an atmosphere of ideas, people who create change, and projects behind which stand great effort, faith, and daily dedication to their work. For us, it was a special moment, because in our category, “Best Socially Oriented IT Initiative,” there were 45 nominees, and making it into the top 10 shortlist is already a significant achievement that we are sincerely proud of. Yes, this time we did not win, but we received something no less valuable — confirmation that what we do is noticed, appreciated, and considered worthy of being among the best. We sincerely thank everyone who stood by us, supported us, voted, believed, and inspired us. Being among the best is already an honor — the most important thing is not to stop.

At the Academy for Heroes, the official opening of the new training course “Micro-Entrepreneurship” took place, aimed at supporting veterans in starting and developing their own businesses. Along with the event, the training of program participants officially began.

At the National University «Lviv Polytechnic», a ceremonial opening of 2 new educational programs for veterans took place — Data Engineering and Python Fullstack Development, as well as courses for children focused on studying artificial intelligence.

At the Academy for Heroes, a ceremonial certificate award event took place for graduates of the Full Stack Web Development course. Participants successfully completed an intensive training program that combined theory with hands-on work on real projects. Throughout the course, students mastered key areas of modern web development: frontend and backend, working with databases, building full-featured web applications, as well as teamwork skills. The curriculum was designed with a focus on practical cases and real tasks from the IT industry.

The Academy for Heroes is proud to announce the completion of 3-month courses in the study of artificial intelligence for the children of Veterans and Defenders! These were incredibly intensive and productive classes. During this time, young innovators not only became acquainted with technologies but also mastered practical skills that open the door to the world of the future. Our graduates can now:Create unique songs using AI composers. Generate realistic avatars and digital twins. Record their own podcasts using tools for automatic voice-over and editing. Create amazing digital images and illustrations using neural networks. Use a variety of AI services to solve creative and educational tasks.

The Academy for Heroes’ new office welcomed a special guest -Ebbe Groes, co-founder and CEO of the IT company EveryMatrix. He has supported the Academy since its inception, so this visit was an important event for the entire team. During the meeting, the Academy’s 2025 results and plans for 2026 were discussed. Ebbe expressed his full support for the Academy’s activities and assured the team of continued backing, which will continue as long as the project’s mission remains relevant – training military veterans and helping them secure employment in the IT sector. The Academy for Heroes expresses its gratitude to Ebbe and EveryMatrix for their trust, ongoing support, and sincere interest in the project’s development.