Go to university and become a professional together with CASE-IN educational circles

The International Engineering CASE-IN Championship, which is held with the support of the Presidential Platform "Russia – the Land of Opportunities", is not only a case–solving competition, but also a large-scale ecosystem of various projects that allow young people to master professional competencies, determine the future and express themselves. Among the new opportunities are CASE–IN educational circles, which have already gained recognition in different regions of Russia. In the classes held after the main lessons, the students learn how to solve complex production tasks, get acquainted with key industries in Russia and develop engineering thinking.

The first clubs opened in 2024 in four schools at once: in Moscow school No. 1317 and in schools No. 327, 334 and 667 in St. Petersburg. The work of the circles was successful: for example, the children from school No. 1317 in the same year prepared to participate in the School League of the CASE-IN championship and managed to get bronze medals at the CASE-IN Autumn Cup competitions. Clubs began to be actively opened in the regions, and today they are conducted by educational institutions in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Yaroslavl and Irkutsk regions, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

 "Not only schools are involved in the work of the circles, but also the National Research University "MEI" in Moscow, which indicates the interest of universities in finding and training talented applicants., – said the founder and co-chairman of the organizing committee of the CASE-IN Artem Korolev. – Through CASE-IN clubs, we create a common educational and intellectual space for schools that are actively engaged in career guidance for high school students and, among other things, prepare children for the CASE-IN championship competitions. We are sure that the knowledge gained in the circles will help students become interested in engineering professions, prepare for university admission and become professionals in their field in the future. CASE-IN circles are an open project, we invite schools to contribute to the career guidance of schoolchildren and the popularization of engineering and technical education by joining our ecosystem."

The clubs develop the engineering and industrial thinking of schoolchildren through familiarization with engineering cases and are designed for students in grades 5-11 (from 11 to 18 years old) who are interested in technical creativity and want to master the basics of engineering craft. Classes are taught by teachers from schools and universities, as well as experts from the championship and members of the CASE-IN Winners' Club.

During the classes, students learn how to find effective solutions to complex production tasks, present their project and speak to experts. When working, they use the educational platform CASE-IN Simulator, which contains cases from past School League competitions and various interactive tasks.

One of the first clubs was opened in Zhigalovskaya secondary school No. 1 named after G. G. Malkov (Irkutsk region).

"The guys are showing interest in the circles, as case technologies are becoming more and more popular in the learning process. Not only future applicants can take part in the club activities, but also middle-aged children who will test their abilities in competition with more experienced comrades. Solving a case at school simplifies the task of entering a university and will have a positive effect among students, because Irkutsk Polytechnic University is also actively involved in this area.", – the physics teacher thinks Larisa Galichina.

During the classes, young researchers get acquainted with new areas of engineering science development, learn how to interact in a team, find and evaluate information, and work with Internet resources.

 "They try themselves in different roles. The guys develop a sense of responsibility, because the result of the team will depend on how each of them copes with the task. Working on a case study significantly increases your own self-esteem and helps you find a job and move up the career ladder in the future.", "I'm sure Larisa Galichina.

For the first time, the school learned about the case method in 2021 from Evgeny Rudykh, a graduate and now a leading specialist at Gazprom Dobycha Irkutsk LLC, who repeatedly participated in the CASE-IN championship, became a prize-winner and raised the champion's cup over his head. In the same year, the school's students tried their hand at the championship and are now actively participating in it. Over the years, the school's teams have won in the special "Breakthrough Solution" and "Top 6 Best Engineering Case Solutions" categories.

"Participation in the championship has become a big challenge for our children. New acquaintances and communications provide an opportunity for further development and participation in projects of leading Russian universities., – underlined Larisa Galichina. – When preparing for competitions, the most difficult thing is to find time, especially if the team is not students from the same class. The work of the club can be a solution to this problem."

The Ivan Yarygin Moscow Secondary School (Sizaya village, Krasnoyarsk Territory) has also actively joined the initiative. "By studying the activities of Russian enterprises, new technologies and sought-after specialties in the circle, students can decide on their future profession., – the teacher of physics and computer science told Irina Kashina. – Students receive knowledge beyond the school curriculum and immerse themselves in the study of physics, chemistry, biology, ecology, mathematics, economics. Here they are developing an interest in engineering and technology, which is now in demand in our region."

The decision to join the circles was made after the participation of the school team "Polite People" in the final of the jubilee X season of the CASE-IN championship. From this moment on, the number of guys who want to join the engineering field and take part in the championship is growing.

 "Our students joined the championship for the first time in 2020. And the highest achievement was the bronze medals of Nikita Zholobov and Sergey Sitnikov in the nomination "Competition of projects and layouts among schoolchildren in grades 6-8" in 2024., " She told me Irina Kashina. – They completed a 1:550 scale model, using the example of which they presented the entire cycle of nuclear energy from ore extraction to the supply of the received energy to consumers. By the way, all the guys who participated in the CASE-IN went to universities to study engineering. This is a high result for our small school."

The winners of the championship speak positively about the club and are ready to make every effort to become winners of the championship and highly qualified specialists for key industries.

9th grade student Nikita Zholobov: "The circle is very interesting and informative. Here you get a lot of valuable practical knowledge, which is a quality addition to the school curriculum. I think that classes in the circle will help to achieve successful results at federal Olympiads and competitions."

9th grade student Sergey Sitnikov: "While studying in the CASE-IN club, I received a lot of useful information that will help me improve my result at the CASE-IN championship. I think solving the cases will help me decide on my future profession."

The school hopes that the newly opened circle will increase the level of education of children in basic subjects. "We noticed that classes have a positive effect on learning and discipline children, they become more responsible and successful. They become stronger in project activities, engineering thinking, and cross-functional interaction.", – underlined it Irina Kashina.

The idea of opening a club at the VYSOTKA High School (Gubkinsky, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District) arose after the successful participation of school teams in the International Engineering CASE-IN Championship.

 "In the spring of 2024, two teams of the institution participated in the main season of the School League, – the physics teacher told me Olga Vogel. – In the field of "Engineering and technical creativity", the tenth-grade team won the bronze medal, and in the field of "Case Solving", the 5DIM team became a finalist and defended their project in Moscow. Recently, our team took part in the championship for the second time. Participating in the CASE-IN allows you not only to learn a lot of new things and gain useful skills, but also develops cross-functional work skills."

The circle teaches students from Gubkin to develop effective solutions, take into account the smallest details and present their ideas in a limited time.

"In the classroom, we analyze cases from the CASE-IN Simulator, solve tasks from the leading experts of the championship., – continues Olga Vogel. – Students learn to understand the meaning of engineering, master terminology, master the skills of creating complex presentations and speaking skills, get acquainted with technological techniques for solving engineering problems of any complexity and new engineering technologies. In addition, the circle members develop an interest in scientific and technical creativity and the ability to organize joint activities with teachers and peers, working individually and in a group."

The effect of participating in the circle is felt not only by schoolchildren, but also by teachers. "We provide teachers with the opportunity to learn new techniques, study School League cases and other interactive tasks in detail through the educational platform CASE-IN Simulator, – underlined Artem Korolev. – Through working in circles, teachers systematically increase students' interest in the exact sciences and engineering professions, master case-based teaching methods, and together we create a solid ecosystem for the development of the teaching community."

Postgraduate student of the Department of Chemical Technology and Industrial Ecology, engineer of the Scientific and Analytical Center of Industrial Ecology of Samara State Technical University Gore Shushanyan He has repeatedly become a prize-winner of the CAC-IN, and now he is an expert and a member of the Championship Winners Club, a teacher of clubs in two schools of the Samara region.

"Thanks to the circles, students develop analytical skills in the process of solving cases, learn to work in a team, and also have the opportunity to join the youth community formed in the CASE-IN and exchange ideas with the best representatives of the championship., – said the young man. – Educational institutions, in turn, receive strong and willing students who have a good chance of enrolling in prestigious specialized universities. In the future, we plan to increase the number of participants in the circles and work on the quality of their performances at the championship, so that the guys take as many prizes as possible for the Samara region."

The CASE-IN circle is just one of many school projects that provide tangible prospects for the development of schoolchildren. The Reliable Change Foundation invites schools and young researchers to participate in the School League of the CASE-IN Championship, Reliable Change Energy Groups, specialized educational shifts #Together Brighter and the School of Young Power Engineers.

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