27 Centers for Volunteer Engagement and Training to Coordinate Volunteer Corps at WYF 2024

On July 18th, the results of the All-Russian competitive selection of the World Youth Festival centers for volunteer engagement and training were announced during the competition commission's session.

474 organizations from 86 regions, including the Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, Zaporozhye Region, and Kherson Region, participated in the application process. Applications have been submitted by universities, specialized secondary education institutions, non-profit organizations, and government agencies involved in the development of the Russian volunteer movement and youth work. After technical evaluation had been performed, 121 applications were selected by the expert commission for the final assessment phase.

"The competition has sparked great interest among youth centers, universities, colleges, and NGOs with extensive experience in the volunteer movement development.This indicates their strong desire to contribute to the organization of a grand international youth event. Among hundreds of participants, we have received applications from both large regional organizations and enthusiastic municipal institutions. Hence, the expert commission had the difficult task to choose the best candidates. Now they have to conduct the selection process and train 5,000 volunteers in 15 functional domains. These will include greeting the Festival participants at the airports and train stations, creating a hospitable environment, as well as providing uninterrupted operation of all the Festival's services. We can say with confidence that these centers will play a key role in the Volunteer Corps training, and will make a significant contribution to the preparation of the WYF 2024,” said Ksenia Razuvaeva, Head of Rosmolodezh (Federal Agency for Youth Affairs).

Based on the results of the competition, the commission has selected 25 centers for volunteer engagement and training in 20 regions. They will conduct the selection process and coordinate the work of the Festival volunteers in all functional domains. The centers for volunteer engagement and training will be based in the following organizations:

• Far Eastern Federal University;
• Resource Center "Volunteers of Khabarovsk Krai";
• Altai regional public charity fund "Altai Center for Volunteer Development";
• Association of Krasnoyarsk Krai volunteer centers "Krasvolunteers";
• Regional center for organizing and holding youth events;
• Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N.Yeltsin;
• Association "Resource Center of Volunteering of Arkhangelsk Oblast";
• Kaliningrad Regional Center for Volunteer Development;
• Saint Petersburg State University of Economics;
• Plekhanov Russian University of Economics;
• Moscow University of Finance and Industry "Synergy" (Synergy University);
• Resource center for the development and support of the volunteer movement "Mosvolonter";
• State autonomous institution of Yaroslavl Oblast "Palace of Youth";
• Volunteering and Information Resource Center Republic of Tatarstan;
• State Budgetary Institution of the Samara Region "Agency for Youth Policy Implementation";
• Chuvash State University named after I.N.Ulyanov;
• National Research State University of Nizhny Novgorod named after N.I.Lobachevsky;
• Pyatigorsk State University;
• North-Caucasus Federal University;
• Volgograd State University;
• Sochi State University;
• Kuban State University;
• Krasnodar Regional Branch of the All-Russian Public Organization "Russian Student Brigades";
• State Autonomous Institution of Rostov region “Don Volunteer Center”;
• Youth Resource Center of the Zaporozhye Region.

In addition, two Centers have been designated for the training of volunteers in specific functional domains.MGIMO(Moscow State Institute of International Relations), under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, will select volunteers from all regions for the "Attaché" and "Linguistic Services" roles.The All-Russian Public Movement "Volunteer Medics" will coordinate the work of volunteers in the "Medical Support" roles.

"Each federal district now has its own center that takes on very important tasks. First and foremost, this involves implementing the communication campaign to support the volunteer program of the Festival, selecting candidates, and training volunteer delegations. Volunteer training will take place not only at specialized volunteer or youth centers but also at universities. They will be preparing volunteers for general roles. Such volunteers will be competent in a wide range of issues, including logistics and spectator services, culture, ceremonies, and discussion programs, security and coordination of participants, work with the media, linguistic support, and much more. A significant and demanding task lies ahead. Quality volunteer training is one of the key factors contributing to the successful organization of the Festival. It will ensure comfort for participants and create a friendly and inspiring environment," said Artem Metelev, Chairman of the Committee on Youth Policy of the State Duma, Chairman of the Council of the Association of Volunteer Centers, and Head of DOBRO.RU.

The competition commission includes representatives of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization "Directorate of the World Youth Festival", as well as leaders of organizations that implement state youth policies and have experience in organizing volunteer activities: Association of Volunteer Centers, Russian Student Brigades, "Culture Volunteers", All-Russian Student Corps of Rescuers, Russian Red Cross, and All-Russian Public Organization of Environmental Volunteers "Delai!".

When determining the winners, the experts took into consideration various factors.These included their experience in implementing projects aimed at engaging youth in socially beneficial volunteer activities, the Center's concept of work, its material and technical infrastructure, financial support, mechanisms for motivating and rewarding volunteers, as well as the qualifications of the Center staff. Additionally, the competition commission assessed the experience of interacting with regional executive authorities, employers, scientific organizations, and business structures. Furthermore, they evaluated the participants' readiness to work with volunteers who are not members of the organization and reside in neighboring regions. On August 10th, 2023, cooperation agreements will be signed with the centers for volunteer engagement and training for the World Youth Festival.

For reference:

The World Youth Festival will be held in 2024 under the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is aimed to develop international youth cooperation. At the first meeting of the Organizing Committee under the chairmanship of the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergey Kiriyenko it was decided to hold the Festival on the Sirius Federal Territory from March 1st to 7th, 2024. The regional program of the World Youth Festival will last from March 10th to 17th, 2024, with participants visiting 26 cities in Russia.

20,000 young leaders in such fields as business, media, education, science, international cooperation, culture, volunteering and charity, sports, and others, including 10,000 international participants will take part in the World Youth Festival. For the first time in the history of the festival movement, teenagers from 14 to 17 years old will have the opportunity to join the event, including 500 from Russia and 500 from abroad. 5,000 volunteers from all regions of Russia will be involved in the organization of the Festival, including about 250 residents of the Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, Zaporozhye Region, and Kherson Region.

Prepared by the World Youth Festival Press Office