Russian technology giant VK has launched a back-to-school initiative that allows school students across the country to choose their own recess bell music. The voting campaign is one of several projects introduced for pupils, parents, university students, and teachers ahead of the new academic year.
According to a press release reported by Russian news site Lenta.ru, the school bell campaign is titled Start the School Year with a Recess. Voting runs from September 1 to September 15 through a chatbot named Break Bell inside the MAX digital platform.
Organisers will announce the winning song on September 16. The selected melody will then play for one week at the end of September in schools nationwide.
Support for parents and family advice
Educational platform Uchi.ru is launching a separate project for parents called Schoolmania within the MAX mini-app. The interactive program will run throughout September and October, allowing parents to complete tasks, monitor the academic progress of their children, and earn prizes.
Uchi.ru is a widely used Russian online educational platform for primary and secondary school pupils. As part of the initiative, the platform will also host an online conference with child psychologists on September 12 to help families navigate the school year without conflict.
Community projects and social initiatives
Meanwhile, the social networking platform Odnoklassniki has introduced an initiative called People's Textbook. Users are invited to share life advice and practical wisdom rather than academic subjects, with the top contributions to be compiled into a video on September 1.
Odnoklassniki is a popular social network in Russia owned by VK. In addition to online activities, VK teamed up with the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital to open a new computer classroom for young patients undergoing long-term medical treatment and rehabilitation, funded by a charity live stream.
Furthermore, VK Education has opened enrollment for more than 100 free training programs in IT, digital skills, and creative fields. The updated catalog includes new courses tailored for college students as well as a practical training program for teachers starting this autumn.
