ASU News

The autonomous non-profit organization "Helping Hand," founded in the Department of Social Work and Tourism at Adyghe State University and part of the university's "Adygea - Territory of Health" project, won the 2026 Adygea Civil Society Development Grant Competition with its project "Territory of the Family: Joint Activities of Children and Families with Children in Difficult Life Situations." A grant of over 1.4 million rubles has been allocated for the project's implementation. The project is a series of activities designed to prevent family dysfunction by strengthening parent-child relationships. To this end, the team will organize quizzes, craft workshops, family film clubs, art therapy sessions, and support events for individual families. During the training sessions, families will learn how to communicate without arguing and avoid conflicts over gadgets. Parents will understand that a parent's calm influences their child's calm and will learn strategies for conflict resolution without yelling and stress management techniques. Social theater practices will also be incorporated, including staging skits, creative performances, and mini-performances on social topics by children and parents. " Families with children in difficult life situations experience a crisis, which contributes to a growing deficit in trusting communication and joint activities between parents and children. During a crisis, communication between parents and children often boils down to everyday issues or mutual grievances. Therefore, an alternative is needed—specifically, joint activity therapy, which focuses more on trusting communication during joint activities. In many ways, engaging the project's target group in various types of joint activities helps resolve these issues," explained Angelina Delenyan, head of the ANO. Various types of joint activities are designed specifically for children, taking into account their age-related characteristics, as well as for families with children in difficult life situations. They are based on social technologies aimed at the successful socialization of target groups, their social adaptation, increasing the level of trusting communication, and harmonizing parent-child relationships. Regular participation in various types of joint activities helps strengthen kinship relationships and prevent family conflicts. As with previous projects, this one will be led by student volunteers from Adygea State University majoring in Social Work. They will assist parents in raising their children and ensuring their successful socialization. Having gained experience during the project's implementation, the student volunteers will form a future talent pool for social workers in the Republic of Adygea. During the project implementation period - from August 2026 to July 2027 - at least 160 children (30 families) will take part in the project.