ENGin

✨ Our ENGin treasury overflows with inspiring stories of offline meetings between volunteers and students. Each narrative is unique, yet reaffirms the transformative power of one-on-one connections within ENGin. ⠀ 👱♀️💻👩🦳 Meet Olha Ivashchuk and Cory Franklin. Their journey began in May 2023 and they met weekly for a year, forging a bond that transcended distance. In mid-May, they took their friendship offline, meeting in the vibrant city of Krakow, Poland. 🇵🇱 Olha traveled from Lviv 🇺🇦, while Cory flew in from Colorado, USA.🇺🇸 ⠀ 💬 "We will continue to meet at the same time (11am MT-US) for as long as she wants to via Zoom. Our relationship has grown, and we truly enjoy each other's company as new friends," shared Cory. 😊 ⠀ 📈🗣️ Through their weekly one-hour English conversations, Olha's English skills have soared, and her confidence has grown exponentially. ⠀ 💬 "Our match was random, and our work together has been so satisfying. Thank you for bringing us together," said Cory. ⠀ Join ENGin and be part of these extraordinary connections!🌟💞 ⠀ #ENGin #Volunteer #LanguageLearning #CulturalExchange

🌍✨ It's amazing to see ENGin participants all over the world! Here's another incredible ENGin story about a meaningful offline meeting and a strong connection that spans across miles. ✨🌍 ⠀ 📚 John Grieger, an ENGin volunteer, embarked on a month-long European adventure this spring. His journey began by teaching a short course in bankruptcy law at the University of Tartu in Estonia. 🇪🇪 ⠀ 🌍 After Estonia, John explored Lithuania, Poland, and the Netherlands before heading back home to Texas. 🏡🇺🇸 ⠀ 👩🎓 His student, Yana, lives in Krakow, Poland. Although they couldn't meet in person, Yana sent him a special gift as her ‘representative’ — a Motanka doll, which he cherishes deeply. 🎁💖 ⠀ 🍲 In the Netherlands, John had the pleasure of meeting another student, Maryna. He tried homemade borscht for the first time, and together they shared lots of laughs and stories. 🤗🥣 ⠀ John's journey and the connections he's made as an ENGin tutor highlight the incredible bonds that can form across distances. 🌟 ⠀ Join ENGin and be part of these amazing stories! 🌍✈️ ⠀ #ENGin #Volunteer #GlobalConnections #Teaching #Travel #CulturalExchange

🌟 We’re back with Part 2 of our 3-part “Meet an ENGin Member” series, introducing ENGin champions who are helping our program thrive! ✨ ⠀ 👩🦳 Sahajananda Saraswati is a retired yoga teacher who has lived all over the United States. Originally from Manhattan, she recently moved to The Berkshires, Massachusetts. Sahajananda has a long history of helping others in her profession and even spent ten years living at an Ashram. ⠀ 💻 She found out about ENGin after a long search for the right opportunity and decided to apply. Sahajananda said she was nervous at first, unsure if she would know how to help someone learn English. That anxiety quickly dissipated when she met her student Alina. ⠀ 💬 “We both love to talk with each other and share parts of our lives with pictures and stories… Often, we get so caught up in talking about our lives that the other projects we talk about go by the wayside.” ⠀ 🌟 The program has been incredibly rewarding for both student and teacher. ⠀ 💬 “I feel so honored to be involved in Alina’s life and share my life with her. I never thought something like talking with someone would be so rewarding. The idea that all I had to do was talk to someone, and not be trained in ESL was a major draw for me to take the initial step and get involved.” ⠀ 👩💻 Beyond her sessions with Alina, Sahajananda organized a Facebook fundraiser for ENGin and recently became an ENGin member in March. She says that having direct experience of how powerful ENGin is inspired her to donate. ⠀ 💬 “I support organizations that I believe in…I honestly don’t see why anyone would not jump at the chance to converse with someone who wants to improve their life by improving their English. I get so frustrated and often feel hopeless about what I can do to support the citizens of Ukraine in this awful war. I feel so blessed that I can do even this little bit.” ⠀ 🧘♀️ Outside of volunteering, Sahajananda still teaches some yoga and volunteers at the Berkshire Botanical Gardens and another local community garden. As her student’s mother is also passionate about gardening, they regularly swap photos of flowers and plants. “It’s a very sweet relationship with both of them.” ⠀ 🤩 Has Sahajananda’s story inspired you? 🌎 For more information on ways to support ENGin, including enrolling in our membership program, please visit 💻 https://lnkd.in/dTTzQZam. ⠀ 📬 You can also reach out to [email protected] with questions about membership benefits and how to enroll.

🤩 ENGin CEO Katerina became a Gratitude Network Fellow 2024 🎉

✨🗻 The warmest greetings from ENGin participants Yurii and Kris from the snowy Ukrainian mountains! ⠀ 👨💻 Yurii first discovered the ENGin program around 1.5 years ago during a work meeting, thanks to a colleague's recommendation. Intrigued by the idea of connecting with people from different countries beyond work-related conversations, he decided to join the program to enhance his English skills and engage in diverse life topics. ⠀ 🌐 ENGin paired Yurii with Kris, a volunteer who shares many common interests. Their sessions cover a wide range of lively and engaging conversation topics rather than sticking to traditional lessons. This dynamic has made their meetings something Yurii eagerly looks forward to. ⠀ 🏞 Yurii and Kris's bond grew even stronger when Kris visited Ukraine to volunteer in Lviv. Yurii took the opportunity to meet Kris in person, blending work with evening explorations around the city. ⠀ 💬 "It was more like 'let's finish our work and meet in the evening to walk around the city.' I can say that for me it was the greatest adventure since the war started." shared Yurii. ⠀ Their friendship took them to Yurii's hometown in Zakarpattia for a weekend filled with mountain adventures, delicious local cuisine, an SUV ride in the mountains, and an old-fashioned sauna experience. It was an unforgettable time, and they look forward to more such opportunities. ⠀ 💬 "We had a great time together and will do it again once the opportunity arises. A heartfelt thanks to the ENGin team for making such impactful connections possible!" said Yurii. ⠀ ✨ Do you want to make a difference in the lives of students like Yurii? Join our annual campaign and help us support more Ukrainian students.

🌐 In just four years, the ENGin program has swelled to a global community of 46,000!🎉 Together, we witness the power of weekly conversations take hold.💪 ⠀ 📊 While the educational impact is clear - 99% of students improve their English with ENGin - we also know the program enriches participants’ lives immensely. The same goes for our volunteers. ⠀ 📲 Join us as we hear from a panel of ENGin volunteers explaining why their work with ENGin is a reciprocal gift for them and their students. Volunteers will discuss how the ENGin program has shifted their perspective on life, friendship and global citizenship, and offer perspective on best practices related to volunteering. ⠀ 🔏 Registration link: https://lnkd.in/dtB-QPB6

Today, the ENGin team mourns another tragic day - another massive missile attack on Ukrainian cities and Ukrainian children. russia struck Ukraine's leading children's hospital, Okhmatdyt, in the middle of the day. Okhmatdyt is renowned for treating children with cancer and assisting thousands of patients from Ukraine and across Europe. Dozens of people fell victim to today’s shelling; the attack forced children with cancer to receive life-saving care on the streets and seek shelter in basements during subsequent alarms. ⠀ Several hours later, russia hit Isida, a private maternity clinic in another part of Kyiv, killing at least 7 people. ⠀ 🇺🇦 In these challenging times, Ukrainians are more united than ever, offering unwavering support to each other. They work together to clear the rubble of destroyed homes, donate blood, contribute funds to assist the victims, and more. We ask our friends in the US and around the world to hear and share our stories, to help us stand up to russian terrorists and stop this war. 🙏

🌟 Supporting Our Students 🌟 ⠀ As Ukraine faces ongoing power outages, ENGin volunteers play a vital role in ensuring our students continue their English learning journey. We’ve compiled essential tips to help you maintain progress despite the challenges. ⠀ Head over to the ENGin blog to read the full article and discover practical strategies that keep the learning going strong! 👉 https://lnkd.in/d_RHqFG8 ⠀ #ENGinVolunteers #SupportUkraine #EnglishLearning #Volunteer

🤩 We are incredibly fortunate to have more than 22,000 people find their calling as volunteers with ENGin! 🌟 🧑💻 Often, our volunteers play multiple roles beyond their one-on-one conversations with students. 🌟 This month, we’ll introduce you to three dedicated volunteers who are also ENGin monthly members, helping us drive sustainable revenue to our program.🌐 👩 Today, let’s meet Elizabeth MacInnis, who hails from Grand Rapids, Michigan and will be celebrating her one-year volunteer anniversary this August. 🎉 She works as an HR manager and has a passion for traveling, exploring new cultures, and learning new languages. After the war with Russia started, she felt compelled to volunteer her time to support Ukrainian citizens and refugees.🇺🇦 🫂 💻 Elizabeth shares a close bond with her three students. One is also an HR manager, which has been particularly interesting, as they have discussed the function of human resources for employees in Ukraine versus the U.S. She matched with her other two students through ENGinGov, ENGin’s subprogram for Ukrainian government employees. 💬 “I have learned a lot from them and have so much respect for what they do. With all of them, I now view them more as friends than students.” 🇺🇦👩💻 She is currently learning Ukrainian and hopes to meet her Ukrainian friends in-person at some point. 📃 Elizabeth has customized her lessons with each student, noting that it takes a few sessions to find the right “flow” with each learner. 💬 “They all have different needs and some want to contribute to the lesson plan in different ways. Flexibility and a focus on fun goes a long way.” 🗂 In addition to volunteering directly with Ukrainian students, Elizabeth has provided skills-based volunteering. Her HR expertise has helped strengthen the inner workings of the ENGin program as our team expands. She also enrolled in our membership program by pledging a monthly gift, noting, 💬 “I see how much it makes a difference. My students make every effort to grow and improve their lives, despite the constant electricity and internet outages, rocket strikes, and overall uncertainty in their day-to-day. I admire them greatly for their determination and resilience, and can’t wait to see what their futures hold. I feel like my contributions are small in comparison to what they do, but I’m happy to help in any way I can.” Finally, Elizabeth is a vocal advocate for our program and frequently encourages others to join. “Getting started was seamless and I continue to recommend it to anyone searching for flexible volunteer opportunities that have a real impact.” ✨ Has Elizabeth’s story inspired you?🤗 For more information on ways to support ENGin, including enrolling in our membership program, please visit 📲https://lnkd.in/dTTzQZam. 📧 You can also reach out to [email protected] with questions about membership benefits and how to enroll.

👨🦰 Meet Ethan Hill, a committed participant in the ENGin: Speak Ukrainian subprogram! Ethan set out on a mission to master Ukrainian due to his love for languages, and his intrigue with their unique characteristics. His curiosity, combined with his interactions with Ukrainian-speaking partners through ENGin, sparked his interest in learning Ukrainian. ⠀ 💬 "They are working hard to improve their English proficiency, so I thought it was only fair that I try to learn some Ukrainian," Ethan shares. ⠀ 👩🏫 Ethan's Ukrainian teacher, Kateryna Kekish, has been crucial in his learning journey. Described as patient, kind, and engaging, Kateryna creates a vibrant learning environment using a variety of teaching materials and platforms. She incorporates authentic materials like songs, and poems, into her lessons, making them dynamic and engaging. Additionally, Kateryna assigns homework and revisits previously learned concepts to ensure thorough understanding and retention. ⠀ 🌟 Ethan wholeheartedly recommends ENGin and his teacher to anyone interested in learning Ukrainian. The innovative teaching methods have made his learning experience truly exceptional. 🌍✨ ⠀ If you also want to study Ukrainian, check out https://lnkd.in/gcgwp6eg