International Forum "New Philosophy of Upbringing" concluded at the National Centre RUSSIA

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The International Forum "New Philosophy of Upbringing" concluded at the National Centre RUSSIA. It brought together more than 1,600 advisers to school principals for upbringing, regional and municipal coordinators of the project "Navigators of Childhood", active schoolchildren, representatives of parent communities, mentors, and veterans of the special military operation engaged in educational and patriotic initiatives, from 89 regions of the Russian Federation and the city of Baikonur. The participants included delegations from the Republic of Abkhazia, the Republic of South Ossetia, and the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. The forum was organised by the Russian Children and Youth Centre with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

"The International Forum 'New Philosophy of Upbringing' has concluded successfully. Over these days, each participant experienced an atmosphere of unity, joy of communication, and professional growth. More than 1,600 voices and hearts of advisers to school principals for upbringing, members of regional Navigators of Childhood teams, teachers, parents and young leaders merged into a single powerful energy — a driving force that inspires us to move forward! I have no doubt that the forum left participants with the brightest, most enthusiastic and slightly wistful feelings. We looked back, reinforced important conclusions, and are now ready to continue on our path — a path of creation, confident development and service to the future of our country," said Alexander Kudryashov, Director of the Russian Children and Youth Centre.

The closing ceremony of the International Forum was attended by Deputy Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, Anastasia Zvyagina. She presented awards to the winners of the All-Russian initiative "Thank You, Mum", dedicated to Mother’s Day. The event was organised by the Russian Children and Youth Centre together with the National Centre RUSSIA.

"The theme of upbringing is closely connected with today’s celebration — Mother’s Day. Upbringing and the philosophy of human development are impossible to imagine without a mother. A mother is the first and main educator. She remains so throughout a person’s life. Today we congratulate all mothers — those who are already raising children and those who are yet to do so. I am sure many have already said warm words to their mothers, and if someone has not yet had time — be sure to do it. Next year, together with the Russian Children and Youth Centre, we agreed to expand the contest and introduce new categories," said Deputy Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, Anastasia Zvyagina.

In addition, on Mother’s Day, Director of the Russian Children and Youth Centre Alexander Kudryashov and Deputy Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA Anastasia Zvyagina met with mothers of large families, participants of the project "Navigators of Childhood" and active parents. The meeting focused on the importance of preserving traditional family values and supporting motherhood.

During the three days of the event, educators and mentors at the National Centre RUSSIA took part in strategic sessions, thematic meetings, and panel discussions. This year, the forum received international status for the first time. Its active participants included representatives of the educational community of the Republic of Abkhazia, the Republic of South Ossetia, and the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. The forum became a key platform for discussing the present and future of upbringing, creating a unified value-driven space for specialists from across Russia and abroad.

"Taking part in the International Forum 'New Philosophy of Upbringing' made a very strong impression on me. First of all, I was inspired by the atmosphere of professional dialogue: openness, willingness to share experience, and the desire to find new solutions. It was clear that participants were united by a common goal — to rethink upbringing practices in modern conditions and to identify approaches that meet the needs of children, families and society. I was particularly interested in new approaches to upbringing, especially those related to developing critical thinking and emotional intelligence in students. At my own school, I plan to introduce project-based learning practices and the use of modern digital technologies to support students’ motivation and engagement. I am very grateful to the organisers of the International Forum for such a positive experience — it was unforgettable!" said Karina Khodova, winner of the "Navigators of Childhood contest of the Republic of South Ossetia" and participant of the forum.

The award ceremony for the laureates of the IV All-Russian Children’s Award "New Philosophy of Upbringing" became the central and most emotional part of the forum. Sixty finalists, selected from thousands of participants across the country, competed in four main categories. The awards were presented by Chief of the Presidential Directorate for Social Projects Sergei Novikov, Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Sergei Kravtsov, and other distinguished guests.

As part of the official ceremony, prizes were also awarded to the best in six special categories for heads of educational organisations, representatives of parent communities, heads of primary branches of the Movement of the First, teachers of supplementary and extracurricular education, primary school teachers and veterans of the special military operation engaged in educational activities.

"Today teachers have become real Navigators of Childhood and lead children forward, creating such events and such an environment around them that children want to create and grow in Russia. I believe today’s generation thinks far less about moving away or choosing another country, because everything they need exists here, and the state supports all initiatives, including through grants," said Andrei Kovalev, veteran of the Donetsk People’s Republic militia, veteran of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, recipient of the Medal 'For Courage' and winner in the special category "Our Hero".

A representative of the Children’s Expert Council from the Belgorod region, Olesya Lomakina, spoke about one of the main categories — the audience award "Navigator of My Heart", which is decided by the Council: "I believe the category 'Navigator of My Heart' is the most sincere one, because we evaluated advisers to school principals for upbringing personally, directly during the contest challenges. We observed how the teachers made decisions and how they responded to difficult situations. It was real, live work, through which we were able to assess the efforts of our mentors."

The National Centre RUSSIA also hosted an intensive educational programme on 29 and 30 November. The discussions and lectures addressed the most relevant issues of the upbringing system: from international cooperation and the development of mentoring to the role of parent communities, the integration of partner practices and the protection of students’ health. Speakers included leading public figures, opinion leaders and experts in education, science, culture, and healthcare.

Forum participants attended lectures by pilot-cosmonaut, Hero of Russia and the world’s first scientist to command a space crew, Sergei Ryazansky; First Deputy Chair of the Civic Chamber Commission on Public Evaluation of Draft Laws and Other Regulatory Acts, Alexander Asafov; Director of the Veltischev Research Clinical Institute of Paediatrics and Paediatric Surgery, Chief Freelance Paediatric Surgeon of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Morozov; as well as representatives of major educational organisations, the Movement of the First, the Russian society Znanie and companies that make a significant contribution to the country’s socio-economic development.

"From a parent’s point of view, the introduction of the position of adviser to the school principal for upbringing in educational organisations has been the best development in recent years. Having a dedicated person who combines academic pedagogical expertise with the upbringing of universal human values in our children makes it possible to raise compassionate citizens, patriots and simply good people!" said a representative of the parent community from the Volgograd region, Natalia Andreyeva.

As part of the large-scale International Forum "New Philosophy of Upbringing", a meeting was held with representatives of leading state pedagogical universities of Russia. The participants included rectors, vice-rectors, institute directors and members of the project "Navigators of Childhood". The event became a key platform for developing plans to strengthen the upbringing component within the national education system. Participants exchanged experience and discussed the importance of upbringing work in higher education institutions.

The programme of the forum was built around five key areas: "Open Borders", "From Discovering New Facets Within Oneself to Developing a Professional Community", "The Upbringing Ecosystem: An Open Environment", "Openness to New Learning Formats and Opportunities Every Day", and "Partnership for the Future".

In addition, the forum featured the presentation of the Code of the New Philosophy of Upbringing. This document is the result of extensive work carried out throughout 2025: for the first time, district forums "New Philosophy of Upbringing" were held in all federal districts of the country, bringing together more than 5,500 participants. The Code is intended to become the conceptual foundation for consolidating the efforts of the state, educational organisations, families and public institutions in fostering a harmoniously developed individual who shares traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.