Published on: 2026-09-05
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Resource Center “Mosvolunteer” develops school and student volunteering in the capital. It helps educational organizations create volunteer groups, trains mentors, and gives young city residents the opportunity to try themselves in different areas of assistance. Participants go through a path from the first “Kind Lesson” to participating in large-scale projects, managing a team, and launching their own social initiatives.
“Mosvolonter” is establishing systematic interaction and cooperation with schools, colleges, and universities in the capital, helping to build a community, exchange successful practices, and unite volunteers for joint projects. According to the results of the latest study of a typical volunteer’s profile, schoolchildren and students make up 68 percent of the active community. Together with their peers, they participate not only in the social activities of their educational institutions but also in volunteer events across the city,” said Alexander Levit, director of the Mosvolonter resource center.
The first step toward volunteering
Moscow schoolchildren’s introduction to volunteering begins with “Good Lessons.” In these lessons, they learn about areas of assistance and analyze real examples of participants in city events. For teachers, “Mosvolonter” annually conducts a program. “The First Step” — it helps to form a volunteer association or enhance the effectiveness of an existing squad. Within the training, methodological materials are available that have helped for many years to engage the younger generation in volunteering and expand the community.
The resource center “Mosvolonter” systematically collaborates with educational institutions in the administrative districts of the capital, organizing joint volunteer campaigns and other events for students and teachers. Available on the website mosvolonter.ru special services. They offer opportunities such as conducting training sessions, event registration, ordering educational materials, providing venues at the volunteer centers «Good Place», and others. Since the beginning of the year, more than 220 educational organizations have utilized the center’s support.
Every year, “Mosvolonter” conducts educational events on the basics of organizing volunteer activities: the “School of Good” and the “College of Good.” An open, creative, and trusting atmosphere helps participants learn to work together, develop cooperation, and also improve their competencies within the volunteer community.
Volunteering at Moscow universities is actively supported by students who join university associations. The Council of Volunteer Center Leaders of universities, established on the basis of the “Moscow Volunteer” resource center, currently covers 64 educational institutions. In the new academic year, the council plans to expand cooperation with colleges to unite all centers within the student environment of Moscow.
In addition, the resource center “Mosvolonter” offers specialized training programs for schoolchildren and students. For example, “Volunteer Workshop” for college students, “Create!” for university students, as well as courses “Join in!”, “Manage”, “Teach” and “Five Keys”.
From postcards to team coordination
Students of School No. 777 named after Hero of the Soviet Union E.V. Mikhaylov participate in charitable and environmental campaigns: they collect, sort, and pack items for those in need. Sometimes the students take the initiative themselves — for example, in spring they organized a collection for a shelter helped by the family of one of the students.
Tenth grader Viktoria started with small school events and cards for younger children. Then she began participating in city events, and at 14 she led a volunteer group for the first time. Now she conducts briefings, assigns tasks, and represents the team on the school’s governing council.
“When we ask the kids which events they remember the most, there are almost never two identical answers: for some, it’s the ski race, and for others, it’s a visit to a veteran of pedagogical work. The strongest response is evoked by the events dedicated to Victory Day: they help feel involved in the past and present of our country,” said Anastasia Khokhryakova, advisor to the director on education at school No. 777 named after Hero of the Soviet Union E.V. Mikhaylov.
Assistance related to future profession
At Technological College No. 24, social volunteering is actively developed. Students help elderly people and people with disabilities (PWD), conduct master classes, and participate in charity events. Special attention is given to the inclusive direction: students with disabilities themselves become volunteers and join the projects of socially oriented non-profit organizations.
College students helped organize the “Dancing House” event for children with Down syndrome, while future graphic designers created charm keychains as talismans for soldiers in the special military operation.
The educational organizer of Technological College No. 24, Oksana Kozyar, said that it is important for them to show students how volunteering helps apply the knowledge gained in college, acquire new experience, and uncover their abilities. After such projects, many continue to participate in volunteer initiatives independently.
From novice to leader
Taisiya Kosareva joined the volunteer center of the Moscow Polytechnic University in her first year along with friends, and a few years later she was already heading the center.
Each year, the volunteer center is joined by approximately 150 students. They have access to various forms of activities: event-based, social, environmental, patriotic, and sports directions, as well as social project development.
The story of Milalika Yanchenkova is an example of how volunteering can grow into a serious project. In 2022, she joined as a newcomer and then developed a program to cultivate flexible skills among volunteers. In 2025, the initiative won a grant competition and gathered more than 200 participants.
Taisiya Kosareva noted that volunteering provides an opportunity to try oneself in various roles: coordinator, organizer, media specialist, and social project designer. According to her, students gain experience in communicating with people, managing teams, and implementing their own ideas.
Organizing volunteer activities and involving young people in city events align with the objectives of the national project “Youth and Children” and the federal project “We Are Together.” More about Russia’s national projects and the capital’s contribution can be found at special page.
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