Consolation (Uteshenie)

(October 2005-July 2006)

A training program for leaders of youth volunteer organizations to increase their ability to design, organize and implement projects for children and youth identified as members of socially at-risk groups residing in the Republic of Karelia. The program, which also includes sessions on organizational issues such as management and fundraising, will train a total of 46 youth leaders from Petrozavodsk and other parts of Karelia, including the Vepski volost’, Sortavalski, Kondopojgski, Prionejgski, Kalevalski, Olonetzki, and Pudojgski areas.

Upon successful completion of the training program, participants will demonstrate enhanced knowledge and competence in social work with children and youth who are classed as social risks. The youth leaders will return to their communities in order to implement activities based on their training. This phase of the project will include 23 activities that will involve 345 children and young people of social risk groups residing in the Republic of Karelia.

A manual of the training methodology will be published and disseminated to the staff of youth volunteer organizations, as well as public and state organizations working with at-risk youth. The training program will be organized jointly by Uteshenie and the Centre Initiative.