The USAID-funded Youth Development Competencies Program (YDCP), implemented by IREX, won Petrozavodsk’s 2009 award for Innovation of the Year. Nikolai Levin, the head of the Petrozavodsk City Administration, presented the award, part of the city-wide competition entitled “The City Looking to the Future.”
The competition, which had 13 categories, acknowledged meaningful innovations that had a noticeable impact on life in Petrozavodsk during the past year. YDCP won the award for Innovation of the Year because of its introduction of Positive Youth Development Theory, which was previously not utilized in the republic. By treating young people as a resource to be developed and actively involving them in project implementation, YDCP has helped local youth become engaged citizens while improving their life skills.
YDCP has seven projects in Karelia, of which six are based in Petrozavodsk. The projects involve young people in the assessment of youth opinions on social issues, negotiations with local government officials, and in collaboration with local businesses on entrepreneurial activity.