What could English classes for prosthetics specialists and a few minutes of exercise during the workday possibly have in common? In the case of Hillel IT School and the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center, it is a shared commitment to turning knowledge into practical tools where they are truly needed.

Over two years, the partnership between the two teams has developed in two distinct directions. First, Hillel offered UNBROKEN specialists the opportunity to study English free of charge. Later, the teams drew on UNBROKEN’s expertise to create a free course with a physical therapist for people who spend much of their day sitting.

English as a Tool for Professional Development

The work of UNBROKEN specialists extends beyond their day-to-day practice at the center. Rehabilitation and prosthetics are constantly evolving, which makes access to the international professional community increasingly important – whether through training and internships, learning from colleagues abroad, or keeping up with new methods and technologies.

English remains an important part of that process. That is why, in 2024, Hillel IT School gave UNBROKEN specialists the opportunity to study English free of charge. This was not simply about additional education, but about developing a skill they could apply directly in their professional work – from working with international resources to communicating with colleagues abroad.

“We wanted to find a way for our school to be genuinely useful to UNBROKEN specialists, and the answer was quite simple: offer what we do best – the opportunity to learn. In this case, English is not an end in itself, but a tool that provides access to international experience, professional communication, and new practices,” says Vadym Drumov, CEO and Co-Founder of Hillel IT School.

“English proficiency enables our specialists to broaden their horizons, exchange experience with colleagues abroad, and improve the quality of care we provide to our patients. We are already seeing tangible results from the project: our specialists are communicating more confidently in English and applying what they have learned in their work,” says Vladyslav Sikhovskyi, Head of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Center at UNBROKEN.

The initiative did not end with the first group. Over the course of the partnership, more than 30 UNBROKEN specialists have had the opportunity to study English at Hillel IT School free of charge.

The Next Step – Bringing UNBROKEN’s Expertise to a Wider Audience

In 2026, the partnership took on a new format. This time, Hillel drew on its experience in developing educational products, while a UNBROKEN specialist provided the professional expertise.

The result was the free video course “(Un)Healthy Habits: Quick Exercises for Your Body,” created together with UNBROKEN physical therapist Andrii Novosad.

The course is designed for a broad audience – essentially anyone who spends long hours at a computer or much of the day sitting. This includes IT professionals, office workers, teachers, university and school students, as well as people in many other professions.

The format was deliberately kept short and practical. The course consists of seven videos featuring exercises for the neck, lower back, hands, and eyes, along with recommendations for setting up a workspace and a look at common myths. Most of the exercises take between two and five minutes and require no special equipment, making them easy to incorporate into a regular work or study day.

At the same time, the creators deliberately drew a clear line between educational content and medical care: the course is not intended to diagnose or treat medical conditions and should not replace consultation with a healthcare professional.

“Every day, we see patients whose problems started with seemingly minor things – an uncomfortable posture while working on a laptop or persistent tension in the neck. These videos are not a substitute for consulting a healthcare professional, but they can help people develop healthier habits and prevent potential problems before they become more serious,” says Andrii Novosad, a physical therapist at UNBROKEN.

The course is available free of charge on the Hillel Max platform, and you do not need to be a Hillel IT School student to access it.

More Than a One-Off Project

At first glance, English classes for rehabilitation specialists and a short course on physical well-being during the workday may seem like two completely different initiatives. But that difference itself illustrates the principle behind the partnership and how it continues to evolve.

“From the very beginning, we wanted this partnership to go beyond a single project. Hillel IT School brings educational expertise, while UNBROKEN does vital work helping people recover, backed by unique hands-on experience and knowledge that can be valuable far beyond the center itself. So we continue to explore new formats that allow us to bring these strengths together. That is how the course with a physical therapist came about. To me, this is exactly what makes partnerships like this valuable: identifying specific areas where the knowledge and capabilities of two teams can genuinely benefit people,” says Alina Pervushyna, Head of PR at Hillel IT School and initiator of the joint course.

Today, both initiatives continue: more than 30 UNBROKEN specialists have had the opportunity to study English at Hillel IT School free of charge, while the course “(Un)Healthy Habits: Quick Exercises for Your Body” remains free and open to everyone on the Hillel Max platform.