SEE’s bilateral partnership projects are created and jointly implemented by teams of American and Russian partner organizations to address a social issue within particular thematic areas, which are chosen annually based on each country’s priorities. Project teams are competitively selected and work together over a period of six to nine months to make a positive impact on citizens of both the U.S. and Russia.
Past participants have worked to:
- Facilitate the social adaptation of at-risk youth and aid in the societal integration of women transitioning out of orphanage institutions through therapeutic music, dance, and theater in the Kaliningrad region;
- Broaden the extent to which the US and Russia are able to protect environmental and cultural resources, in particular by expanding the global interpretive movement and inspiring people to preserve their natural and cultural heritage;
- Shape youth consciousness and perception of online identity and safety via means of art and interactive technology;
- Empower youth in remote and rural areas in Russia’s Volga region and the US to be social change leaders in their communities through hip hop; and
- Many more projects in the U.S. and Russia!
Our current project themes focus on Arctic and environmental conservation, Indigenous peoples’ empowerment, Disability and inclusion, Public health, and Open Thematic Area (OTA).
Our Impact
Current Projects
Educating on the consequences of corruption
Project partners are working together to raise awareness of the consequences of corruption and promote knowledge about the different forms corruption takes, all through an artistic lens. The project team will engage Russian and American visual artists, both professional and amateur, in the creation of a virtual exhibit depicting various forms of corruption, and host accompanying online discussions.
Bridging the gap between legal professionals and their communities
Project partners are working together to bridge the divide between legal professionals and the U.S. and Russian communities they serve and create a generation of lawyers whose work is connected to the needs of their communities. The project increase law students’ understanding of the legal needs of their communities and develop their ability to teach community learners about relevant legal knowledge that impacts their daily lives. Community learners will also increase their knowledge of topical legal issues by participating in projects led by law students.
Preserving shared biodiversity in the Pacific
Project partners are collaborating to increase the engagement of local communities in the US and Russia in eco-friendly activities to help preserve biodiversity along the US-Russia border in the Pacific. Toward this end, the team is creating lesson plans and other teaching materials, hosting online presentations and speaker series events, organizing mini-festivals featuring films and educational activities, and writing articles highlighting various environmental topics and issues of human impact on shared eco-systems.
Ensuring more equitable workplaces across the globe
Project partners are working together to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities in Russia and the US, advance inclusive business practices in Russia, and create linkages between private enterprise and the disability community in both countries. The team is providing opportunities for youth with disabilities from Russia and the US to interact, learn from each other, form new partnerships, and gain new skills that will help them become more competitive job candidates. It is also providing opportunities for employers to interact and share experiences employing people with disabilities and creating more disability-friendly professional environments.
Leading change in harm reduction
Project partners are collaborating to develop and implement new approaches to low-barrier care and services for people who use drugs. The team is participating in study visits to New York and St. Petersburg and conducting training sessions and webinars on topics such as Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy (IHRP). They are also translating an IHRP guidebook into Russian and other online resources into English.
Past Projects
Teaching youth the importance of online safety
Project partners are working together to facilitate change in youth perceptions of online identity and safety via art and technology. Youth and youth with disabilities in the U.S. and Russia are developing skills and understanding towards improved online safety through creative workshops, and are generating artwork communicating messages of online safety that will be exhibited online and in-person in the U.S. and Russia.
Helping at-risk women and youth find their footing through the arts
Project partners collaborated on developing arts programming as innovative methods and tools for social adaptation and inclusion for individuals within and formerly a part of the Russian foster care system. Education in music, theater, and dance were offered in Western Russia via weekly classes and events, and culminated in a final group performance.
Encouraging eco-activism through competition
Project partners collaborated to engage local communities in Russia and the US in eco-activism. To increase the level of environmental education of Russians and Americans and teach the basics of separate collection of litter, the team organized training sessions and held 21 competitive clean-up events, through which project participants picked up nearly 14 tons of trash in both countries.
Altering perceptions of people with disabilities
Project partners worked jointly on a multimedia installation which was showcased in New York and Moscow galleries. The installation featured videos of Russian and American families raising children with various disabilities and aimed to encourage audiences to reexamine their feelings about people with disabilities.
Appreciating and protecting coastlines
Project partners brought together U.S. and Russian youth to learn how to engage with each other on common topics related to coastlines and appreciate and protect both countries’ coastal environments and heritage through improved mutual understanding. The project team created a shared joint exhibit of youth participants’ photos and videos, displayed in the U.S. and Russia, and had participants develop a series of mobile phone app Quests accessible for free use by anyone.