Mikhail Shelkov's Foundation allocates 200 million rubles to support educators

22.09.2022 — News

SVERDLOVSK REGION

Mikhail Shelkov's Empathy Charitable Foundation has announced the launch of two major new projects to support teachers and educators in Verkhnyaya Salda and Nizhnyaya Salda. The organization will also continue its flagship program that provides monthly payments to all educators in the two towns without exception. The total amount allocated to the three programs is nearly 200 million rubles for the academic year.

Mikhail Shelkov, the founder of the Foundation, has always emphasized the key role of teachers in developing a generation of sought-after graduates and future professionals. That is why Empathy has been actively supporting teachers since its establishment in 2020: more than 140 million rubles have been allocated to 550 teachers in the towns of the Sverdlovsk region and almost 20 million to 84 winners in Tula, the Foundation's press office told RusBusinessNews.

"Empathy's mission was and is to encourage educators to keep on improving themselves in what they love without risk of losing a decent paycheck. With the new Best Teachers program, a teacher's monthly salary in Salda is actually doubled. Schools now have the opportunity to invite more rare specialists, close vacancies, and disprove the stereotype that a good education is possible in big cities only," Mikhail Shelkov shared.

"I am sincerely glad that Russian business is taking such an active role in modern education and that our business community is setting up special funds to support our teachers. The example of Mikhail Shelkov's Empathy clearly shows how philanthropic activities help support our teachers financially and give them an impetus to provide new pedagogical services," said Yuri Biktuganov, Minister of Education and Youth Policy of the Sverdlovsk Region.

Under the new Best Teachers of Verkhnyaya Salda and Nizhnyaya Salda program, a committee of experts will reveal outstanding teachers from the two towns in late September 2023, after reviewing the participants' portfolios. In addition to the existing payments from the foundation, they will receive 15,000 rubles per month for one academic year. The selection process will take place every summer: To participate in the program, educators must re-present their accomplishments from the previous year.

The second Empathy Charity Program is designed for kindergarten employees. Heads and teachers of the preschool institutions in Verkhnyaya Salda and Nizhnyaya Salda, numbering over 600 in the two towns, will receive 10 or 15 thousand rubles per month, depending on their professional category.

Terms and conditions for participation in the new programs are published on the Foundation's website. For more information, please request an online consultation or send a request to the mail address of Empathy.

Photo: Foundation's press office