MASU Students won the National Social Initiatives Project Competition

• 19.12.2022
• 686

MASU Student Association 'Equal Opportunities' brought the victory home from Moscow.

They presented two social initiatives at the competition:
• 'I Am Just Like You' project won in the nomination 'Best practice of organizing socially-oriented events for people with special needs'
• 'I Am Just Like You' inclusive theatre won the nomination 'Best practice of organizing an inclusive educational environment for people with special needs'.
Students of Psychology and Pedagogy Institute and Humanities and Social Studies Institute along with their mentor Elena Golishnikova, Associate professor of Psychology and Pedagogy for Special Needs Department, represented our university.

«'Equal Opportunities' is a team of people working day and night on promoting inclusivity in MASU and Murmansk region», said Elena Golishnikova. «Our students proved to be young leaders able to work as a team and make significant decisions.»

The goal of inclusive theatre is to help children with special needs to fulfil their creative potential and build new skills though various activities: from directing performances, acquiring acting techniques to learning to play musical instruments.

«Inclusive theatre is our priority. We work towards socialization and inclusion of children with special needs in the society through nurturing their creative potential», said Lyudmila Golub, student of Psychology and Pedagogy Institute.

'I Am Just Like You' project aims to form inclusivity among Murmansk region youth and engage children with special needs into social and cultural activity.

«Why have we decided to join the competition? Firstly, it is a chance for us to build new professional skills and to become better experts. Besides, each day we see that our children communicate more and more and feel new emotions, which makes us happy. We can proudly say that our work benefits the society», said Inessa Vasilyeva, student of Psychology and Pedagogy Institute.

The National Social Initiatives Project Competition was organized by Moscow State University Students Association and Vernadsky National Students Club. The competition was supported by Rosmolodezh, the Federal Youth Agency. Students Associations from different Russian universities as well as from Tajikistan participated in the competition.

Equal Opportunities Association is a student-led community aimed at carrying out socially significant initiatives and working with children with special needs via implementing those inclusive initiatives.

Earlier this year, 'I Am Just Like You' project has won regional part of #MyVmeste (#WeAreTogether) International Competition in nomination 'Country of opportunities', as well as made it to the semi-finals with other Russia's Northern and West regions.

Here are the students who represented MASU:
Valeria Dolmanova, Lyudmila Golub, Ekaterina Kravchuk and Alina Kuznetsova (all — 3rd year students), Inessa Vasilyeva (4th year), Alina Sosnina (Master student, 1st year) from Pedagogy and Psychology Institute and Tatiana Akula (2nd year) from Humanities and Social Studies Institute.