‘The World of Open Opportunities’ сharity event
According to the official statistics, out of 7.6 mn children learning in pre-school institutions, around 600,000 (7.9%) have special needs or disabilities . The number of such children in pre-school institutions is growing annually by 10%. The Institute of Inclusive Education Problems says that 170,000 children with special needs were receive education at home, while 110,000 do not learn at all.
We are helping children with developmental disabilities and orphanage background pave the way to school education. The pre-requisite skills such as communication skills and education- behavior for learning give them a chance to find their place in life.
Our methods
An annual charity event, ‘The World of Open Opportunities’, takes place just before the Knowledge Day. In 2021, ‘Investment in the Future’, a Sberbank charitable foundation, and SberTogether platform launched a fund-raising campaign to support nonprofit organizations’ projects aimed at preparing children with developmental disabilities to learn at school in regions where the situation is worst: Novgorod, Orenburg, Kirov and Kransoyarsk regions.
The project of every NPO includes personal and group lessons that help the children develop communication and sensorimotor skills, eye–hand coordination and a habit to exhibit behavior for learning.
The lessons are held by speech therapists, speech-language pathologists and educators who use augmentative and alternative communication methods such as Makaton, PECS, applied behavior analysis, sensory integrative therapy and other tested tools.
Parents also benefit from personal consultations and learn to properly prepare their children for school and then, gradually, for independent life in the society.
Employees of NPOs that received a grant under ‘The World of Open Opportunities’ program are trained by the ‘Center for Curative Pedagogics’. For more than 30 years, the center has been the key excellence center for working with children with special needs in Russia.
2021 Achievements
- 4,730 people donated RUB 2,450,000. Sber doubled that amount.
- Around RUB 5 mn was sent to four regional nonprofits that are part of the ‘Value Of Everyone’, the alliance of professional organizations for helping people with psychological disorders.
- 55 children with special needs participated in NPO programs to prepare for school and take their next big step in life.
Two projects were completed
- 2,400 lessons
- 35 children
- 170 experts
Four projects launched
- 2,600 lessons
- 117 children
- 117 families