This summer, dozens of Oklahomans looking for an easy, hands-on way to help Ukrainians in need are volunteering as conversation partners at ENGin. ENGin, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, pairs Ukrainian youth with English-speakers for free online conversation practice and cross-cultural connection.

The program complements humanitarian aid by giving Ukrainians skills to support themselves in the longer term.

ENGin’s free program, launched in March 2020, is the only one of its kind in Ukraine – open to anyone, anywhere, at any time, for as long as they need it. Since the war, demand for ENGin’s services has skyrocketed, as over half of Ukrainians have lost their jobs and millions have been forced to flee the country.

While many Ukrainians study English in school, few can actually speak the language. That’s because spoken fluency is almost impossible to achieve without real-world practice. But speaking skills are exactly what many Ukrainians need today – whether to find new jobs or to settle in foreign countries as refugees.

That’s where ENGin’s volunteers come in. They hail from all walks of life – from high school students to retirees. For the most part, they aren’t professional teachers, don’t speak any Ukrainian, and have no prior language tutoring experience. But just by chatting with their students for one hour a week, they’re making a huge impact in these young Ukrainians’ lives.

“ENGin allows any fluent English speaker to make a difference from the comfort of home,” said Rose Tatum, ENGin’s Volunteer Manager. “We provide all session materials, training, and ongoing support, so volunteers can thrive in our program without any special skills or prior experience.”

To date, ENGin has already connected over 7,000 volunteers with 8,000 students. But hundreds more young Ukrainians are applying to the program each week, so ENGin’s team is actively recruiting volunteers. While operating at such a large scale poses many operational challenges, founder & CEO Katerina Manoff believes that’s exactly the point.