Evaluation of youth involvement in educational initiatives

The article presents the results of a study evaluating the implementation of youth policy in Russian universities in the changing conditions. It is shown that the main directions of youth policy in higher education are the creation of conditions for the professional and personal growth of students, the development of student self-government and support for initiatives, ensuring inclusivity and diversity, and psychological support for students. The involvement of students in the implementation of social initiatives, as well as the formation of citizenship and patriotism, volunteering are the highest priorities for universities in modern conditions. Using the example of the North-Eastern Federal University, the features of evaluation the degree and nature of students’ involvement in initiatives are revealed, such as continuity, comparative nature, multidimensionality and variability of evaluation methods.

The study presents a range of assessment methods relevant to the current educational landscape, including an analysis of regulations and analytical materials, questionnaires, factor and statistical analyses, in-depth interviews, surveys, and an analysis of best practices. The study utilized a theoretical analysis of youth policy research, an analysis of Russian university practices, surveys and in-depth interviews with students, faculty, and external stakeholders, and a digital footprint analysis (big data analytics) of social media user opinions and online communities. A brief analysis shows that a comprehensive evaluation of students’ involvement in social initiatives allows, on the one hand, to ensure the adjustment of youth policy at the university, its timely adaptation to changing environmental conditions, the nature of public sentiment; on the other – to predict possible changes in the youth environment, to take measures to prevent destructive phenomena. The results of the research can be used in the practice of managing the development of Russian universities, developing programs for the implementation of youth policy in universities.

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