Program Calendar
July 27–August 15, 2026
Instructors
Liliana Tymchenko & Yana Lahoda
Academic workshops
Monday + Tuesday:
Session 1: 9:00–10:30 am
Session 2: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Session 3: 2:00–3:30 pm
Wednesday:
Session 1: 9:00–10:30 am
Session 2: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Thursday + Friday:
Session 1: 9:00–10:30 am
Session 2: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Session 3: 2:00–3:30 pm
The anthology, featuring authors such as Lesia Ukrainka, Serhiy Zhadan, Ilya Kaminsky, Franz Kafka, Hannah Arendt, Martin Luther King Jr., and Cathy Park Hong, will be studied by 24 students in two groups. Students should expect about two hours of homework each evening. In class, we’ll use collaborative, rigorous exercises (Loop Writing, Idea Maps, Text Explosion, Reading Journals, Annotations, and Summaries) to strengthen critical thinking.
Additional events and activities
Visit to the National Science and Natural History Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Visit to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine
Tour of Ukrainian universities
Quests and team games to build communication, cooperation, and leadership skills
Film screenings
Optional Writing Tutor Sessions: 1-on-1 academic support, 4-5:30pm, by sign up
Rostrum series speakers: guest talks by local and international scholars, writers, and public thinkers
“Half-way” community dinner
Parents, students, KSE staff, and Bard College leadership are invited to join us for a mid-program community dinner. This is an opportunity for families to meet each other and connect with the students their children have been working alongside.
Celebratory reading and concluding community dinner
At the end of the three-week Language & Thinking Kyiv Program, students will share their growth and achievements through a celebratory reading, presenting their best writing, reflections, and discoveries. Afterward, all participants, including students, parents, instructors, program directors, KSE staff, Bard College representatives, and visiting mentors, will gather for a final community dinner.

