The World Youth Festival Assembly discussed scaling up best social practices On September 20, at the World Youth Festival Assembly, held on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation, a case study session “Franchise of Meaning: How to Scale the Best Social Practices” was held.
The experts were Valeriya Kasamara, Head of the “I Am a Professional” All-Russian Student Olympiad; Olga Shkabardnya, Director General of ANO “Development Energy”; and Alexandra Ryabykh, Co-chair of “Ecosystem” All-Russian Environmental Public Movement.
The case study session became a platform for discussing Russia's successes in creating and replicating social projects, as well as values and practices that change lives for the better. Using the example of the “I Am a Professional” Olympiad, a project of the presidential platform “Russia - Country of Opportunities”, the session participants discussed mechanisms for scaling socially significant initiatives. At the start, 27 areas were available to students, and in eight years, their number has reached 70. Completing practice-oriented tasks in each discipline allows students to test their knowledge, prepare for entering the labor market, and find a suitable employer. Thanks to the competition, more than 100,000 people have found employment or completed internships at leading companies in the country.
“Over the eight years, 'I Am a Professional' has gone from being the idea of a small team of like-minded people to a large-scale project that the whole country believes in. Today, it is a whole universe, bringing together more than 1.4 million students from all regions of Russia and 147 countries around the world, nearly a thousand universities, and over 700 partner companies. We didn't just get the project off the ground—we created a community where everyone can find opportunities for professional and personal growth. At its core are such values as service, professionalism, freedom of choice, and conscious career building. Of course, the development takes much time—it's important for the environment to accept the project and believe in it. But when an idea is supported by hundreds of thousands of like-minded people across the country, it cannot be stopped. "I Am a Professional" proves that in Russia there is no glass ceiling for initiatives that change lives and open the way for talent,” Valeria Kasamara, Head of the “I Am a Professional” All-Russian Student Olympiad, says.
The speakers discussed the practical aspects of scaling social projects: overcoming regional differences, dealing with resistance from the environment, and optimizing resources. Experts also considered the most promising areas for replicating social practices and integrating them into educational and cultural programs for young people.
As noted by Olga Shkabardnya, Director General of ANO “Development Energy”, a good format could be the formation of a pool of mentors who, jointly with the public, are involved in project development. At the same time, it is important to develop the practice of curatorship and mentoring at the municipal level. In addition, it is necessary to introduce technologies and innovative approaches in the fields of tourism and creative industries, as well as to support small and medium-sized businesses.
Alexandra Ryabykh, Co-chair of “Ecosystem” All-Russian Environmental Public Movement, talked about how to work with regional representatives. The support system is built from the bottom up, and local initiatives become drivers of the development of eco-culture and eco-education. Everyone can start with themselves and implement changes at an accessible level, and their ideas will surely find like-minded people and can be scaled up.
The "I Am a Professional" All-Russian Student Olympiad is implemented as part of the federal project "Russia - Country of Opportunities" of the national project "Youth and Children" under the support of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
The general partners of the WYF Assembly-2025 are the Russian Music Union, JSC Russian Railways, and Phygital Games. The general information partner is the international television channel RT, and the general media partner is ANO Dialog Regions. The partner for the excursion and regional programs is the More Than Trip program. The strategic partner is VK Tech. Co. The following have also joined the partnership program: “New Generation” program arranged by the Federal Agency for Affairs of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Residing Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), the Movement of the First, the presidential platform “Russia – Country of Opportunities”, Sovcombank, the Avito Tech. Co., State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, Russian “Znanie” (Knowledge) Society, the Film Studio Soyuzmultfilm, the Government of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Central Bank of Russia, program for young entrepreneurs “Rosmolodezh.Undertake” and the Mashuk Knowledge Center. Information support for the event is provided by Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Argumenty i Fakty publishing house, the African Initiative and the Window to Russia project of ANO “TV-Novosti”.
The organizer of the World Youth Festival Assembly is the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), the co-organizer of the event is the Government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the event operator is the World Youth Festival Directorate. The Festival pursues the goals of the Youth and Children national project.
Overview:
In accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on preserving and developing the legacy of the World Youth Festival, which took place on the Sirius Federal Territory in 2024 and united 20,000 young people from 190 countries of the world, festival events on the territory of the Russian Federation will be held annually. The next World Youth Festival for 20,000 participants will be held in 2030. In 2026, there will be a smaller event, an International Youth Festival with 10,000 participants. In between, the World Youth Festival’s themed Assemblies will be held annually for 2,000 participants. The World Youth Festival Directorate continues its work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.
