Activities and events

The team of the Heroes Academy held a three-day strategic planning session in Shatsk, marking an important milestone in shaping the organization’s future development. Over the course of three days, the team worked on building a shared vision, defining key priorities, and exploring new opportunities. Participants outlined the organization’s strategic goals, with a strong focus on expanding partnerships, improving the efficiency of internal processes, and creating new opportunities for the professional reintegration of Ukraine’s defenders. The strategic planning session combined intensive teamwork, in-depth discussions, idea generation, and collaborative decision-making. This approach not only resulted in a clear roadmap for the organization’s next steps but also further strengthened the team, united by a shared mission – helping veterans build a new professional future. Shatsk, particularly the recreational center of Lviv Polytechnic National University, provided an excellent setting for productive work and rethinking the organization’s future development. Stepping away from daily operational responsibilities allowed the team to focus on strategic thinking, generate fresh ideas, and identify new solutions for achieving its ambitious goals.

The Data Engineering group of the Academy for Heroes was visited by Bohdan Puniak, Head of Professional Services at the Estonian IT company Divectors Stepan V. . It was a valuable, meaningful, and inspiring meeting with a professional from a real IT environment. The participants actively engaged in the conversation, asked many interesting and in-depth questions, shared their own experiences, and discussed real challenges in the field of Data Engineering, market requirements, teamwork, and how knowledge gradually transforms into confident professional skills. It was especially valuable that everyone shared how they are already applying the knowledge they have gained in their professional activities – in data work, analytics, accounting, mechanical engineering, process automation, systems thinking, and the search for new solutions. Divectors itself funds the education of this group, providing our participants with the opportunity to acquire up-to-date knowledge, develop technical skills, and move confidently toward a professional future in IT. Such meetings demonstrate that studying at the Academy is not only about theory or a separate course. It is a journey in which knowledge gradually becomes a tool for real change, professional growth, and new opportunities. We sincerely thank Divectors for their support, trust, and contribution to the development of our participants. We also thank Bohdan and the partner IT company Divectors for the open conversation, attention to the group, and genuine interest. The participants are already looking forward to the next meeting.

The free summer camp Future Heroes Camp has officially launched at Sense Hub Lviv, the community space of Sense Bank located at 26 Rynok Square. The camp is organized by the Academy for Heroes for children of veterans, active-duty military personnel, and families of fallen Defenders of Ukraine. Over the course of five engaging days, participants aged 13–15 will have the opportunity not only to spend their time productively and enjoyably, but also to gain new knowledge and skills that will benefit them in the future. The camp program combines learning, personal development, and meaningful interaction in a friendly and supportive environment. Participants will explore the world of information technology and digital tools, create their own mini-projects, improve their English through interactive activities, take part in communication and teamwork training sessions, and attend workshops and meetings with experienced professionals from various fields. Future Heroes Camp is about more than just learning. It is about building new friendships, finding support and inspiration, and connecting with peers who may remain friends long after the camp ends. For many participants, it is a space where they can be themselves, unlock their potential, and look confidently toward the future. The camp will run through June 26 and will conclude with a certificate award ceremony for all participants.

A practical workshop for Academy for Heroes participants was held at Sense Hub Lviv, a community space provided by Sense Bank, featuring Olga Bilyk, HR Manager at EveryMatrix Ukraine. The workshop focused on CV writing and brought together students from three Academy educational programs: Python Backend Development, Data Engineering, and Python Fullstack Development. During the session, participants learned about current employer expectations for resumes, common mistakes made by job seekers, and effective ways to present their professional experience and skills. Special attention was given to interview preparation, communication with recruiters, and strategies for answering the most common interview questions. Such events are an extremely important part of the Academy for Heroes educational process, as the primary goal of the training programs is to help veterans successfully secure employment in leading IT companies. We sincerely thank Olga Bilyk and EveryMatrix for supporting the Academy for Heroes educational initiatives and for their valuable contribution to the professional development of our participants.

More than 70 applicants expressed interest in joining the program. Following a series of interviews, 15 participants who demonstrated the highest readiness for the educational process were selected. The training will take place over a period of three months in the very heart of the city at Sense Hub Lviv, located within Sense Bank. The course will be taught exclusively by industry practitioners – professionals from FRESHPR, including its Director, Orest Vachkov, and his team, who have been successfully operating in the Ukrainian marketing services market for more than 15 years. The opening session was attended by Oleksiy Druhov, Head of the NGO Academy for Heroes and Professor at the Department of Management of Organizations at Lviv Polytechnic National University, together with his deputy, Associate Professor Mariyana Gvozd. The program will focus primarily on practical case studies and training sessions specifically designed for this course. Financial support for the training has been provided by the Ukrainian Red Cross Society.

EveryMatrix is an international IT company operating in more than 10 countries worldwide. It is a sponsor of the social project “Academy for Heroes” created by employees of Lviv Polytechnic. The company was represented at the meeting by: Ebbe Groes (CEO & Co-founder), Jonas Groes (Co-Chief Executive Officer, Member of the Board), Kevin Furlong (Group Chief Product Officer), Pablo Jensen (Group Chief Technology Officer), Sam Lawrence (Director of Strategic Innovation), and Eugene Sedler (Country Director Ukraine). The Head of the Academy, Oleksiy Druhov, presented the participants with the project’s achievements and future prospects. EveryMatrix CEO Ebbe Groes personally spoke with veterans and proposed new directions for the development of the educational programs, including the possibility of providing scholarships for veterans undertaking internships at IT companies.

The public organization “Academy for Heroes” and the charitable organization “Star for Life Ukraine” Charitable Foundation have signed a memorandum of cooperation aimed at developing education and supporting veterans’ children. The document was signed by the Head of the NGO “Academy for Heroes,” Oleksii Druhov, and the Director of the “STAR FOR LIFE UKRAINE Charitable Foundation,” Denys Volovyk. The purpose of the memorandum is to establish a partnership focused on improving the quality and accessibility of education for veterans’ children, developing extracurricular and innovative education, and strengthening the institutional capacity of civil society organizations working in the field of child and youth support. Within the framework of the cooperation, the parties plan to implement educational programs, workshops, camps, training sessions, and consultations in the fields of IT, digital skills, and innovative education. Special attention will be given to the creation and development of modern educational spaces, as well as engaging veterans’ children, educators, and local communities in educational and social initiatives.

The free “AI Kids Academy” course for children of fallen Defenders, veterans, and active military personnel has concluded at the public organization “Academy for Heroes.” The training lasted for more than three months, and the program consisted of 15 training sessions designed according to the principle of “from simple to advanced.” During the course, participants learned: • how to work with ChatGPT and create effective prompts; • image generation; • creation of their own games, songs, and chatbots; • Soft Skills and team building; • ethical aspects of using technology. As part of the course, the children completed practical projects, including game development, chatbot creation, comics, avatar generation, and song creation. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates received certificates and gifts. The knowledge and skills they acquired enable them to independently use artificial intelligence tools for education, creativity, and solving practical tasks, while also providing a foundation for further development in the field of technology.

Veterans studying at the Academy for Heroes in the QA and Python tracks had a great opportunity to visit the office of SoftServe – one of Ukraine’s leading IT companies. During the visit, participants gained insight into how an IT company operates from the inside, learned more about modern IT processes, and explored the specifics of working in international teams. Company representatives shared their experience, spoke about current requirements for specialists, career opportunities, and prospects for growth in the IT industry. Visitors also had the opportunity to ask questions about internships, training, and first job opportunities. Special attention was given to practical cases and real projects that SoftServe teams are working on. This helped participants better understand what daily work in a large IT company looks like and which skills are most valued on today’s market. The visit was not only informative but also highly motivating for the veterans, who gained new knowledge, useful advice, and inspiration for their further professional development.

At the Heroes Academy, a logistics training program has started for veterans and representatives of vulnerable population groups who seek to gain new professional skills and master one of the most in-demand fields in today’s labor market. The course program combines theoretical knowledge with practical tasks, cost calculations, case studies, and real business examples. To ensure hands-on learning, the program includes business games and simulations such as the Logistics System Bottleneck, Lean Production, Business on the Move, and the well-known role-playing Beer Game, which helps participants understand the principles of supply chain management. The course is taught by Associate Professor Nataliia Chornopyska of the Department of Marketing and Logistics at the Institute of Economics and Management of Lviv Polytechnic National University. Today, logistics is the foundation of efficient business operations, and specialists in this field remain highly sought after. That is why this training opens up new opportunities for veterans in professional development, career growth, and building a stable future.

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++.