St Petersburg University students win a grant to conduct training courses for volunteers
The St Petersburg University Volunteer School, in cooperation with the finalists of the "Tvoy Hod 2021" ("Your Move") contest, has received financial support to develop volunteer activities at the University. The new course will open in the autumn of 2022.
This is not the first time students of St Petersburg University have won the All-Russian Contest of Youth Projects among institutions of higher education. According to Vladimir Savinov, Vice-Rector for Educational Activity at St Petersburg University, participation in the University’s project activities is necessary for the development of the soft and hard skills of students. ‘It is extremely important for students to participate in any project contest. It develops their personal and professional qualities. Speaking of this year’s winners, I would like to mention the project that was developed by the Volunteer Centre of St Petersburg University together with the finalists of the "Tvoy Hod 2021" contest. We received a grant of 2.5 million roubles for its development. Now we are actively working on the implementation of our students’ ideas in this direction,’ said Vladimir Savinov.
The Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) summarised the results of 2022 All-Russian Contest of Youth Projects among institutions of higher education. St Petersburg University has been taking part in the Contest of Youth Projects since 2018. This year, two projects have won the competition: the Volunteer School of St Petersburg University and St Petersburg student interactive championship Moot.
In St Petersburg, 14 universities applied for the contest, among which 13 won.
According to Ekaterina Zlova, coordinator of St Petersburg University Volunteer Centre, this year we plan to expand the course and develop cooperation with partner universities to popularise volunteerism among young people. ‘We strive to enhance the level of expertise of our volunteers by developing methodology and lecture materials in the field of volunteer activities. Most newcomers lack the necessary skills and experience, which leads to the loss of further interest and their own development in the volunteer movement. The project "Volunteer School of St Petersburg University" is aimed to solve these problems. Every year, we improve our programme, and, of course, winning the contest of youth projects will give us significant support in this field, said Ekaterina Zlova.
The Volunteer School of St Petersburg University was founded in 2018 on the basis of the Volunteer Centre of the University. Coordinators of the centre conduct courses for volunteers, talk about the opportunities that are open to activists in today’s world and types of volunteering.
Last year, the school participants learned more about volunteer work and donation in the sphere of social support, sports, culture, environment, patriotic activities, service, and event fields. At the end of the course, the students receive certificates confirming their level of mastering the material. School leaders also support students in implementing their own projects.
‘Volunteering gives an opportunity to try out new spheres of activity, develop communication skills, and broaden their horizons. In addition, as practice shows, while volunteering at different events students meet a lot of new people who later become their friends for life,’ said Ekaterina Zlova, coordinator of the Volunteer Centre of St Petersburg University.