From Environmental Ideas to Real Action. The Practical Stage of the All-Russian Eco-Educational Project "School ‘ECOLEADER’" Concludes in Chelyabinsk
The large-scale project "School ‘ECOLEADER’" has concluded in Chelyabinsk, organized by the V.I. Vernadsky Foundation with the support of the State Corporation "Rosatom."
The EcoLeader School Participants from previous years visited the Krasnoyarskie Stolby (Krasnoyarsk Pillars) National Park, the Caucasian State Nature Biosphere Reserve named after H.G. Shaposhnikov (Krasnodar Region), and the Kronotsky State Nature Biosphere Reserve (Kamchatka Region). The baton was then passed to Chelyabinsk. The city selected for its unique combination of natural landmarks and developed industry, providing an ideal setting for studying the balance between economic development and environmental preservation.
For ten action-packed days, 30 schoolchildren from across Russia, selected from 400 applicants, immersed themselves in the world of ecology, science, and innovation.
The project received a comprehensive support from the regional partners. The Chelyabinsk Regional Government and the Ministry of Ecology, cultural institutions, environmental organizations, and businesses made a significant contribution to the project’s realization. This year, the project has been supported by Rosatom, which significantly expanded the program’s possibilities: providing participants with the necessary resources, offering expert support, and creating favorable conditions for implementing their environmental projects.
The School’s program was incredibly diverse: from visiting the Chelyabinsk reclaimed landfill to a virtual tour of the world’s first nuclear power plant. Participants embarked on an exciting trolleybus tour of Chelyabinsk, learning about the region’s outstanding scientists. At Russia’s only Environmental Monitoring Center, they explored advanced methods of environmental state control. They visited Taganay National Park, where they experienced the scale of the country’s natural wealth on the symbolic border between Europe and Asia. In the Kashtak Forest, they learned methods for assessing the environmental condition. They also visited the Industrial Park "Stankomash" of the "KONAR" industrial group, observing how modern manufacturing can coexist with environmental responsibility. The cultural program included tours of the State Historical Museum of the Southern Urals and the multimedia historical park "Russia — My History." In addition, the program was filled with numerous workshops and interactive activities designed to deepen knowledge and develop practical skills in ecology.
The "ECOLEADER" School naturally evolved into a family-friendly project, which is especially meaningful in the Year of the Family. Parents, though physically distant, became part of this eco-educational adventure alongside their children. Through regular photos and videos shared in-group chats, they virtually experienced every day with the participants, sharing in their discoveries and successes. This virtual engagement created a sense of support and unity. Parent feedback reveals that the project not only enlightened the students but also inspired entire families to think more deeply about environmental protection.
During the course of the project, participants spent over 100 hours discussing environmental issues and solutions, and walked more than 50 kilometers exploring the region’s natural and industrial sites.
Each day concluded with group work on environmental projects. The results exceeded expectations: from posters of Red-Listed animals created with artificial intelligence to the idea of a VR game about Arkaim and the development of eco-routes in the Kashtak Forest.
"We didn’t aim to turn professional ecologists out of these young people in just a few days. Our goal was much deeper — to awaken environmental consciousness in the participants, to plant seeds of awareness about the world around them. To explain that being an environmentally responsible person is not a profession, but a way of life," said Olga Pliamina, General Director of the V.I. Vernadsky Foundation.
The "ECOLEADER" School united young, energetic, and passionate individuals ready to change the world for the better. It became not just an educational project but also a true platform for fostering a new generation of environmentally responsible citizens. The students discovered that caring for the environment could be not only important but also engaging.
