About the Conference

                   

Conference Aim:

To consolidate the efforts of families, educational institutions (including Sunday schools), and civil society organizations in preserving the cultural and spiritual heritage of the peoples of Russia. To discuss theoretical and practical approaches to fostering a unified Russian civic identity by strengthening intergenerational ties, developing ethno-cultural education, and transmitting traditional family values in the face of contemporary social and digital challenges.

We invite participation from:

Researchers, university and college faculty, teachers of secular and Sunday schools, specialists in pedagogy, psychology and theology, clergy, representatives of national-cultural autonomies and public organizations, students, undergraduates, postgraduates, and parent communities.

The conference will address the following thematic areas:

Family and School as Agents of Unity: The educational potential of family and school in fostering civic identity and interethnic harmony.

Intergenerational Continuity: Mechanisms for transmitting cultural experience, native languages, and traditional crafts from older to younger generations.

Traditional Values and the Digital Environment: Preserving the spiritual and moral core of the individual in an era of digital transformation and globalization.

Folk Pedagogy and Modernity: Integrating ethnopedagogy and ethnopsychology into contemporary education (preschool, school, and supplementary education).

The Role of Religious Organizations and Sunday Schools: Supporting the family, studying native languages, and preserving cultural traditions as a foundation for unity.

Proposed Conference Sections:

  1. Preschool Education: The Roots of Unity through Play and Traditions

  • Folk games, fairy tales and lullabies as tools for shaping moral foundations and introducing children to their native culture.

  • Involving parents and grandparents in kindergarten life: "Grandmother's Gatherings," festivals of national culture.

  • Fostering goodwill towards people of other nationalities in preschoolers.

  1. School as a Center for Civic Identity and Intercultural Dialogue

  • Ethno-cultural component in school curricula: teaching native languages, literature, history and culture of the peoples of Russia.

  • Student project activities: "Chronicle of My Family," "Cultural Map of My Region," "Traditions of My People."

  • The role of school museums in preserving local history and traditions (not only military, but also everyday and cultural).

  1. Family and School: Effective Models of Interaction and Mentoring

  • Mentoring as a bridge between generations: projects involving children, parents, and teachers.

  • Support for family education and family-based forms of learning.

  • Psychological and pedagogical support for the family: how schools can communicate with parents about values.

  1. Sunday Schools and Ethno-Cultural Centers: Institutions for Preserving Language, Faith and Traditions

  • The role of Sunday schools (Orthodox, Muslim, etc.) in spiritual and moral education and native language learning.

  • Interaction between secular schools and Sunday schools (or ethno-cultural centers) in the same locality.

  • The experience of national-cultural autonomies in working with children and youth.

  1. Intergenerational Continuity in Supplementary Education and Socio-Cultural Projects

  • Intergenerational masterclasses: crafts, cooking, folklore (children and adults together).

  • Volunteer projects for the preservation of cultural heritage (restoration of churches, estates, care for old cemeteries).

  • Family clubs and creative dynasties as a resource for unity.

  1. Digital Environment and New Media in the Preservation of Cultural Heritage

  • Using multimedia to promote native languages and cultures (apps, podcasts, blogs).

  • Creating virtual museums and interactive maps dedicated to the culture of the peoples of Russia.

  • Safety in the digital environment: protecting children from extremism and incitement of interethnic enmity.

  1. Youth Voice: My Family in the History of My Country

  • A section for schoolchildren and students presenting family research, genealogies, and essays on family traditions.

  • Competition of videos and presentations on family dynasties (teachers, doctors, workers, artisans).

  • Youth initiatives aimed at strengthening interethnic peace.

  1. Spiritual and Moral Education in the Contemporary Educational Space

  • Formation of traditional family values in children and youth as a contribution to social stability.

  • Interaction between secular pedagogy and theology in matters of education.

  • Prevention of destructive behavior through engagement with spiritual and cultural traditions.

  1. Inclusion as a Space of Unity: Family Values, Cultural Diversity and Equal Educational Opportunities

  • Family and school in inclusive education: transmitting cultural traditions to children with special needs.

  • Intergenerational continuity in an inclusive environment: the role of parents and mentors in preserving the cultural code.

  • Ethno-cultural diversity of Russia as a resource for inclusive education: from tolerance to unity.

  • Adaptation of traditional educational practices of the peoples of Russia for work with children with disabilities.

  • Intergenerational inclusive projects "School – Family – Community" as a mechanism for unity.

Forms of Participation: in-person, online, with the publication of a collection of materials with subsequent placement in the Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI). The best articles, at the request of the participants and after peer review, may be published in the scientific journal "Trajectory of Education." Manuscripts are accepted in Russian and English. Each article will be assigned a separate DOI.

To participate in the conference and to form the program, please submit the manuscript of the article and the application for participation (see appendix) via the conference website at: https://conf.ushinsky-iro.ru/ by September 20, 2026. Upon receipt of the manuscript, the organizing committee will send a confirmation notice.

Participation in the conference is at the expense of the sending party. There is no registration fee for participation in the conference or for publication of articles in the proceedings or the scientific journal.

Important: Within the framework of the conference, all interested participants (in-person and online) are offered a unique opportunity to improve their professional competence in the field of education and cultural continuity. The K. D. Ushinsky Institute for Educational Development organizes short-term professional development courses on five original programs, developed specifically for the thematic framework of this conference, with a volume of 16 academic hours:

CPD-144 "Family Values as the Basis of Education: Technologies for Updating Traditions in the Modern School"
Application link: https://cloud.ushinsky-iro.ru/index.php/apps/forms/s/padA9sctqB3QgyqgYYdHYLpj

CPD-145 "Ethnopedagogy in Action: From Folk Games to Dialogue of Cultures in the Educational Environment"
Application link: https://cloud.ushinsky-iro.ru/index.php/apps/forms/s/ek363y5SnC7yEdpMWaZeFpe8

CPD-146 "Bridge Between Generations: Designing Mentoring Programs in Schools and Supplementary Education"
Application link: https://cloud.ushinsky-iro.ru/index.php/apps/forms/s/f8dZpkBY567tojYM9zR5Eoww

CPD-147 "Cultural Heritage in the Digital Age: Creating Media Projects for Preserving Traditions and Protecting Children"
Application link: https://cloud.ushinsky-iro.ru/index.php/apps/forms/s/7MHgrgG7cGm78GGHxSdXYoy6

CPD-148 "Traditions for All: Adaptation of Cultural Heritage in Inclusive Education"
Application link: https://cloud.ushinsky-iro.ru/index.php/apps/forms/s/4dFQyoZmmgQFtDngffJCB9QJ

The courses are conducted in a distance learning format with the issuance of a Certificate of Professional Development. The cost of training for each program is 1000 (one thousand) rubles.

Please note: To enroll in the courses, you must submit a separate application for each selected program. Applications are accepted until September 20, 2026 (inclusive).

Please be aware that submitting an application to participate in the conference and submitting an application for enrollment in the professional development courses are two different procedures. To complete the training, you must fill out the form using the link provided above separately.