The Kateryna Biloruska Foundation’s FEM Camp shows how a generation of young women is developing skills that traditional education rarely teaches: public speaking, entrepreneurship, developing projects with social impact, and the confidence to present an idea on stage.

For one week this summer, a hotel conference room on the Cypriot coast resembled less a classroom and more an incubator for startups. The teenage girls presented original business ideas to a panel of judges. They practiced giving short presentations with a public speaking coach. They discussed ecology and technology with an entrepreneur who built his career from the ground up. Between sessions, they did yoga on the beach and swam in the Mediterranean.

For many of the participants, this week was less of a vacation and more of an intensive course in a type of education that traditional classrooms couldn’t offer.

“It’s more than just a camp program—it’s a little home,” said participant Maria Sevchuk, one of the dozens of young women who took part in the latest FEM Camp, organized by the Kateryna Biloruska Foundation (KBF).

This sentiment was echoed in nearly all the testimonials collected from the participants after the program ended.

“FEM Camp gave me the strength to grow, build relationships, and lead with confidence,” said Arina. Katerina simply described it as “the best camp program I’ve ever participated in,” adding that she left “surrounded by inspiring and wonderful girls” and “valuable knowledge and ideas that will stay with me for a long time.”

A response to the educational gap that has widened due to the crisis

FEM Camp is the culmination of a much broader program: “Future Empowered Minds” (FEM), an online leadership curriculum launched by KBF in 2024 for teenage girls, many of whom are facing the impacts that displacement and economic instability have on a young person’s education.

The rationale behind FEM is simple. Girls who were forced to grow up faster than they had planned are still entitled to access to mentorship, tech skills, and leadership training—things that most schools, especially in times of crisis, simply cannot provide.

The scale of demand suggests that the foundation has identified a real need. Since its launch in 2024, FEM has attracted nearly 2,000 applications for its two online cohorts, while the community surrounding the program has grown to more than 900 active participants from 12 countries.

Of those who applied:

• 165 girls completed the full online program
• with the support of a network of 8 mentors,
• more than 45 speakers (online and in person)
• and 3 program ambassadors.

The participants took part in more than 20 online workshops and launched 12 of their own independent projects. Offline, KBF has organized two leadership camps and five seminars in Cyprus to date.

Learning to Present Their Ideas and Take the Lead

At this year’s camp, the highlight was a real-world challenge developed in collaboration with the London-based firm SteelRose Legal, in which the teams worked on a real-world problem for several days before presenting their solutions to the judges. For some of the girls, this was their first experience speaking in public under pressure.

“Public speaking, because I’m struggling with my fear of public speaking, but after the session I feel more confident,” said Xenia, describing one of the workshops.

The panel of speakers, which included entrepreneurs, a tech company founder, a psychologist specializing in emotional intelligence, and public speaking coaches, drew constant praise for going beyond mere theory.

“It was interesting to learn about someone’s journey,” said Veronica Velutsenko, while Ariana described as “inspiring” the story of a speaker who built his career “from the position of an employee” all the way to international success.

For Arina, the impact of the camp program extended far beyond a single week. “FEM needs more exposure so that more people can learn about it,” she said afterward. “It’s such a valuable opportunity.”

Beyond the Classroom: Motivators That Keep Girls Engaged

Part of what keeps participants motivated throughout the three-month online program, according to the organizers, is a series of rewards for the most active girls. In addition to a spot at the in-person FEM Camp in Cyprus, the top participants are eligible for a fully funded trip to London, with airfare and accommodations covered through a partnership with SteelRose Legal, as well as FEM branded products, English language courses, GallupTest certificates, and a beauty set from Beautyline.

A Model for a Different Kind of Education

Educators and researchers in the field of youth development are increasingly arguing that traditional curricula are not adequately equipped to serve young people experiencing conflictor displacement. They argue that non-formal programs that combine mentoring, technology, and real-world problem-solving can help fill part of this gap.

The growth of FEM—from a single team in 2024 to a multinational network with nearly 1,000 active participants— suggests that this model resonates with girls as well as with the mentors, companies, and universities that support it.

The girls who participated in this year’s camp described the experience in strikingly similar terms: unexpected self-confidence, a sense of belonging, and a network of peers they intend to maintain.

The next cycle of the FEM online program begins in October. Applications are now open at https://biloruska.foundation/fem-future-empowered-minds/

— Report based on feedback from participants collected by the Kateryna Biloruska Foundation following the conclusion of the FEM 2026 camp in Cyprus.