The Church has launched the educational project «Keys» to help prepare 10th and 11th grade students from large, low-income families and orphans for the USE. The project is already being implemented in Moscow, the Ivanovo Region and the Komi Republic. It started in 2020 in Moscow parishes on the initiative of the Department for Church Social Ministry of the Moscow (City) Eparchy under the leadership of Archpriest Mikhail Potokin, who is now vice chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry. Students and graduate students from leading Russian universities work with schoolchildren as tutors. Classes for students are free of charge, regardless of religion.
«We know that the USE — is not an easy exam. And in order to get a high score and enter the budget, sometimes additional classes are required. We had an idea to organize small courses in Moscow parishes, which would help children to prepare for the exams. We received the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill for this endeavor, — said Archpriest Michael Potokin. — At first, two parishes began to teach Russian language and profile math. And they taught senior undergraduate and graduate students from Moscow universities — Moscow State University and the Higher School of Economics. They taught according to the methods of their senior colleagues and worked with small groups of schoolchildren of five or six people. We did well in Moscow, and there was a request from two regions — the city of Syktyvkar in the Komi Republic and the city of Kineshma in the Ivanovo Region».
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Learning centers for schoolchildren in Syktyvkar and Kineshma were organized in church buildings. This year, out of 43 schoolchildren who completed the courses, 27 entered the budgetary places. Among them, four schoolchildren got above 90 points on the USE in Russian language. The organizers of the project plan to spread the experience of the project to other dioceses so that schoolchildren, especially those from small towns, have the opportunity to get a good education. In particular, in September the project will start in five new centers: in Rodniki, on the basis of the spiritual and educational center; in Yuryevets, on the basis of a secondary school; in Opochka, Pskov region; Lukh and Syktyvkar, on the basis of Sunday schools. Thanks to this, schoolchildren from remote regions will be able to study with tutors from Moscow to prepare for the USE.
The project currently provides training in Russian language, mathematics and biology. From the new academic year, the organizers of the project plan to increase the number of tutors from Moscow. The number of student groups and the launch of training in physics, computer science and English are also underway, as is the development of an additional project, Education Plus, which will offer participants the opportunity to attend themed classes in art, music and literature.
News and stories about the church's social ministry are published in the Church Social Ministry.
News and stories about church social ministry are published in Telegram channel «Church Affairs» and in the groups of the Synodal Department for Charity in VK, OK, on Youtube channel. You can help refugees and affected civilians at helpvbede.rf. You can support church social projects on the online platform of the Synodal Department for Charity «Let's Help». Diaconia.ru/Patriarchy.ru
