A series of creative master classes for children with disabilities has begun in Ust-Kut, supported by the Irkutsk Oil Company (IOC) and Marina Sedykh's Charity Fund.

The project is being implemented at the BAM Youth Center and is designed for children aged 6 to 16. Master classes will be held by teachers from the Center for Extra-Curricular Education twice a week until November 2025. Registration is available by phone: + 7 9246374899 (the number of participants in groups is limited).

The aim of the classes is to promote the adaptation and socialization of children with special educational needs, develop their communication skills, independence, and creative potential, as well as improve their fine motor skills. The master class program includes a variety of creative activities, such as paper crafting (including the technique of cutting), scrapbooking, plasticine modeling, bead jewelry making, drawing, and puppet theater.

This project is part of a large-scale program to create an accessible environment at enterprises and in the territories where it operates, within the framework of the National Inclusive Agreement, which IOC joined in October 2023. The company provides comprehensive support to families with disabled children. Regular visiting consultations are organized in Ust-Kut and the surrounding area by doctors from the Ivano-Matreninskaya Children's Hospital and audiologists from the Irkutsk Regional Clinical Hospital as part of the Marina Sedykh Charity Fund's long-term program Health for Children. Online seminars and individual consultations with a psychologist are held for parents and children with special needs. It is planned to continue working with families, including face-to-face meetings and further support. In 2023, IOC also included inclusion in its grant competitions, and several successful projects have already been implemented.

Irkutsk Oil Company (IOC) is one of the independent producers of hydrocarbons in Russia. The Company was established in 2000 and conducts geological study, exploration and development of subsoil blocks in the Irkutsk Region, Krasnoyarsk Region and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The company ranks in the top 5 best employers in the Energy, Mining and Processing category and is in the top 50 of the hh.ru employer rating.

Creative workshops for children with special educational needs launched in Ust-Kut with support from IOC and Marina Sedykh Charity Fund