The final of the "Learning Through Service. The First" Championship was held at the National Centre RUSSIA

The final of the "Learning Through Service. The First" Championship took place at the National Centre RUSSIA during the International Forum for Civil Participation #WEARETOGETHER. 20 school teams from various regions of the country competed for the title of the best. The participants presented projects addressing pressing social issues, including environmental protection, support for the elderly, animal welfare volunteering, tourism potential development, promotion of cultural heritage of regions, and road safety for minors.

For project preparation, each team chose a social partner, such as a non-profit organization, public movement, volunteer association, or educational institution. The social partner formulated the request based on its own experience, and the students developed a project to address it.

In the final, each team delivered a brief presentation of their project. In just five minutes, the participants shared what inspired them to address the issue, what solutions they found, what they accomplished, and the results they achieved. Many teams also shared their plans for the development, promotion, and scaling of their projects in the future. 

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

The first team to present was from Biysk (Altai region). The students, with their project "Helping Paw," addressed the significant issue of stray animals on the city's streets. Together with the non-profit organization "Fed Kitty," they collected food and medical supplies, helped rehome animals, and conducted awareness campaigns among residents. Their approach stood out due to its comprehensive nature. Previously, the city had only carried out isolated actions for the protection of stray animals. Experts evaluated the project but noted that it was important to make it more financially sustainable and independent.

Several projects focused on assisting senior citizens in mastering modern technologies. Participants from Altai region helped members of the "Silver Volunteers" movement navigate social media to more actively share information about volunteer activities and attract new volunteers. A team from the Vologda region taught digital literacy to pensioners, with an emphasis on cybersecurity. The jury highly appreciated the team's approach, as they managed to create a user-friendly educational chatbot and developed a program to scale their project to other regions. 

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

One of the most touching projects was presented by a team from Kaluga region. Students from Obninsk College of Information and Law decided to create an inclusive youth club to aid in the socialization of adolescents with intellectual disabilities. The project's goals include: creating a safe and comfortable space for communication and interaction between adolescents with intellectual disabilities and neurotypical adolescents; organizing joint educational events; developing communication skills and team-working experience; and fostering a positive attitude toward people with disabilities, overcoming stereotypes and prejudices. 

At the end of the final presentations, experts will select three winners — teams that presented the most successful, relevant, and socially significant projects. The award ceremony will take place on December 7 at the venue of the International Forum for Civil Participation #WEARETOGETHER.

The event is held within the framework of the federal program "Learning Through Service," which has been implemented by order of Russian President Vladimir Putin since 2023. "Learning Through Service" is an educational approach that combines academic studies with the development of skills for socially useful work. It integrates learning and social practice, allowing students to gain knowledge by working with social demands from non-profit organizations, government bodies, and local communities. This approach provides practical experience and benefits society. "Learning Through Service" is a type of project-based learning in education. 

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

Since 2023, the federal program "Learning Through Service" has been implemented in higher education institutions and organizations for secondary vocational education. Its expansion into general education organizations has taken place within the framework of the "Learning Through Service. The First" program, which is implemented by the Movement of the First and the Association of Volunteer Centres (Dobro.rf) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

Over 120 schools from 10 regions of the Russian Federation (Rostov region, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area — Yugra, Amur region, Nizhny Novgorod region, Luhansk People's Republic, Altai region, Vologda and Tambov regions, Kaluga region, Republic of Mordovia) are part of the pilot organizations of the "Learning Through Service. The First" program.

The National Centre RUSSIA was established by order of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, to preserve the legacy of the International RUSSIA EXPO and to showcase the achievements of the country and its citizens on a permanent basis. Federal government agencies, state companies, corporations, and regions take part in the Centre’s work.

The National Centre RUSSIA is located at 14 Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment, Moscow. The Centre is open from 10:00 to 20:00 every day except Monday.