Kids WorldWide Club

Kids Worldwide Club was founded by New York teens in 2022, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, who travelled to Hungary to support refugee families. Inspired by the kids’ resilience and eagerness to learn, we began teaching English and raised funds for laptops and textbooks.

Since then, Kids Worldwide has become a year-round program with two connected parts: an in-person English immersion camp in Budapest each summer and weekly Zoom sessions that pair Ukrainian students with U.S. high-school volunteers for one-on-one practice. Many students work with their mentors online throughout the school year, then meet in Budapest to deepen skills and relationships, which makes the learning stick and the community feel real.

In four years, more than 80 Ukrainian students have taken part, gaining consistent practice, stronger vocabulary, and the confidence to use English in real conversations.

This summer program is co-led by Sonya Elkus. Now in its fifth year, our immersive English camp focuses on bringing language to life—transforming textbook lessons into real conversations and helping students use English confidently in everyday situations. That immersive approach is at the heart of the program. It is especially rewarding to see children arrive hesitant and, over the course of the week, grow into confident, engaged participants who form genuine connections with their peers and instructors.