Adolescent and youth participation

The challenge, In Belarus, school graduates do not always have the skills they need to overcome the challenges of the 21st century. Today's education system was created in the 19th century, and it does not fit into the 21st century. It has a teacher, a classroom, an audience, a specific curriculum, and memorization of the taught material. This system has become…, Resourses, Результаты проекта «Дружественная и поддерживающая среда в школах» Friendly and supporting environment at schools  (available in Russian)., The solution, We work to help adolescents develop the skills they need to adapt to various challenges they may face in the future. We cannot predict what the future holds for us. However, we can help adolescents develop their self-confidence, creativity, optimism, and teamwork skills. These qualities will help young people adapt to any environment. We have been…, Deliverables, More than 200 teenagers have participated in the UPSHIFT social innovation program. As a result, young people have developed 45 projects. 15 projects were financially supported and implemented. In 2021, we integrated the UPSHIFT social innovation program into the additional education system of Belarus so that young people develop skills for the…

In Belarus, 26 per cent of young people aged 15 to 19 have suicidal thoughts, and 18 per cent of young people have depressive symptoms.* Children are very vulnerable at this age. Change is happening everywhere: from your own growing body to your familiar environment (exams, college, university). Going through all this with the support of…, About psychologists, About 30 psychologists collaborate with the platform today. There were certain selection requirements to them. These were documents proving higher specialized education and at least 3 years working experience. Psychologists filled out an application, and then they were interviewed. If the interview was successful, the psychologist could undergo…, About peer counselors, Peer counselors are not psychologists, but peers. They do not provide psychological assistance: they communicate and provide support based on their personal experience. Their task is to listen carefully, talk, and refer people to a psychologist if they feel it is needed. Today all peer counsels on the platform are students of the Institute of …, About the platform user age, There is no way we can monitor who signs up for a psychologist, especially when it comes to counseling without a video. However, in Belarus, psychological assistance for children without notifying the parents may only be provided to 14 year olds or older adolescents. Children under 14 need parental permission. That is, children under 14 may not…, About self-help, If a young person finds it challenging to contact a specialist even in a text or audio/video format, then the person can read more on the website . The website has FAQs by adolescents: about self-doubt, about dissatisfaction with their appearance, about bullying and cyberbullying, about relationships with parents. These are the questions most…

On November 21, the UNICEF Adolescent Advisory Council and other young people met with representatives of the business community: professionals from MTS, Kaspersky, DoubleTree by Hilton Minsk, Priorbank, and 21vek.by. Young people described what they expected from businesses, shared their vision of an ideal employer and provided recommendations on…

When people doubted her project, a 16-year-old Eliza understood that she needed to work further to prove the opposite. Eliza’s project was the most debated on the sidelines of the intensive workshop on UPSHIFT technology. The jury swamped her with questions, and peers kept the fires of doubts. However, Eliza and her team persevered: they defended…, About the project, In Belarus, about 280 thousand tons of plastic are taken to landfills annually, of which about 4 thousand tons of plastic caps. They take over 100 years to decompose, are highly toxic and pollute water and soil. But caps can be recycled: they are made of high-quality plastic and can be better recycled than bottles. Recycling plants pay money for…, It all started with TikTok, “I came across a few videos on TikTok about the environment back in winter. They were about pollution of the planet,” says Eliza. “It frightened me, it was frustrating. We got together with friends, discussed everything we saw, and decided to start from small steps to solve environmental problems in the area we live in. We remembered how two years…, Training, For four days, with the help of UPSHIFT trainers, the team discussed the idea, thought through all the components (costs, implementation and promotion), polished the project and prepared to present to the jury who would be the potential sponsors and partners. “The project had the most heated discussion. On one hand, we felt it was good. We…, After training, After the training, the team arrived in Grodno city to strategize how to proceed further. The team has developed booklets about the project and are now distributing them in the Grodno region to allow as many people as possible to learn about the problem and join the collection of plastic caps. In addition, the team organizes special awareness…, Eliza has recently become a UNICEF volunteer in Belarus, “I was very inspired by the mentor who was with us at the training. Her name is Sasha and she is a UNICEF volunteer. I was surprised to see how much time she spent with us, believed in our capacity to implement the project and how much she supported and inspired us. Now I also want to inspire others. Let's start with small - recycling a piece of…

The Children's Run was held at Minsk Half Marathon on September 11. It was organized by UNICEF Belarus and MTS with the support of the Belarusian Athletics Federation. Over 1,500 children ran 500 meters to support children with disabilities. Children aged 3-12 took part in the race. Everyone at the finish line received a "champion's medal". There…

UNICEF Belarus, together with the Ministry of Education, conducted a consultation with more than 100 young people from different regions of the country. We discussed important education issues – digital learning, skills for life and work, inclusive and safe schools, etc. It was necessary to hold the consultation in order to take into account the…, For reference, The Global Education Summit is a unique platform for dialogue and collaboration in search of solutions to pressing problems in the field of education. It helps to develop a mechanism for cooperation in the field of education to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 (quality education). The goal of this year's summit is to radically change the way…

To introduce a one-year-long paternity and a two-year-long maternity leaves. To organize debating clubs for men and women in each city and town. Every family needs a psychotherapist. Do these suggestions sound unusual? UNICEF Belarus met a number of young people from different regions of the country to discuss how to solve problems in their…

To make a 100-meter arch from creeper, install reverse vending machines (a machine for collecting cans and bottles for recycling) and interactive trash bins for collecting batteries, hold a fashion show with dresses made of plastic – these and other environmental projects were created by teenagers at the intensive workshop organized by UNICEF…, Why batteries are dangerous, Подростки на сцене с плакатом "Батарейки собери - природу спаси" The adolescents from Grodno really want to convey to their peers and older people why batteries should not be thrown away with other waste. "When a battery gets into soil, its body undergoes corrosion and releases heavy metals that kill all living things at a distance of 20-40 square…, Feed garbage to a vending machine, Подросток на сцене School children from Zhlobin want to solve the garbage problem in the forests and near the lakes in their region. Therefore, they plan to buy and install reverse vending machines for collecting cans and bottles. Plastic or glass bottles will be sent to companies for recycling. People who use reverse vending machines receive…, Caps separately, Девочки-подростки на сцене презентуют свою идею Teenagers from the Grodno region propose to install trash bins to collect plastic caps. "The caps are recycled separately from bottles," Lisa says with enthusiasm. "The cap is made of plastic that can be recycled really well. We want to make people aware of this problem so that they will collect caps…, The green bridge, Участник в зале в майке Юнисеф Young people from Gomel want to create a unique for Belarus art and eco-project. Make a 100-meter "living" arch over the railway bridge to reduce carbon dioxide emissions near the busiest road section in Gomel. The children hope that this arch will also cast a shadow on the bridge and make it more comfortable for the…

Best friends did not communicate with Olya for six months. Instead, they joked offensively and came up with unpleasant nicknames, and on social networks, the girl’s head was photoshopped to images of animals. Vlad faced bullying when he changed schools – his family moved a lot. Because of offensive comments, Lera lost a lot of weight and as a…

When Maxim entered a vocational education institution to study social work, his mother, a teacher at a foster home with 20 years of experience, dissuaded him. She asked him to consider everything carefully because it was hard work and stress, besides he would be surrounded by people with various problems. Maxim remembers his mother coming home…, Maxim Turavtsov. 18 years old, volunteer, graduate of the Minsk State College of the Service Sector, social worker, Волонтер Максим Туравцов My mother has been a teacher at a boarding school for more than 20 years. She has worked with people with disabilities. I often came to her to help: I played with children, talked to them. It was interesting and I liked it. And when I saw that a new specialization "social work" had opened in the college of the service…, How to become a UNICEF volunteer?, At UNICEF – the United Nations Children's Fund – we are always happy to welcome initiative young people. They can be useful in many ways here: fundraising (raising funds to support UNICEF programs), information volunteering (disseminating information about UNICEF programs) and helping to organize charitable, sports and partner events. Find out…

From February 25 to March 22, Geneva hosts the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The session focuses not only adults but also children. An interactive panel discussion on February 26 was dedicated to the rights of children and adolescents. The event was initiated by Belarus and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), which have…