The National Project "Youth and Children" is a federal program initiated by President Vladimir Putin and implemented from 2025 onward. It covers more than 50 million people across the country and includes nine federal projects carried out by Rosmolodezh, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Culture, Rossotrudnichestvo, Rosobrnadzor, and other agencies.[4] In the Nizhny Novgorod Region, approximately 13 billion rubles have been allocated for the implementation of the national project in 2025.[1][2]
Federal Context
The national project was presented on April 12, 2025, at the National Center "Russia," bringing together more than 1,000 participants — graduates of Rosmolodezh forums, representatives of the "Movement of the First," young scientists, and leaders of youth organizations. The ceremony featured addresses by Sergey Kirienko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration, and Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia.[4] At the same time, the launch of Rosmolodezh's 2025 forum campaign was announced, with more than 20,000 participants from all regions of the country expected to take part.[4]
On a national scale, the project provides for major repairs and refurbishment of more than 8,000 schools, the creation of 50 advanced engineering schools, the construction of 25 modern campuses (17 of which were already under construction at the time of the presentation), and the expansion of a network of IT cubes, quantoria, and "mini-Siriuses." By 2030, plans call for the establishment of 489 educational clusters and the professional development of more than 55,000 teachers and mentors; more than 15,000 grants for social initiatives are also envisaged.[4]
Implementation in Nizhny Novgorod Region
On October 7, 2025, a working meeting took place in Nizhny Novgorod between Governor Gleb Nikitin and Russian Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov, devoted to the progress of the national project's implementation in the region.[2] Nikitin reported that construction of the first facility at the IT Campus "Neymark" — an 18-building hotel complex — had been completed, while four more campus facilities and five kindergartens continue to be built.[2] Design and cost documentation for a school for gifted children in Bor is also being developed.[2]
Under the national project, major repairs were completed in 2025 at 11 schools in the region; work continues at 15 more educational institutions — nine schools, three colleges, two kindergartens, and one youth center.[2] Under the federal project "The Best for Children," more than 3,000 units of modern equipment have been procured for teaching technology, labor skills, and safety fundamentals.[2]
Nikitin and Kravtsov visited the site of a future federal technopark for vocational education, to be built on the grounds of the Nizhpoligraf facility, where more than 40 laboratories covering priority economic sectors are planned, along with training in 50 fields; the technopark is conceived as a professional development center for secondary vocational education instructors.[1][2]
The region has 16 industry clusters under the Professionalitet program; in 2025, six new educational and production centers were opened. Across 73 vocational educational institutions, 234 secondary vocational education programs are offered in 170 specializations and 64 skilled trades. According to the Governor, more than 60% of ninth-grade graduates go on to study at colleges and technical schools.[1][2]
New Schools
On Knowledge Day 2026, four new schools with a combined capacity of 3,800 places opened in Nizhny Novgorod Region as part of a national project — in Vorsma, Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod, and Bor. In Vorsma, School No. 2, accommodating 600 pupils, was built on the site of a building more than 65 years old and has been switched to a single-shift schedule. In addition, a school in Vyksa reopened after modernization.[3]
Sources
- V gorode N — 13 billion rubles to be allocated to the national project "Youth and Children" in Nizhny Novgorod Region (archive)
- BankNN — Nizhny Novgorod Region to allocate 13 billion rubles to the national project "Youth and Children" (archive)
- natsionalnyeproekty.rf — Four new schools opened in Nizhny Novgorod Region
- Nizhegorodskiye novosti — The national project "Youth and Children" presented at the National Center "Russia" (archive)