Moscow Polytechnic University Becomes Flagship Site for Launch of Service-Learning Program

On September 18, events of the federal «Service-Learning Program» were launched in almost 80 regions of the country. The project goal is to inspire university and school students to public and professional service. The main annual official launch of this year took place at Moscow Polytech. The event united more than 200 students, teachers, heads of universities, officials, representatives of public and non-commercial organizations.

In the official part, President of Moscow Polytech Vladimir Miklushevskii addressed the audience with a welcoming speech. The head of the university noted that the «Service-Learning Program» includes more than 3 thousand students and partnering companies of the University.  

“Joining the program for our University was natural and barrier-free. It is because Moscow Polytech delivers the module “Project Activity” as part of the curriculum. As a result, any project that we implement together with students and teachers this or that way includes a social aspect, as it is being realized for people. It is important to understand this, this is when the project will bring benefits,” - noted President Vladimir Miklushevskii.

«Service-Learning Program» was launched in 135 universities across Russia in September 2023. The program allows students to gain practical experience in working with social tasks of non-profit organizations and government bodies by applying their professional skills, and as a result – to benefit the society. The educational approach of the program involves an academic load and is integrated into the curricula of universities; while integrating both the training itself and social practices. According to Deputy Minister of Science and Education of Russia Olga Petrova, more than 400 universities of the country joined the project this year. 

“I appreciate Moscow Polytech and personally Vladimir Vladimirovich for the fact that the university has offered its site for launching such an important event. Within a year, we worked through a huge number of practices that solve socially important tasks at the level of subjects of the Federation. It is great to see the eyes of the students who are while undergoing this course, understand even more, how much useful things they may do,” - says Deputy Minister of Science and Education of Russia Olga Petrova.

Last year, more than 65 thousand students and almost 2 500 teachers were involved in the program. As a result, «Service-Learning Program» became an important tool for the development of the young generation, as well as solving social tasks of regions and the country, say experts. 

“The program is aimed at unlocking the potential of the young generation. «Service-Learning Program» is an opportunity to learn more about your profession and benefit the society. For students, this is an entry in the portfolio that you are a professional, that you have created a product and you have created a result. We will strive to ensure that within a few years this program covers every educational organization,” - underlined Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Youth Policy, Chairman of “Dobro.rf” Association Council Artyom Metelev.

“Barrier–Free Cinema” is one of Moscow Polytech’s projects in 2023 in the framework of the program «Service-Learning Program». The team faced the task of expanding the audience of inclusive cinema and the guys coped with this, says Professor of the Project Activity Center Vladimir Nikol’skiy. The students, together with the organization of the disabled “Perspective”, have developed and tested the format of viewing and discussing films about people with disabilities for a student audience. 

“After watching such movies many have had discoveries, that disabled people live not less active and interesting lives, than the others. As a result, a lot of them said that such people have their own heights that they are striving for, and these heights differ from ours. And sometimes such people become an example for us. Therefore, in every situation you may dream and reach your goals,” - noted Professor of the Project Activity Center Vladimir Nikol’skiy.

In addition to “Barrier–Free Cinema”, our university, jointly with social partners, realized several more projects, such as “The University Club “Best Friends”, “Theatrical Prospective”, “Christmas Star”, as well as “Involvement of bone marrow donors in the registry”. This year, a choice of five projects is available to first-year students. For example, they will have to solve the tasks on the development of social taxi for disabled people based on an electric vehicle or on preservation and restoration of the historical appearance of buildings. 

Reference: implementation of the «Service-Learning Program» was launched in the framework of the Government social development policy, supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The program is based on a multi-year experience of the “Dobro.rf” Association. During the 2023-2024 academic year, almost 1 thousand social tasks were solved, and 1 100 organizations became social partners.