MIL-OSI Russia: Forum “Youth Initiative”: a journey into the world of good deeds

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

The fifth anniversary forum of leaders “Youth Initiative” was held in the estate of the first director of the Polytechnic Institute Prince Andrei Gagarin. Its mission is to strengthen the community of socially active students who create significant projects and develop volunteerism and charity. Volunteer students of the Dobro.Center SPbPU and the campaign gathered at the site of the historical estate

“Youth Initiative” has always been a special event for active Polytechnic students. The number of student leaders (organizers, heads of volunteer and public activities at the university, authors of grant projects and winners of all-Russian and international competitions), successful Polytechnic graduates who began their journey with this forum, is already in the tens. It is not without reason that “accordionists” consider Kholomki a place of power. Three intense days in a wonderful atmosphere of history, inspiration and creative opportunities are incredibly motivating for both experienced guys (mentors) and first-year students. Moreover, both undergraduate and graduate students, including even foreign students, – said Tatyana Nam, Director of the Dobro.Center “Harmony”.

The architecture of the forum program consists of educational, practical and cultural-creative parts. The first director of the Polytechnic Institute, Prince Andrei Gagarin, said that the institute was created not only to teach, but also to form a comprehensively developed personality.

The first day began with an interactive program on the bus. On the way to Kholomki, the students not only met, learned interesting facts and useful information, but also made travel collages as a keepsake. Upon arrival at the estate, the participants went on an excursion with immersion in the history of the Polytechnic University, and also solemnly laid flowers at the memorial to Prince Andrei Gagarin.

At the Youth Initiative forum, participants learned about the possibilities

We worked on the script for the literary salon with great interest, enthusiasm and dedication in order to convey not only creativity but also the atmosphere of the era. The performance turned out to be fascinating, many viewers later shared that the performance impressed them to the point of goosebumps, which means we succeeded! I am very glad that the actors and viewers enjoyed it and I hope that together with the talented guys from the PolyNova author’s club of the Polytechnic’s Dobro.Harmony Center, we will be able to make a full-length performance based on this artistic sketch, – shared a 2nd year student, head of the cultural and creative direction

The Polytechnicians’ vigorous morning on the second day of the forum began with health-improving wushu in the fresh air. They plunged into a volunteer quest consisting of five stations with particular zeal. Creating T-shirts with an individual design of the campaign

Getting to know volunteerism is impossible without overcoming stereotypes and debunking myths. The Dobro.Center “Harmony” team introduced the participants to the SPbPU volunteer ecosystem and proved that if everyone helps to the best of their ability, the possibilities for good will become limitless. Then the participants learned about serendipity (the ability to draw deep conclusions from random observations) and learned why luck is not just a coincidence, but attentiveness and the ability to use opportunities. They mastered time management skills and even became real detectives by attending a master class on fingerprinting. There, everyone learned how to take prints and create a fingerprint card.

After a short break, the participants were treated to a mini-course on first aid and psychological training, which helped them better understand and express their experiences through creativity and imaginative thinking. As part of the campaign

The Youth Initiative Forum is warmth, happiness and the most eventful weekend of autumn. Together with the Harmony team, we were able to organize useful trainings, intensive courses and interesting master classes. In three days, we managed to show the real life of a volunteer. We managed to charge the guys with kindness and set them up for positivity. I am very pleased to be part of such a large-scale event, it is a great experience and inspiration, – shared a second-year student, an activist of the headquarters

At the end of the evening, the participants got acquainted with the brightest and largest events of the SPbPU Dobro.Center, and also took part in the evening reflection, where everyone could speak about their emotions and impressions, thank each other for communication and the joint experience of participating in the volunteer forum.

Thanks to the team of organizers for your work, thanks to all the participants! Without their openness, sincerity, readiness to trust new people, the trip would not have been so heartfelt! Thanks to Tatyana Anatolyevna Nam for her care for everyone, for showing us how cool it is to do what you love. Thanks to all the lecturers who spoke about their experience with love and professionalism. It was a trip after which I returned home filled with only bright feelings, motivated, with very pleasant impressions and memories! Well, and the most important thing is the people! We are all so different, but I am sure that after the off-site forum we became a little closer, – shared her impressions the head of the school of GI elders Ksenia Kopylova.

The next day, the polytechnicians gathered for the ceremonial closing of the forum. All participants, volunteers and organizers were awarded certificates and letters of gratitude. And so, the road back to St. Petersburg, all charged and happy, but with a little sadness in their eyes because of the imminent farewell.

Mikhail Lomonosov once said: “A nation that does not know its past has no future.” In my opinion, this phrase perfectly describes the purpose of our trip to the estate of the first director of the Polytechnic University, Andrei Gagarin. The forum was filled with educational lectures, the speakers spoke in a very interesting and accessible way about how to subjugate creativity, how to prevent emotional burnout, and much more. I would like to separately highlight the high-quality work of the entire Dobro.Center team. It is evident how they try to make every minute spent at the forum happier. After the “Youth Initiative”, absolutely every participant wanted to join the ranks of the best volunteer headquarters to help all those in need. In general, it was a great cultural and educational forum, where the participants rested their souls and developed their personal skills! – Kirill Grishin, a first-year student of the Institute of Economics and Technology, shared his impressions.

The Youth Initiative Forum is held by the Dobro.Harmony Center of SPbPU with the support of the Polytechnic University Endowment Fund, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies Maxim Pasholikov, Director of the Humanitarian Institute Natalia Chicherina, and the educational and historical reserve “Prince A.G. Gagarin’s Estate “Kholomki”.

Photographer: Sofya Ryabinina

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