An effective way to organise the educational process of international students is to develop student volunteer movement. This activity ensures fulfilling social and cultural needs of young people. Enjoying the fruits of their efforts, students realise the importance of spiritual values and gain emotional satisfaction from their work. Volunteer activity aims at providing services for no financial gain to benefit the public. Voluntary participation and commitment are the main criteria of volunteering. It is based on serving the cause of humanity, specifically through assisting other people.

Volunteer activity at Penza State University has the following functions:
•    educative (participation in altruistic projects requires responsibility, as well as partnership, kindness, honesty, generosity and others);
•    communicative(volunteer work is directly linked to communication with volunteer group leaders, university employees, and people from other social organisations and groups);
•    preventive (high moral requirements and leisure time management have a positive impact on individuals, for example such work prevents deviant behaviour);
•    world-view (while doing socially valuable things a student understands the significance of his own life, the need and relevance of volunteer activity);
•    educational (depending on social projects, a volunteer gains considerable experience, including skills and abilities required for carrying out a particular work).

At the university international students become volunteers in light of various grounds. They include addressing the psychological need, since many volunteers are willing to do something useful for society; satisfying the need for communication, which young people fulfil while interacting with other people; establishing new relations and earning society’s respect; developing professional qualities and many others.

Facing someone else’s problems and troubles, international students extend their sympathy to people in difficulty. It contributes to enhanced morals of youngsters. Watching people who cannot help themselves without assistance, students start thinking about the value of life.

Volunteer student activities under the International Education Office comprise such areas as promoting healthy lifestyles, assisting socially vulnerable groups of population, arranging charity concerts, and conducting sociological surveys. However, the most common volunteer activity is work with children with disabilities and children deprived of parental care. All sorts of campaigns are organised for these kids: fund raising for purchasing special medication, clothes, or toys; managing and holding charity concerts and festive events; training children and providing them with new skills.

As part of this area, since 2016, international students of PSU have been preparing to regularly visit children's homes in the city and the region with a concert and entertainment program. In particular, over the years the project has existed, students have visited a correctional boarding school with. Neverkino, Nizhnelomovsk orphanage for children with disabilities, Spassky orphanage and other social and educational institutions.

"It is a great pleasure for us to give performances for children. Their eyes are alight with excitement and cheer thanks to our visit. For this it is worthwhile to put all things behind and come here," international students of Penza State University share their impressions.

An important area of volunteering at PSU is tutorial support for freshmen and students of pre-university training courses. Volunteers from among international students help newcomers face challenges associated with an unusual social, cultural and learning environment. Senior students take tutorship over young people and assist them in settling-in and entering the university. Volunteers not only help freshmen undergo the medical examination and draw up all the necessary documents for admission and residence, but also familiarise them the university and its infrastructure and organise sightseeing tours of the city.

For more successful adaptation of freshmen and students of pre-university training courses, the Department of Student Affairs of PSU developed the handbook (practical guide for international students) and the social infrastructure map, where social facilities located near the university and its residence halls are marked.

This set of measures enables international students of Penza State University to quickly adjust to the new educational, social and cultural context and safely go through the period of adaptation.

If you study at Penza State University and wish to join the Volunteer Movement at PSU, please contact the Department of Student Affairs. For latest news and photos please refer to the Official group in Vkontakte (in Russian).