According to the results of the 2023 Khopyor youth educational forum, students of Saratov State University Svetlana Zemtsova and Ulyana Rizina became winners in grant contests from the region and Rosmolodezh.Grants.
The forum was held from August 24 to August 28 at the Spike recreation camp, which is located in Balashov District. 300 participants from Saratov Region and 16 other Russian regions gathered here.
The task of the forum is to teach active youth social design, as well as develop leadership and communicative skills. For this purpose, the organisers had prepared a diverse programme, which included lectures from federal, regional, and municipal politicians, businessmen and public personalities, famous athletes, and media representatives.
The speakers at the forum were Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Organisational Work, SSU, Anton Golovchenko and Head of the Department of Patriotic Education and Preventive Work, the Office of Youth Policy, SSU, Julia Ilyashenko.
At the Khopyor forum, a competition of social projects was held, the presentation of which was held both online and offline. In total, 274 ideas aimed at solving socially important problems were submitted to the competition.
34 grants totalling more than 6,7 million roubles were raffled off. Of these, 5,8 million roubles were divided among projects (21 in total) that won the Rosmolodezh.Grants competition. And 13 more initiatives were selected by the jury of the Governor's grant contest. Their authors will receive 500,000 roubles.
The projects of a 2nd-year graduate student of the Faculty of Law Ulyana Rezina won the grant in two competitions at once. The Plogging Jogging Race initiative won a 125,000 roubles grant in the competition from Rosmolodezh.Grants, and the Everything for the Victory Historical Exhibition project was awarded with a 25,000 roubles grant from the Governor.
According to Ulyana, the Jogging for Garbage project is aimed at the development of ecological balance in the residential environment at the municipal level. Another side is to create new environmental movements and events in the region to involve young people in the development of ecological culture of the population, as well as popularisation of a healthy lifestyle and physical exercises.
‘Plogging is a new environmental movement that appeared several years ago, and the team of our project knows that only two such races have taken place in Saratov Region. Due to this fact, our idea becomes even more relevant and significant. The initiative includes holding from three to five events in our city. We will go to the streets of Saratov, involve schoolchildren, students, and working youth into it so that they could do physical exercises and collect household waste. We believe that plogging will unite the younger generation struggling for cleanliness and health,’ Ulyana Rizina explained.
The second project, Everything for the Victory Historical Exhibition, is patriotic and dedicated to the study of the history of the hometown.
To note, the student took part in the Khopyor forum for the first time. ‘I was at a large number of events of various levels, I went to the Khopyor for the first time, I planned to get positive emotions from the forum, a positive charge for the next month and, of course, win grants! I am glad very much that I came to the regional site, met interesting people, and also met people who I had known and spent time productively.’
A 1st-year student of the Institute of Arts Svetlana Zemtsova became one of the winners of the competition from Rosmolodezh.Grants with the EcoTrace ecological project, for which she will receive a 150,000 roubles grant.
The initiative is aimed at increasing the tourist attractiveness of Kumys Meadow Nature Park. Svetlana's team has developed two routes of the ecological trail, where information stands and signs will be installed. It is planned to organise walking tours along these trails.
‘I was happy to return to the Khopyor forum after a whole year, because for me this is the Saratov iVolga. I chose the Unity: Society and Business direction, in which we developed the skills of teamwork, social design, and promotion of our own business. Last year, I became Miss Khopyor, this year, I have won a grant from Rosmolodezh, and, next year, I plan to compete for a grant from the Governor of Saratov Region,’ Svetlana Zemtsova said.
The Khopyor youth educational forum is a unique educational platform held in Balashov District since 2009. The forum was organised by the Open Dialogue Centre ANO, the mayor office of Balashov Municipal District, and the Ministry of Youth Policy and Sports of Saratov Region. The forum itself was held with the support of the Ministry of Internal Policy and Public Relations of Saratov Region, as well as the regional youth public associations and organisations.
