Roman Kudriavtsev is a project manager and a co-founder of the NGO Democracy.Youth.Development, which implements informal education, spreads democratic values and develops youth policies in his local rural community. Roman's projects have reduced the rates of the migration of young people from the community and increased the interest in informal learning among youth. Roman is also heavily involved at the local youth center, where he works to develop teenagers' awareness of the modern world.
The project reduced the migration of young people from rural areas by providing educational opportunities to learn new professions that can lead to jobs and employment. Four educational courses on information technology and four trainings on developing soft skills were conducted. One hundred community members learned and practiced their soft skills and tech skills needed to work in IT. A survey taken at the end of the project showed that 93% of participants reported positive changes in employment as a result of their participation in the program.
Roman participated in the IVLP Project Sustainable Development for Rural Communities in the United States, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Cultural Vistas.
Roman's exchange experience led to the development of his IVLP Impact Award Project: "We discussed challenges that both Ukrainian and American communities shared in common, and personally, I received valuable knowledge that I will use in my future projects."
Washington, DC; Des Moines, IA; Columbia, SC