Winners of the Parent Communities’ Initiative Contest were announced at the National Centre RUSSIA

On May 21, the fourth meeting of the All-Russian Parent Committee was held at the National Centre RUSSIA. During the event, the results of the second season of the Parent Communities’ Initiative Contest were announced, and the winning projects were selected. A total of 1,015 parent committees from 85 constituent entities of the Russian Federation will receive monetary awards to implement their initiatives. The contest is organised by the Russian society Znanie with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

Opening the meeting, Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Sergei Kravtsov noted that the Ministry and the country’s leading educational organisation are actively expanding their cooperation.

"We traditionally hold the All-Russian Parent Assembly before the start of the new academic year. At the event, we will present updates to the school curriculum and answer parents’ questions. This year, we aim to host it jointly with the All-Russian Parent Committee. The approach to school education is truly evolving. For example, in the new academic year, a pilot initiative in a number of regions will introduce behaviour grading in schools. We are currently considering several grading formats — pass/fail, a five-point or a three-point scale," said Sergei Kravtsov.

Director General of the Russian society Znanie Maxim Dreval spoke about key trends in the content of the submitted projects and introduced meeting participants to successful practices implemented by last year’s winners. Based on the completed projects, the educational organisation is currently developing methodological materials that will serve as models for other schools across the country. Maxim Dreval also expressed his gratitude to members of the All-Russian Parent Committee and regional parent committees, emphasising their vital role in project implementation: the support and mentorship provided by parents helped successfully complete 82% of the first season’s projects.

"The distinctive feature of this season is that in almost all projects, children are not only participants but also co-authors. I’m not saying this just for effect. We didn’t plan this on purpose. What we did plan was the cooperation between parents and teachers — that was the original concept. But it turned out that children also became part of this collaboration. It’s a pleasant observation, a welcome side benefit that we’ve received. Now we want to preserve this practice. And I believe that the key to successful project implementation lies in involving children in the planning process. This is a very meaningful development," said Maxim Dreval.

Chairman of the Movement of the First Artur Orlov emphasised the significance of the contest and the need to unite the efforts of all children’s and youth public organisations, schools and other educational institutions to develop educational projects across the country.

"As a result of the Parent Communities’ Initiative Contest, 1,015 winners have been selected today. This is a meaningful event for many parents and schools. The implementation of these projects is an opportunity to make a significant contribution to shaping an educational environment for the younger generation. Today, more than 50,000 primary branches of the Movement of the First have been established throughout the country. We cover practically all schools and secondary vocational institutions in Russia. The projects of the contest winners are an excellent opportunity to unite the efforts of parent committees and our primary branches within schools, and to involve Movement participants in the organisation and implementation of these projects. I am convinced that positive feedback from our children will be the best indicator of the effectiveness of each project," said Artur Orlov.

The All-Russian Parent Committee has approved the list of winners of the second Parent Communities’ Initiative Contest. A total of 1,015 projects from 85 regions of the Russian Federation were selected as winners. The Republic of Bashkortostan topped the leaderboard in terms of the number of winning projects — 74 initiatives from the region were awarded monetary prizes. Also in the top three were the Krasnodar region (64 winners) and Nizhny Novgorod region (37 winners). The category with the largest number of winning projects was "patriotic education" — 292 projects. The top three categories also included "spiritual and moral education" (214) and "physical education" (191).

Based on the results of the second season of the contest, 102 projects received a monetary award of up to 2 million roubles. A total of 371 projects were awarded up to 1 million roubles, while 542 projects received prizes ranging from 200 to 500 thousand roubles. The full list of winners is available on the website. The awarded funds will be distributed by 30 June, and the projects can begin implementation thereafter.

The IV meeting of the All-Russian Parent Committee was attended by First Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Alexander Bugayev, Deputy Director General of the ANO " Russia – Land of Opportunity " Oksana Achkasova, Head of the Centre for the Development of Inclusive Education of the Russian Academy of Education Svetlana Lazurenko, Rector of the State University of Education Natalia Naumova, Acting Director of the FSBSI "Institute for the Study of Childhood, Family and Education" Alexander Tsvetkov, and others. The All-Russian Parent Committee consists of 51 members, including teachers and school directors’ advisers for education, as well as winners of the "It’s in Our Family" contest organised by the ANO "Russia – Land of Opportunity."

As part of the continuation of the Parent Communities’ Initiative Contest, the Russian society Znanie invites teachers to take a free course entitled "Teacher and Parent: Effective Interaction" on the Znanie.Academy platform. Teachers will learn how to resolve conflicts with parents, involve them in school life, and build mutual understanding within the parent community. Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate.