Youth Union “Doroga” is working on developing youth civil initiatives since the year 1995. Organization's strategic aim - to educate children as active citizens of modern society.
Directions of work:
- to carry out children and youth public projects;
- to support school student self-rule;
- to educate in the sphere of human rights;
- to organize social work for disabled children.
The NGO implemented 15 projects aimed on supporting youth participation in school governance and various local civil initiatives, human rights education among youth, tolerance development, youth TV journalism etc. Youth Union “Doroga” published 10 methodical brochures on various items of youth civic initiatives development. Youth Union “Doroga” has a 5-years experience of using digital video technologies. The NGO is producing own TV program for youth which is broadcasted on the local channel TNT-Petronet. Doroga has a good experience of interregional projects management: in 2002-2004 the NGO managed the annual North-West contest for schoolchildren in the framework of the UN project “Human rights education development” and coordinated activities of regional NGOs. Experience of Doroga is studied by the similar NGOs in other regions. Specialists of Doroga are regularly invited to thematic seminars as trainers. Youth Union “Doroga” is one of the founders of NGO “Union of children and youth organizations of Karelia”, has a wide cooperation with regional youth NGOs, state institutions, mass-media. WEB-site of Youth Union “Doroga”: http://doroga.karelia.ru
The name of organization
Youth Union “Doroga” – city children public organization of Petrozavodsk
Duration of work
12 years
Unites
It unites students from 10 to 18 years old and their adult assistants. Approximately 100 people are occupied by constant work of organization. During the year about 1000 students are the participants of programmes and projects of organization.
Aims of organization
The mission of organization is the upbringing of children as active citizens of modern society.
The aims:
- the development of children and youth social initiatives
- the support of school student self-government
- the education in the area of human rights
- the development of children TV journalism
- social adaptation of children at risks
- the development of restorative justice programmes (the reconciliation of sides in case of crimes and conflicts)
The organization’s heads
The Union’s coordinator – Denis Rogatkin. Also the Chairman of the Union of children and youth organizations of Karelia (SDM), the deputy director of Petrozavodsk children and youth centre, the coordinator of project “Youth House Karelia”.
The programmes’ heads
Natalia Nikulina – the head of the programme “The first step to the society”
Svetlana Nachinova and Kseniya Kuznecova – heads of children theatrical studio “Rostok”
Svetlana Gladkih – the head of reconciliation programmes
Sergey Samilin, Maria Nachinova, Svetlana Ryuhmanova, Alexander Blishko, Natalia Nikulina – heads of youth groups (the programme “The society and we”)
Youth Union “Doroga” works under the support of Youth Department of City Administration of Petrozavodsk and municipal institution of supplementary education “Children and youth Centre”.
Youth Union “Doroga” is one of the founders of NGO “Union of children and youth organizations of Karelia (SDM)”.
The programmes of Youth Union “Doroga” in 2007
The programme “The society and we”
The youth groups unite children from 5-8th grades. The groups work at schools and youth centers.
The camps, trips, useful occupations – choose activity, rejoice the difficulty, and aspire to make life around us better!
The Programme “TV journalism”
Children at the age of 12-16 can attempt themselves in TV journalism. The TV programme “The school – the territory of law” has been released for three years and just now the TV programme “After school” is being made. Watch us on air of the channel TNT-Petronet.
The programme “The first step to the society”
“The first step to the society” is the programme for initial classes of the city. The programme develops team work abilities of the children and gives them the first experience to participate in public activities. The big games, actions, leader’s school, own newspaper, the system of “fives”, the communications with Finns friends and etc. Make your first step to the society!
The programme “Rostok”
We have the theatrical studio, which is called “Rostok”. The studio stages the plays, where plays both ordinary children and children with health problems. The age is from 10 to 20 years. Kind atmosphere, a lot of creation, tours, journeys and festivals. Claim a role in new play? Call and you are a drama queen!
The programme “Reconciliation”
The students of high schools and universities can be volunteers – the heads of reconciliation programmes. The reconciliation programmes is the negotiations, which allow people to solve the conflicts peacefully. Have a conflict? Give information to the reconciliation programme!
The project “Educational business”
The students study to be businessmen and to earn money through the Internet. The education carries out the Centre of techno genetics arts and crafts of the City Moscow. Want to join together with friends? Search the information at our web site!
Contact information
Web site of the organization: http://doroga.karelia.ru/
E-mail: doroga@karelia.ru
Address: Gorky st., 26-12, Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia, 185035, to Denis Rogatkin
Contact telephone numbers: code +7 8142, telephone numbers: 77-46-80, 76-84-22, 52-51-56
Question – answer
The organization is called “children public organization”. What does it mean?
People can unite in associations in our country. According to the law children may become members of the child NGOs at the age of 8. Our organization established in 1995 and has 12 year experience work. We have a bank account, rights to make contracts and other possibilities of legal entity. This allows us to attract funds to work with children, including get grants for youth projects.
But not only this differs the organization from ordinary study group. Children come to the study group to learn something. And they come into organization to implement useful projects together not for themselves but for surrounding people.
Question from parents: what does it give to child?
This helps him to be ready for independent life better. Admit, life experience depends not only on skills to dance, to sing or to kick the ball into the goal. While the child is growing up, it is the best time to learn to be adult: be able to find a common language with surrounding people, to be successful in managing the planned activities, not afraid to show initiative and take the responsibility. Our organization gives children more abilities to show their worth and to gain life experience in the society. Of course, children can spend school years without this, but sooner or later they have to learn this. And it is not improbable on their mistakes.
Who controls you?
The work of children and youth organizations of the City is overseen by Youth Department of City Administration of Petrozavodsk, lending us a big support (ph. 71-34-45). The educational programmes of our organization are financed by Petrozavodsk Children and youth Centre (ph. 52-51-56). Most of heads of our organization are the pedagogues of Children and youth Centre.
But we want parents to be the main controllers. We are open for collaboration with parents and see the allies in them.
Does any financial expenditure needed?
We don’t have any payments for participation in work of our organization. Furthermore, we attract funds for work with children ourselves, which is why many journeys and camps are entirely or partly free. But we also carry out field meetings on own funds of participants. Generally, in these cases we chip in together and take foodstuff with us. The experience shows that these inclosures are not burdensome for parents. Total financial balance is always in favor of families. It will be great, if your child has his (her) own T-shirt with symbolism of organization or own sleeping bag. But this is not necessary and remains at the discretion of parents.
What are the requirements the organization lodge to the child?
We have three obligatory rules: the benevolence, the observance of rules of safety and the participation in self-service. If a person violates these rules, the head or the common assemblage can put in the preventions. After three preventions the person leaves the organization. In practice this happens rarely. Above all, these rules allow us to support the friendly atmosphere and to accustom children to self-control.
Moreover, we claim from person responsibility. It is impossible to miss the assemblage without serious reasons or without prevention. We always ask parents for not to present the child with a fait accompli: “You are not going to assemblage today”. Probably he is responsible for preparation of some part of common work and his nonappearance can betray the whole group.
How long does the child spend in the organization?
This depends on programme he participates. Generally, the meetings are held on the schedule two times a week and last about two hours. The field meetings are usually held once a month on the weekends. We carry out the three-day field meetings on the vacations and one or two week camps in summer. Thus, the participation in organization doesn’t take all the child’s free time. We try not to overload the school week and as far as possible remove the time of meetings on the weekend. The child will have enough time for preparing homework, for helping parents and for hobbies.
