Did you know that Lutsk is setting its sights on becoming a capital of creative industries? Or that the city even has a signature “Communicationista” cocktail dedicated to everyone working in the field? Or that there’s a growing local community called “Ambassador of Lutsk”?
The truth is, Lutsk is buzzing with projects — but faces a challenge: there aren’t enough communication specialists to tell these stories across Ukraine and beyond. According to a 2024 VisitUkraine.today study, communications and PR are among the sectors experiencing the most acute talent shortage. This slows down the development of both businesses and civic initiatives — because strong stories often go untold simply due to the lack of storytellers.
What is “ComA”?
“ComA” (Communications Academy) was created as a response to this need — a project designed not only to teach communications, but to build a community, promote the region, and develop a model that can be scaled to other cities. Before we dive into the details, we invite you to explore the full project results presentation.
The full program report is available at the link here.
“ComA” is a holistic approach that includes:
- Training course "Introduction to the World of PR"
Two scholarship-based cohorts for 30 beginners in communications — an intensive two-month hybrid program. Participants work on real communication strategies for NGOs and local organizations in Volyn. - Community building & thematic events
Open events for the broader public: lectures, panel discussions, conversations with practitioners, and informal sessions exploring the role, strategy, and tactics of modern communications. - Crisis communications course at Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University
An original course by Iryna Novosad, “Crisis communications for business, government, and nonprofits,” delivered to university students.
The goal is not only to train and connect emerging communications specialists — but to amplify Volyn’s voice. To do this, the Academy brought together support from multiple sectors: local businesses, institutional donors, civil society, and even the state university.
The team gathered partners and applied for a grant from IREX (USAID). Part of the program was funded through this support — and later, when the U.S. political transition happened and the funding landscape shifted, Lutsk businesses stepped in to help continue the course (huge thanks to them).
Ten months later, we’re ready to share the results, lessons, and the model we’ve built — so that other regions can replicate it and strengthen local communications ecosystems.
Participant journey at the ComA Communications Academy
What does the Academy experience look like for participants?
- Application & selection. Young people aged 18+ apply and go through a competitive selection process — with 8-9 applicants per spot.
- Learning phase. A hybrid learning model that combines an online course with 10 female industry experts and weekly offline sessions, workshops, and practice blocks with the program curator.
- Team-based practical work. Participants join small teams and work on real client cases. Each team collaborates with an NGO or another local organization, develops a communications solution, and presents it directly to the client.
- Final presentations. After two months, participants graduate by defending their strategies in front of the organizations they worked with.
- Transition into the market. Some graduates already work in regional businesses and NGOs; others are launching their own initiatives or continuing professional development within the communications field.
- Community building. During and after the course, participants join offline events, workshops, and sessions with experts from across Ukraine. They form a peer network for support and inspiration. Graduates stay connected through a Telegram community, join the peer circle, and continue growing through Academy-driven events.
Our lessons and insights
1. What is PR and communications?
Inside our professional bubble, we understood PR well. But when recruiting participants and engaging with employers, we noticed that many people still misunderstand the profession. It was often perceived as SMM or soft skills in negotiation.
To address this, we added an additional focus area: explaining who communications and PR professionals are — through media appearances, events for entrepreneurs, and meetings with local NGOs.
The short-term results are hard to measure, but during recruitment for the second cohort we saw a clear difference: significantly fewer irrelevant applications, and businesses proactively reaching out with job opportunities for graduates.
2. Partnerships over isolated initiatives
The Academy is built on collaboration across four sectors: civil society, business, university, and donors. This makes coordination more complex — more stakeholders mean more alignment, processes, and constraints. But it also increases impact, and we consider this approach essential.
Each sector contributed to the shared model:
- Donors and businesses — funded the program.
- NGOs and public institutions — provided real cases for students. They benefited from strategies, content plans, and research, while also investing in the next generation of specialists.
- Local businesses, NGOs, and institutions — offered job opportunities for graduates.
- Course speakers — experienced communication professionals from various fields who showed participants the different dimensions of the industry.
- The university — integrated the practical approach into formal education. After co-developing the anticrisis communications course, the university invited instructors Iryna Novosad and Liudmyla Yavorska to collaborate on additional modules, creating a model for updating academic programs through partnerships.
- Diia.Business Lutsk — provided space for weekly offline sessions and Academy events. Similar centers across Ukraine are open to such collaborations.
- Local venues — misto.cafe hosted graduation, while the Garmyder Theatre ran a public speaking course.
- NGO “Prybuzhzhia” (Volodymyr) — adopted parts of the model and hosted a separate workshop for the local community.
Together, these elements form a sustainable model — one that does not collapse when a grant ends or a partner changes.
3. Real client cases as the core of learning
Every participant worked on real communication challenges from businesses and organizations — developing content strategies, researching audiences, or building crisis communication plans. Teams presented their solutions to clients and received direct feedback.
This is where the real communication routine began: deadlines, unexpected situations, and problem-solving. For many students — whose previous education happened online during COVID-19 or the full-scale war — offline teamwork itself became a challenge.
One example: midway through a project, a client organization went on vacation. Students gathered information independently, maintained communication, and delivered the final strategy anyway. These situations made the learning experience as close to real-world PR as possible — imperfect, but incredibly formative.
4. Learning from practicing communication professionals
Over 10 communication leaders from media, NGOs, business, and tech shared their expertise. Topics included:
- Who are communications professionals? by Kateryna Bokhynska
- Communications Strategy by Rita Alieksieichenko
- PESO Model & Communication Channels by Yuliia Petryk
- Media Relations & Pitching by Snizhana Rakcheieva
- Storytelling & Press Release Writing by Liudmyla Yavorska
- Why PR and Marketing Should Be Friends by Yevheniia Kovalenko
- Content Planning & Idea Development by Yuliia Nikitiuk
- Metrics in PR and Communications by Oleksandra Lytvynenko
- Anti-crisis Communications by Iryna Novosad
- Job Search: What? Where? How? by Yuliia Kudina
Some participants noted that certain tasks felt complex for beginners. To address this, we created mixed-experience teams and strengthened the role of course curators, who guided each group from idea to final presentation.
5. A strong practical format
The program included more than 90 hours of online lectures, offline workshops, mentoring sessions, and team-based project work. Participants didn’t just learn — they immediately applied new knowledge, following the cycle: learn → do → analyze.
According to feedback, the offline component was the most valuable. In practice, online learning alone is no longer enough.
6. Community building beyond the course
The Academy didn’t end on graduation day. Participants and event attendees formed a Telegram-based community — ComA Community — where they share opportunities, job openings, requests, events, and collaborations.
Some partnerships emerged directly during the course: Coolnet, a local internet provider, offered free high-speed Wi-Fi for the “Frontera” festival. Another collaboration grew between a niche project expert and a content creator, who now produce professional educational content together.
Workshops and expert meetups continue after the course. Participants join a peer-to-peer group — a safe format for discussing work challenges, receiving feedback, and learning across sectors. This transforms the Academy into a platform for continuous professional development.
7. University integration
Another direction is the anticrisis communications course developed by expert Iryna Novosad, launching in 2026. Students will learn how to identify types of crises, develop crisis plans, analyze Ukrainian case studies, and build strategic response frameworks.
Thanks to cooperation between the University and the Academy, more young people gain modern communication skills — and the market receives specialists able to work in uncertain environments.
8. Feedback collection and continuous improvement
After the first cohort, we collected detailed feedback and improved several parts of the program. For example, the public speaking workshop was moved from the final week to Week 3. Participants noted that it helped them bond as a team and feel more confident before starting client work. We added an offline rehearsal before the final presentations.
In Cohort 1 it was held online; in Cohort 2 it became an offline practice session, which significantly improved preparation quality.
There were smaller updates too — but the key insight remained: listen to your users constantly. Interestingly, offline feedback collection proved most effective. Despite the widespread dislike of surveys, at the end of each session participants willingly filled out printed forms. Online surveys received far fewer responses.
Results in Numbers
Beyond the “invisible” outcomes we can already feel at the local level, we also measured specific indicators:
400+ applications
60 program graduates
90+ hours of online and offline learning per participant
30+ job opportunities from NGOs and businesses
8 NGOs received communication strategies
7 graduates hired; 7 organizations gained new communication specialists
NPS = 100% across two cohorts
For us, these numbers represent not only the accomplishment of all project goals — but exceeding them. And we are proud of that.
This is just the beginning and the first steps toward long-term impact. Next comes scaling the program and expanding its reach. We are open to partnerships and ready to share our experience so similar initiatives can grow in other regions. Because we believe that partnerships and collective action are the force that multiplies change.
