Funding Education Centre for Russian Orphans

In 2012 Dr Maxim Anikeev, Director of Kitezh School, was runner up in the All-Russia competition for the best school Director out of 500 schools. A great achievement! Kitezh is now officially an ‘experimental’ school which allows the teachers to develop innovative school programmes and initiatives. One experiment has proved popular amongst the pupils and staff. The children are divided into 'Faculties' of all ages from 8-18 years old. Each faculty decides the topic of study for the week, the timetable and the approach to that topic. This can involve sports activities, drama, art as well as research and understanding of the subject. The older ones help the younger ones, and together they discover the joy of learning together. 

Max Anikeev is about to visit the UK on a Best Practice Study Tour organised by David Dean OBE, Therapeutic Education Consultant to Kitezh for the past 10 years and supported by Ecologia Youth Trust. Max will realise a life-long dream to visit A.S.Neill's Summerhill School, as well as meeting with top British educators, and visiting forward thinking state schools. 

The Kitezh school is becoming well known in Russia as a progressive, forward thinking school, that not only caters for its own foster children, orphans rescued from state institutions, but also for young people who are looking for a more innovative approach to learning. As the school grows in size, however, the need for more buildings and better facilities has arisen. So this year we have embarked on an ambitious fundraising campaign to start to build the new School. It will be built in 3 stages: first ten classrooms; then art and craft workshops; and finally a canteen and sports hall. Building permissions have been received and we hope to start with the foundations this year, as soon as we are confident of sufficient funds. If you are inspired to contribute to this great cause, no matter how much or how little, we will be very grateful! 

Links:

• Ecologia Youth Trust