Think and Act: Tomsk university and school students presented their eco-projects

11 november 2022

On November 9, Tomsk State University, sponsored by SIBUR's Formula for Good Deeds social investment program, hosted the Think and Act Youth Forum of Eco-Initiatives. The forum featured 39 of Tomsk’s eco-projects, including 10 scientific, 5 entrepreneurial, 5 volunteering, 4 school, 7 public, and 4 digital ones.

The purpose of the forum was to bring all of Tomsk’s eco-projects in the field of ecology and environmental protection to a single platform to spread the ideas of sustainable development and popularize the eco-lifestyle among younger people.

Sergei Kulizhsky, TSU’s Vice-Rector for Social Affairs, Danil Vorobyov, Director of TSU’s Biology Institute, Denis Bykov, head of the "Ecology" function at Tomskneftekhim, and Olga Zapryagaeva, Acting Head of Public Relations at Oblkompriroda, offered their welcoming remarks at the forum’s opening ceremony.

- It is gratifying to see that there are so many enterprising people here in Tomsk with lots of interesting ideas. It is clear that schoolchildren and students are full of enthusiasm, and this is very important because it is the younger people who help us to overcome a certain degree of inertia and propel our society forward. Speaking about our Formula for Good Deeds program, its popularity is growing with every year that passes. This year, for example, Tomsk Oblast contributed 50 projects to the program’s contest, twice as many as last year, Denis Bykov, head of Tomskneftekhim’s "Ecology" team, said.

Tomsk’s school and university students, scientists, businessmen, volunteers, MPs, teachers and eco-educators presented their initiatives at the projects’ show, and used interactive platforms of the projects’ fair to exchange their experiences and contacts, while learning about the different ways to reduce waste at the #MUSORU_NET photo exhibition and attending the show at the eco-podium to better understand why second-hand shops help promote conscious consumption and resource saving. The event ended with a dance flash mob performance in defense of the Earth and with drawing of a lottery for winning eco-prizes.

The forum featured a song by singer Iowa, whose "We are beacon people" lyrics could be chosen as yet another slogan of the event, considering that the forum had brought together zealous and active people wishing to contribute to improving the environmental situation around them.

- I think it is strategically appropriate to conduct events such as these where environmental projects are presented and introduced to the general public. And, of course, they attract new followers, too. I could only wish for that this could be done as regularly as possible! Vladimir Zuyevich, the developer of the Ecopunk computer game, noted.

- The young people who attended our workshop had been really looking forward to taking part in the forum. During their projects’ presentations they discussed their work, took an active part in the dancing flash mob performance, and at the end they were ecstatic to win their prizes in the lottery. Plus, our workshop secured orders for toy dogs made out of garment waste! Tatiana Zadvornova, the leader of the Sewing Traditions patchwork sewing workshop, an inclusive project focusing on sewing items from recycled materials, shared her emotions.

- It was a truly motivating day. I was so happy to meet those who are on the same environmental wavelength with me. I was glad to learn about other movements, organizations, projects and even an ecological computer game, Vlad Tsygankov, head of EcoMed, SibSMU’s students' eco-club, noted.

- Together with TSU’s eco-club, we have already held several festivals to bring together all of Tomsk’s eco-projects, but it was on this occasion that we managed to organize a vibrant and beautiful forum that attracted the attention of a lot young people. It all happened thanks to the support from SIBUR's social investment program, the Formula for Good Deeds. I have firmly decided to hold this forum regularly on November 9, my birthday, thinking that implementing such large-scale events for the benefit of my beloved city would be my best gift! I want to turn the forum into one of the main events in Tomsk’s life. As a forum organizer, I will use the example of SIBUR's Volunteering Forum "People Changing the World, You're Amazing" as my guiding star because it inspires and unites people in their desire to implement socially significant projects. Participation in the Forum has given me confidence that I am doing the right thing. I felt that I am a part of a large friendly community of volunteers operating under the auspices of SIBUR. The most important thing for me is environmental outreach and education, uniting and supporting environmental projects of Tomsk! Asiya Boltovskaya, a master's degree student at the Biology Institute of Tomsk State University, commented on the idea of the forum and her further plans.

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