The Yuventa Center for Intellectual Development joined the IDEA project in April 2009.

The modern society poses a number of challenges before the young generation, looking for wide knowledge, intellectual excellence, proactive attitude, independence and critical thinking skills. Therefore there is an urgent and important need to create environments conducive to fostering these qualities in children and developing their intellectual, information, academic and self-organization potential, thus paving the way to children’s personal growth and self-actualization in any social or economic situation.

One of such environments in the city of Noyabrsk is the Yuventa Center for Intellectual Development. The Center provides educational services to 1,466 students (ages 7-18) in three programs: Computer Competence and IT, Language Studies, and Business and Legislation, with 89 different courses including Applied Economics, Personal Budget Management, Computer Skills for Business, courses in touch-typing, design, programming, life and career planning, economic and management modeling, training in taking educational tests, etc. The Center also offers the same educational programs for adults.

The Yuventa Center has developed an original step-by-step system of career guidance and vocational education for children of different ages, from elementary school courses to highly specialized, advanced electives for high school seniors. It teaches children and teenagers specific skills, gives them a chance to pursue a wide range of interests, and provides career guidance, helping them find their way in a difficult economic situation. A special emphasis is made on developing the children’s intellectual potential through the junior academic research program, various educational events and intellectual games, and a network of clubs such as Creative Kaleidoscope, School Company, and Debates. The Center organizes popular city-wide events such as the School Companies Fair, the Simple Words essay competition, debates for high school students, the IT Marathon, city-wide Academic Weeks in various disciplines (computer proficiency and IT technologies, business and law, language studies), the Business Lady and Businessman Pageant, etc.

The Yuventa Center’s young alumni have won many prestigious awards of Russian and international contest including the Tula International Fair of School Companies, the regional student academic conference Stepping into the Future, the International student competition The Planet’s Erudites, regional computer science contests, the Green Planet photo contest organized by the Russian Children’s Environmental Forum, the regional contest Young Holy Orthodox Russia, the national art competition Dreaming of Outer Space run by the Federal ROSKOSMOS Space Agency, all-Russian distance competition Children Choose Health, the national contest of information literacy, and many others. In March 2007, the Yuventa Center received one of the first prizes in the category “Supplementary Education for Children” at the III all-Russia contest Moral Education in Educational Institutions.

The modern world doesn’t stand still, ever posing new demands and requirements, so the Yuventa Center continues to look for new ways and methods for creating the optimal environment for educating tomorrow’s generation, hoping to see Russian youth well-developed intellectually, morally and professionally, equipped with the latest knowledge and communication skills, full of energy and initiative, and able to face the world with confidence and optimism. The Yuventa Center ‘s doors are always open to those who are willing to learn!