The "Summer #ZA_Pervymi" project brought together more than 90,000 young people from Nizhny Novgorod.

      September 26, 2025 16:54 Society

      A regional educational project, "Summer #FOR_TheFirst," which brought together more than 90,000 children and teenagers from across Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, has concluded. The program is aimed at developing leadership, research and creative competencies among youth, and also aligns with the goals and objectives of the national project "Youth and Children."

      "Thanks to this project, which we have been running in the region for more than one year now, children have the opportunity to become more familiar with the main areas of activity of the Movement of the Firsts and choose those that resonate with their interests, hobbies and life goals. The project allows participants to realize their potential, gain new knowledge and skills, and express themselves in significant creative and research initiatives. We help children spend their holidays usefully, investing in their future. It is strategically important for us that our youth begin thinking, already at school, about the values they will adhere to in the future and the direction in which they will develop," said Svetlana Anufrieva, Minister of Youth Policy of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.

      Throughout the summer the project covered 58 municipal and urban districts of the region — from children's camps and supplementary education centers to specialized schools and technoparks. The project enabled schoolchildren, students and educators to gain new knowledge, skills and experience, and to create projects capable of changing the lives of local communities and the entire region. Participants attended thousands of educational events: master classes, project sessions, meetings with mentors and experts, competitions and interactive programs. The "Summer #FOR_TheFirst" project demonstrated that modern education must extend beyond the school year and classroom walls.

      In total, the project implementation included 1,166 thematic Firsts Days, 187 thematic sessions at day camps and specialized camps, 45 thematic sessions in labor-and-recreation camps and tent camps, and 35 thematic sessions at countryside organizations for children's recreation and health improvement. More than 18,000 youngsters took part in the Movement of the Firsts sessions in the region.

      "The summer period for every schoolchild, teenager and young person is an opportunity not only to take a break from the school year, but also to use the summer holidays productively, to take part in many different events and projects. For the second year in the region, together with youth policy authorities, the regional education system and our partners, we are implementing the educational project 'Summer #FOR_THE_FIRSTS' whose task is to organize the employment and engagement of the region's children and teenagers. Last year alone the project's events covered over 80,000 children and teenagers in the region and 8,000 educational events were held. The project has already become a tradition for our region and this summer we continued the work, and we will sum up the results a little later. But I can confidently say that this summer was intense in every sense, from organizing thematic days to Movement of the Firsts sessions in organizations for children's recreation, health improvement and employment. Thank you all for our joint work," shared Vyacheslav Amosov, Chairman of the Council of the regional branch of the Movement of the Firsts in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.

      During the summer three large-scale regional thematic sessions for children from all municipalities of the region were also successfully held. The sessions took place at the region's leading children's centers — Lazurny (the Movement of the Firsts' base camp) and Salyut — which traditionally serve as platforms for the development and self-realization of the younger generation. Each session was dedicated to specific areas of child and youth development. Participants were able to immerse themselves in an atmosphere of creativity, sports and intellectual competitions.

      An important component of the regional educational project "Summer #FOR_TheFirst" is the "Children-to-Children" practice, aimed at developing mentorship among the younger generation. Young mentors conduct thematic master classes, organize joint projects and present their own initiatives in various areas: from volunteering and media to entrepreneurship and environmental education. This format of interaction creates a unique environment for exchanging experience, where every child can not only demonstrate their talents but also help others find their path to development, contributing to the formation of an active and responsible generation.

      As part of strengthening international ties, a delegation of activists from the Movement of the Firsts of the Kstovo district visited the Kometa educational and health camp in Novopolotsk, Republic of Belarus — the twin city of Kstovo. For 14 days schoolchildren attended creative and sports events, educational excursions to the sights of Belarus and many other activities aimed at strengthening friendly ties between youth of the two countries.

      Also, 4,549 children requiring special attention, including children from families of participants in the Special Military Operation, took part in the regional sessions.

      During the summer health campaign regional preventive gatherings "I Can!" were also held. About 200 young people participated in the gatherings at the Gremyachiy educational and health center and the Solnechny children's health camp. Nizhny Novgorod Oblast is a pilot region for conducting specialized and integrated sessions of the Movement of the Firsts aimed at preventing, identifying and addressing the causes and conditions that contribute to antisocial and unlawful behavior by minors and violations of their rights. In addition, the gatherings help support teenagers who are in difficult life situations or are on various forms of preventive supervision.

      The project events were organized by the regional branch of the Movement of the Firsts in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, the youth center Vysota, the patriotic education center Avangard, the Russian "Znanie" Society with the support of the Ministry of Youth Policy, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Ministry of Sports of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.

      Recall that since 2025, by order of President Vladimir Putin, the national project "Youth and Children" has been in effect in Russia, carrying out the tasks previously provided for in the national projects "Education" and "Science and Universities."

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