The regional association “Akuna Matata”, a community education coordinator in the region, and Kabansky district education department held the Baikal Forum on the Development of Community Education. The Forum took place on October 13-14, 2006 in Ulan-Ude, the capital city of the Buryat Republic. The Forum was supported by the New Eurasia Foundation in the framework of its project “Community Schools in Russia: Joining Forces”.

Representatives of community schools from five districts of the Buryat Republic participated in the conference. The districts are: Kabansky, Zaigrayevsky, Kyakhtinsky, Tarbagataisky, Kizhinguinsky and the city of Ulan-Ude.

At the Forum the participants shared experiences of their schools in working with local communities.  Also, they discussed perspectives of the state and public joint management in community schools, as well as ways to spur civic activities of the children and youth.

Using interactive methods, such as round tables, group discussions and project development, the participants discussed the problems of self-government at the school.

The participants of the Forum decided to create a Baikal Community of community schools and developed a plan of joint actions.

The materials of the Forum will be published in the conference book “The Community School – the School of Success” and posted at the web-site of Akuna Matata.