Making the activities of the Youth Union and the children's movement in Nghe An province more attractive.

On the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the founding of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers Organization (May 15, 1941 - May 15, 2022), Nghe An Newspaper had a conversation with Mr. Thai Minh Sy - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union, Chairman of the Provincial Young Pioneers Council, about how to make Young Pioneers activities increasingly diverse and attractive to members.

Create enriching and creative playgrounds.

PV:Along with the rest of the country, the work of the Youth Union members...teenagers and childrenThroughout Nghe An province, there have been many outstanding achievements. Could you tell us about the results that our youth teams have achieved in recent years?

Mr. Thai Minh Sy:During the 2017-2022 term, with innovations in content and methods of implementing Youth Union activities, the Youth Union work and children's movement have undergone positive changes; gradually meeting the practical requirements of the development process of the homeland and the country; contributing to the care, protection, and education of children and teenagers throughout the province. In particular, the movement "Vietnamese Children Competing to Follow the Five Teachings of Uncle Ho" is a major, overarching movement, encompassing many important aspects of the Youth Union's work; it has produced many good models, new, creative, and effective approaches, highly appreciated by the community.

Mr. Thai Minh Sy presents awards to students at the creative competition for children and teenagers. Photo: Nghe An Provincial Youth Union.

The "Supporting Students to School" programs areYouth CouncilThe authorities at all levels have shown great interest and provided guidance through many meaningful activities. During the past term, thousands of scholarships were awarded, along with numerous books, school supplies, and transportation to school for underprivileged students. Activities focused on developing skills, teaching life skills, and preventing social vices, school violence, injuries, and drowning among students have been invested in with many effective models such as the "Mobile Swimming Pool," "Lifesaving Tire," "Military Semester," and "Learning to Be a Useful Person" programs.

The Youth Union's movements, such as the "Tran Quoc Toan" campaign, the "Small Plan" movement, and the "Thousand Good Deeds" movement, were well-organized at the grassroots level, had great educational significance, and yielded high effectiveness, as recognized by the Central Youth Union Council.

PV:It is known that, on the occasion of the anniversary of the traditional day of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers Organization,Nghe An Provincial Youth UnionMany interesting competitions have been organized, such as: "Creative with Code Kiten" with the theme "Proud Children of Uncle Ho's Homeland," the Young Pioneers Propaganda Teams Festival, the Creative Day - Festival of Creative Clubs for Society... Can you share some information about these competitions?

Mr. Thai Minh Sy:The competitions currently organized by the Provincial Youth Union and the Provincial Children's Council are mainly online and adjusted to suit the Covid-19 situation in districts, cities, and towns. Each competition has a different theme and field, such as programming, promoting drowning prevention, designing products to serve daily life, learning, and ensuring safety. Most importantly, through these competitions, the children are the main participants, acting as advocates, affirming their voices, passions, and interests.

Students in Nghe An participate in playgrounds organized by the Youth Union. Photo: archival material.

Through each competition, the Provincial Youth Union Council has observed the serious involvement of local units in implementing activities, the enthusiasm and active participation, the dynamism, and the creative approaches to problem-solving of the children. For example, the "Creative with Code Kiten" competition, after more than 3 months of implementation, attracted over 6,000 entries, more than 10 times the initial expectations of the Organizing Committee.

This shows that the competition has created a widespread impact, providing a beneficial and creative playground, giving children in Nghe An the opportunity to showcase their talents, knowledge, and creativity when participating in programming technology products...

Enhancing skills training for the younger generation.

PV:We see that the work of the Youth Union today is very different from before and requires a great deal of creativity, practicality, and meaning. As the Chairman of the Provincial Youth Union Council, what difficulties do you see in the current work of the Youth Union?

Mr. Thai Minh SyNghe An province has a large natural area and diverse geographical distribution, ethnic groups, and living standards. Many youth groups in rural, remote, and mountainous areas face difficulties in terms of equipment and operational methods; the quality of youth group activities varies considerably between localities, especially between mountainous and lowland areas; the changing and dual roles of teachers as head of youth groups in some units lead to a lack of expertise in youth group work, skills, enthusiasm, and implementation methods; the attention and resources allocated to the care and education of children and the development of youth groups are not commensurate with the requirements; and the implementation of youth group activities is heavily dependent on the school's teaching and learning program.

Meeting of the team leaders. Photo: Nghe An Provincial Youth Union.

Over the past two years, the complex developments of the Covid-19 pandemic have disrupted the learning, playing, and entertainment activities of students, affecting the activities of the Youth Union and children's movements, requiring changes in content and methods of organization to suit the situation.

PV:The Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers Organization plays a very significant role for its members and other organizations. So, what directions and changes has the Nghe An Provincial Youth Union implemented to ensure that the work of the Young Pioneers Organization increasingly attracts the participation of its members, children, and schools?

Mr. Thai Minh Sy:With the social environment undergoing significant changes and the rapid development of science and technology, it is essential to innovate the activities and movements of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers Organization to make them truly relevant and appealing to children. In light of these issues, the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers Organization of Nghe An province has determined that it must resolutely implement solutions to effectively innovate the children's movement. These solutions are based on three main objectives: encouraging the creativity and innovation of Young Pioneers Organization officials at all levels and teachers in charge of the Young Pioneers Organization; promoting the initiative and ownership of the movement among children; and managing, controlling, and adjusting the quality of the movement to ensure it is systematic and substantive. The innovation will focus on concretizing the overarching movement "Vietnamese Children Compete to Follow the Five Teachings of Uncle Ho" with practical, effective, and highly educational and directional movements and campaigns.

A team activity session for students in Tan Ky district. Photo: PV

Nowadays, children participate extensively in social media, and many online trends emerge. Therefore, the Youth Union's activities also need to keep pace with this trend to guide and educate children, thereby creating healthy and beneficial playgrounds that help them interact safely in the online environment, digital platforms, and technology platforms.

In addition, the activities of the Youth Union should focus on developing skills to help children become confident and independent future citizens in the context of international integration.

PV:As you shared, the current work of the Youth Union faces certain difficulties, both in terms of the conditions for implementing activities and the human resources... In this context, what issues do you think we need to focus on to improve the quality and effectiveness of the Youth Union's work?

Mr. Thai Minh Sy:In addition to solutions aimed at the above objectives, the Youth Union at all levels needs to conduct comprehensive research, surveys, and assessments to understand the current generation of Youth Union members in the new situation, and to develop appropriate standards and role models for children in the future; thereby formulating suitable programs and methods for implementing Youth Union activities.

A team activity session for students in Quy Hop district. Photo: Nghe An Provincial Youth Union.

To ensure the effectiveness of the Youth Union's activities, we also recognize that Youth Union officials need to listen to and always respect the children's views and opinions; care for, share with, encourage, and motivate them in life; and coordinate with parents to support and guide them when they face difficulties or show signs of going astray or falling behind. Furthermore, attention needs to be paid to resolving and unifying the implementation of policies and regulations for the team of teachers in charge of the Youth Union; and there needs to be closer coordination between the Education sector and the Youth Union in directing and organizing activities.

PV:In just a very short time, children nationwide will enter their summer vacation, and this will likely be a special summer after more than two years of facing the Covid-19 pandemic. So, to ensure children have a joyful and enriching summer, how are the Youth Union and Children's Union at all levels planning to direct and organize activities and summer programs in residential areas? Could you share the key plan launched by the Provincial Children's Council for this summer?

Mr. Thai Minh Sy:Currently, it can be said that the pandemic situation is gradually being brought under control, and the spirit of adapting to the Covid-19 pandemic is being emphasized by all levels and sectors, and implemented by the people. However, the percentage of children who have received vaccinations in the province is still low. Therefore, depending on the developments of the Covid-19 pandemic and the practical work of pandemic prevention and control, the Provincial Youth Union will provide guidance and direction to the Youth Union at all levels to carry out Youth Union activities and children's movements in a safe, healthy, and beneficial manner.

If the pandemic situation is well controlled, the Provincial Youth Union Council will continue to direct the Youth Union at all levels to effectively implement the programs and plans already set out to better meet the needs and aspirations of children in learning, playing, and training after more than two years of facing the great risk from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Provincial Youth Union Council donated an interactive reading space and youth group activity area to students in Quy Hop district. Photo: Nghe An Provincial Youth Union.

The Provincial Youth Union and the Provincial Children's Council have issued a plan for organizing summer activities for children in the province. This plan focuses on directing all levels of the Youth Union and Children's Council to organize activities that educate children on ethics, lifestyle, traditions, and history; recreational activities, arts, physical education, and sports; and emphasizes the development of practical social skills through programs such as: Summer Skills Camps, Children's Council Ceremony Competitions, life skills and survival skills training classes, online competitions and forums, and Summer Library activities. Simultaneously, it connects local youth and student volunteer teams to support children in reviewing lessons, studying, and developing their skills.

To enhance drowning prevention efforts for children during the summer, the Provincial Youth Union Council has directed and guided local Youth Union branches to strengthen the organization of activities to disseminate and educate on knowledge and skills for safety in preventing drowning and injuries. This is achieved by making maximum use of infographics and clips from youth propaganda teams to visually and vividly educate children on social media and local information websites.

In addition, focus on building local youth volunteer teams in residential areas to inspect, review, and place warning signs in high-risk areas for children to drown; strengthen and develop a core team of personnel in teaching safe swimming and drowning prevention, and organize free swimming lessons for children.

Author

PV:Thank you for the conversation!