Позитивные изменения. Том 3, № 4 (2023). Positive changes. Volume 3, Issue 4(2023) - Редакция журнала «Позитивные изменения»

As per the founder’s vision, children and parents can stay at Atmosphere together. While children delve into the realm of IT technologies, parents have the opportunity to engage in yoga, yachting, fishing, and participate in discussions at the book club.

The third dimension involves preparing school teams for competitions and Olympiads. The Atmosphere Center actively participates in the Code of the Future federal project, which offers free training in popular programming languages to students of grades 8–11 and vocational schools. Participants acquire knowledge and skills that come in handy in preparing for the Unified State Exam (USE), the Basic State Exam (BSE), and participation in the Olympiads. This training enables students to immerse themselves in the role of an IT specialist and make informed decisions about their future professions.

Yulia Taranova, the visionary behind the Atmosphere Center, also takes the initiative in organizing regional and national events for children in the field of engineering and technology. For instance, teenagers aged 14–18 from the Kaliningrad region annually participate in KDHACK robotics hackathons, team competitions that involve solving intricate challenges within specified timeframes. For instance, during such competitions, participants design firefighting robots capable of extinguishing fires in the most challenging conditions, in places inaccessible to humans; or robots that can dispense medical test results through a separate registration desk’s window, expediting the process and reducing waiting times. These hackathons are part of the Digital Future of Russia festival.

The fourth dimension focuses on promoting social entrepreneurship in the Kaliningrad region. At the Atmosphere Center, social entrepreneurs can share knowledge, conduct masterclasses, and collaboratively address pressing issues.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND AWARDS

Recipient of the Soprichastnost Award for outstanding contributions to the humanitarian and social sectors (2017, Kaliningrad).

Winner of the All-Russian competition “Best Social Project 2018” in the “Best Social Project in Additional Education” nomination. The competition was organized by the Social Projects Support Fund.

Winner of the Amber Mercury Business Award presented by the Kaliningrad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2019). The project claimed the title of “Best Small Enterprise in the Service Sector.”

Winner of the All-Russian competition “Social Entrepreneur 2020” hosted by Our Future Foundation (an interest-free loan of 6 million rubles).

Yulia Taranova currently serves as the president of the Kaliningrad Region Association of Social Entrepreneurs, an organization established in the region in 2021.

DIRECT RESULTS FOR 2022

Over 4,000 children have received training in robotics and programming since the project’s inception.

The Academy of Geniuses franchise has expanded its presence to 63 cities in Russia and other former Soviet republics.

In 2022, the KDHACK hackathon, in which Atmosphere was a key organizer, received 270 applications from participants, with 20 teams competing.

SOCIAL EFFECTS

In 2022, instructors from Atmosphere and the Academy of Geniuses nurtured three winners and one finalist in the Code of the Future Olympiad in 1C. These children each earned an extra 10 points towards their Unified State Exam (USE) scores, providing them with a competitive advantage for university admissions.

Parents of the students have noticed improved performance in mathematics and computer science as their children witness practical applications.

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT

As previously mentioned, Yulia Taranova envisions Muromskoye, the home of Atmosphere, as a burgeoning hub. Her aspiration is to transform the village into an intellectual development center and a community of the future.

“When we first started, the area was in a state of disrepair. The village administration extended a helping hand by landscaping the surroundings. They cleared away weeds and debris, painted the lampposts, reopened the stadium, and paved bicycle lanes. There are local children here in need of productive activities. My wish is for the settlement’s residents to have access to a brighter future. I genuinely hope that our educational center, Atmosphere, will contribute to this vision,” shares Yulia Taranova.

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY MODEL

Sales of the Academy of Geniuses franchise and revenue generated from educational activities.

UVIVO

Services for Pet Owners.

https://clck.ru/36onZX

UVIVO is a concierge service for pet owners. It offers a comprehensive ecosystem of services designed to assist owners in caring for their pets throughout their entire lifespan, from birth to old age. UVIVO delivers a full spectrum of services for pet owners, including consultations on nutrition, training, care, and maintenance, as well as the coordination of medical treatments. The service also sources professionals, from pet sitters to veterinarians and animal behaviorists. A key focus of the company’s operations is its collaboration with universities to facilitate the training of specialists in pet care.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

The concept for UVIVO was conceived by Olga Klimova while she was a university student. The moment of inspiration came when a friend’s family, while planning a vacation, found themselves without a place to keep their dog. They asked Olga for help looking after their pet in their absence. Olga agreed, and soon she recognized the potential for a viable business. Her market research revealed that Moscow’s pet care services were significantly underdeveloped at the time, compared to those in European countries and the United States, where pet hotels and private pet sitters were readily available to care for cats and dogs while their owners were away.

UVIVO launched in 2007, initially providing specialist services for dog walking and training. As the company expanded, adding new services, it encountered a notable shortage of trained professionals in the pet care industry. Olga Klimova points out that