In Vitebsk, the first regional forum «The Future is in the Hands of the Young» brought together about 200 participants

The Vitebsk Regional Institute for the Development of Education hosted the regional youth forum "The Future is in the Hands of the Young" for the first time. The event was attended by about 200 educators, schoolchildren, and representatives of educational institution administrations from Vitebsk and its districts. The Vitebsk Regional Institute for the Development of Education organized the event. Valentina Pikulik, Head of the Center for Preschool, General Secondary, Special Education, and Expert Activities, outlined the main objectives of the event: "First and foremost, it is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, which is one of the goals of the National Strategy for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development of Belarus." The inaugural forum brought together young educators, deputy principals for educational work, and heads of civic and patriotic education from across the northern region to fully familiarize participants with the opportunities of specialized education, and to demonstrate that the Vitebsk region has everything necessary to properly guide schoolchildren towards their chosen profession and, in the future, to employ young specialists in their fields. The scope of work in this direction was evident during the presentations of specialized classes – agricultural, pedagogical, sports and pedagogical, and engineering. The military-patriotic aspect of school work was also highlighted. The Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) vector was represented by Vitebsk Secondary School No. 44, which hosts the "Rescuer" military-patriotic club of the Vitebsk Regional Department of the MES. The military-patriotic direction is also represented by the "Gvardiya" club, established at Vitebsk Secondary School No. 45 named after Vasily Margelov. "Gvardiya" closely collaborates with the 103rd Vitebsk Separate Guards Airborne Brigade. The young patriots call themselves "Margelovites" and are proud of their connection to the legendary founder of the Airborne Forces. The educator herself watched the presentation of the pedagogical class of Vitebsk Gymnasium No. 5 with special emotion. "The core message of their presentation is the continuity of generations. Current pedagogical class students are taught by mentors who, not so long ago, were themselves students at this very school and followed the same path," shared Valentina Pikulik.