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awareness of the public regarding the infrastructure for environmentally-friendly waste disposal. It is also proof of substantial environmental education efforts that include lectures, workshops, social advertising campaigns, debunking of myths, and press publications undertaken by The Green Cause and other environmental projects in Kaliningrad.
Probably the best illustration of the project’s impact happened in 2020, when The Green Cause was experiencing financial issues. Oleg Paukov then publicly shared his challenges in his social media accounts, which resulted in an overwhelming response from the residents and sparked public interest. As a result, Oleg received a call from the governor’s office and was invited to a meeting to discuss potential solutions.
Atmosphere Center
A Club for Engineering and Technical Creativity and a Space for Creators.
https://clck.ru/37jdMC
The Atmosphere Center brings together multiple educational spaces, designed to facilitate joint intellectual growth for both adults and children, including those with unique developmental needs. It also serves as a platform for the exchange of experiences among social entrepreneurs.
PROBLEM ADDRESSED
The village of Muromskoye in the Zelenogradsk District lies 24 kilometers from Kaliningrad and 9 kilometers from the Baltic Sea. Prior to 1946, it bore the name Laptau, which translates to “a place teeming with foxes.” Once an expanse under the ownership of the Teutonic Order, this territory housed the stone Laptau Castle, with a German Lutheran church erected in the vicinity. During the 19th century, a parochial school operated within the village, replaced by an elementary school in Soviet times.
Presently, Muromskoye is home to approximately 800 residents. The village boasts a library and a club, yet it lacks a kindergarten and a school, which have been closed for the last three decades. Children in the village lack a dedicated space for engaging in engineering and technical creativity activities and nurturing their hard and soft skills. Meanwhile, according to hh.ru, the demand for programmers in Russia soared in 2021 by a staggering 72 % within a single year. The market yearns for specialists with teamwork and independent problem-solving skills, possessing a profound understanding of information technologies and a readiness to strive for excellence. Offering vocational guidance to teenage residents of the village and introducing them to the realms of robotics and programming represents an opportunity to unlock their potential and equip them for the professions of the future.
It was here, amidst the remnants of the Teutonic castle and a century-old school, that Yulia Taranova, an entrepreneur from Kaliningrad, embarked on a mission to craft a haven for those who “think and create.” This endeavor gave birth to the Educational and Intellectual Development Center known as “Atmosphere,” which opened its doors on September 22, 2023.
“When I first set foot here, the grounds of the former school were in complete disrepair. It was autumn, and the sun cast its warm glow upon the scene, surrounded by ancient trees. So I couldn’t help but think, ‘What an incredible place! We must restore the school and create an environment where both children and adults can feel great.’ Our villages are seeds of potential. And I aspire for the children here to have opportunities to flourish. Just like many of our fellow Kaliningraders, I had no knowledge of the existence of Muromskoye village. Yet now I am confident that soon it will be a name recognized not only within the Kaliningrad Region but across all of Russia,” shares Yulia Taranova.
The Center conducts educational sessions for children, including children with disabilities, in the form of programming and robotics camps. Furthermore, Atmosphere serves as a platform for preparing school teams for robotics and programming competitions and Olympiads, such as the World Robot Olympiad (WRO), Robofest, Amber Robot, KDHACK hackathon, and more. Various events organized by the Kaliningrad Region Association of Social Entrepreneurs, under Taranova’s presidency, are also slated to take place at the center. As a testament to this, on the inauguration day of Atmosphere, a vine weaving class was hosted by the Women’s Carpentry Workshop for Mothers with Many Children, while the Ksyunya’s Joy studio treated guests to wholesome desserts free of sugar, oil, and flour.
METHODS USED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM
Yulia Taranova firmly believes in the inherent genius of every child. While the state focuses on nurturing gifted children, this entrepreneur contends that a unique “atmosphere” is essential for unlocking the potential of any child.
The first facet of the Atmosphere Center’s work is educational classes for children, including those with disabilities. Since 2015, Taranova’s other project, the Academy of Geniuses, has been teaching children robotics and programming. Now, the Academy of Geniuses, in addition to its presence in Kaliningrad, also extends its reach to the village of Muromskoye through Atmosphere. Classes are conducted in small groups to allow children to fully apply their knowledge and receive personalized feedback from instructors. Furthermore, each student receives a tailored developmental path. The robotics and programming curriculum becomes progressively more advanced, culminating in a presentation and defense of their project in front of an audience. Upon completion, teenagers receive a portfolio of projects that can aid in university admissions.
The educators at Atmosphere are graduates of technical and pedagogical universities who possess a passion for working with children and undergo regular professional development.
The second avenue of focus entails camp sessions dedicated to programming and robotics designed for children and teenagers hailing from across Russia and other former Soviet countries. The center has three large halls for group sessions, a spacious kitchen, a campfire area for evening gatherings, and 11 lodging rooms. Atmosphere can host up to 1,500 participants annually. To partake in the programs, individuals can submit applications through https://baltsphere.ru/. Several tariff options are available, ranging from partial to full immersion in the educational program.
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