Socially-relevant projects as a development factor of professional competencies in students

Abstract

Besides students’ effectiveness in compulsory educational activities (attendance, performance, putting theory into practice, etc.), their progress in the development of perbe assessed through students’ involvement and success in university’s extracurricular activities. It is informal education that plays a major role in the development of personality at different stages of its development. Unlike traditional education system, informal education centers around individual educational efforts of the subject. Through their proactive attitude in the social and educational environment, students in informal education implement a range of approaches to obtain new knowledge. Thus, they transform the educational potential of society into personal qualitative achievements. Along with self-study, volunteer charitable activities, work in the media, etc., informal education is referred in the academic literature as a type of alternative education. In our opinion, students’ project-based activities are an example of informal education. For several years, students of the training program Social Work from Ryazan State University named after S.A. Yesenin have been taking part in the development and testing of socially-relevant projects and competitions at the university as well as at the regional and national levels. Over the past five years, we have created and implemented the following socially-relevant projects: 1) And Life, and Tears, and... Cinema; 2) Our Whole Life... is a Game; 3) Social Calendar; 4) My Dear Elderly People; 5) Folk Wisdom; 6)There is a Solution: NO to Scammers! By organizing and participating in project-based activities, students (future social work professionals) interact with various demographic and professional groups. This contributes to greater immersion in their future professional activities and provides insights into social and psychological phenomena as well as social and psychological characteristics of the target audience and social workers. Thus, the participation of students in socially-relevant projects is an example of informal education and an opportunity to reveal their personal potential resulting in the development of a system of professional competencies.