NEW YORK – Since 2010, the Ukrainian American Youth Association (UAYA) has sent young adults to Ukraine to participate in an exchange program. The exchange occurs with UAYA’s sister organization, the Ukrainian Youth Association of Ukraine (UYA). The mission of this program is to facilitate the exchange of ideas, best practices and life experiences between the counselors and junior counselors of the two countries.
In previous years, UAYA members went to Ukraine to work at children’s camp for UYA members, but the focus of the exchange program has changed for the U.S. participants since 2017. For the last three years, starting a year after the Euro-Maidan, the U.S. participants have volunteered at a Charitable Camp (Blahodiynyi Tabir) for orphans of the warriors of ATO and the refugee children of the war in eastern Ukraine.