OREANDA-NEWS. August 13, 2013. Citi is launching a number of projects by the three key directions of its corporate social responsibility in Russia. Confirming its commitment to improving the quality of life in local communities of the top priority countries for Citigroup, the Citi Foundation has decide to maintain its volume of social investment in Russia in 2013 at a level of more than USD1 million. Social programs will be implemented in three traditional focus areas.

The financial literacy program will focus on providing training to students of regional colleges and universities as well as the organization of the first platform in Russia dedicated to sharing experience in financial literacy education activities among the Russian and international participants of this process.

The three entrepreneurship development programs are as follows: holding the now traditional Microentrepreneurship Awards in partnership with the Russian Microfinance Center; continuation of a training course on social entrepreneurship with the Graduate School of Management at St. Petersburg State University and the advancement of such training methods at other institutions of higher education; and also providing support and stimulus for the development of entrepreneurship among communities in isolated regions of Russia — Altai and Kamchatka.

The Citi Foundation is supporting two programs for education and employment for disadvantaged youth with the aim of increasing their competitiveness on the labor market. One is designed for students of vocational colleges and helps the participants to understand how best to position themselves on the labor market. The second is a mentor program intended for children from low-income families and orphans with the aim of helping them perform well at school, get high marks on the universal university entrance exam and subsequently be accepted into universities or colleges.

Additionally, a pilot project to employ young disabled people is being launched in the Ryazan region, where a number of events will be held both for disabled youth and for their potential employers.

Partners of the Citi Foundation in the implementation of these programs are: the Center for Economic and Financial Research, Graduate School of Management at St. Petersburg State University, Russian Microfinance Center, WWF, United Way, regional NGO Perspektiva (which serves people with disabilities) and the public health and social development foundation Focus-Media.

The scope of programs strives to facilitate economic development in the regions where Citi has a presence and promotes effective personal financial management among low-income groups in order to improve the overall well-being of society.