Jas Leader Akademiiasy

In 2021, the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation launched a unique project, Jas Leader Akademiiasy, aimed at developing leadership skills among schoolchildren in grades 5–11.

The Jas Leader Akademiiasy program is an opportunity for children to gain additional knowledge and skills that in the future will help them be competitive, take responsibility for themselves, others, and their country. Children learn to effectively use communication skills, critical thinking, public speaking, negotiation, teamwork, and develop emotional intelligence.

The program includes specially developed methods and materials that are adapted for integration with existing academic subjects, allowing students to master leadership skills in combination with their regular classes and apply them in real situations in an interactive format.

The program includes elective courses, mini-conferences, city trainings, public talks, republican gatherings and forums that promote a comprehensive educational experience and networking.

The program was initially launched in Shymkent and Turkestan cities and the Turkestan region in the Kazakh language. It is now operating in Kyzylorda city and the Kyzylorda region, Taraz city and the Zhambyl region, and Astana. Russian-language classes were added starting in the 2023–2024 school year, reflecting a strategic approach to scaling and adapting the program to different educational environments across Kazakhstan. Over the course of the programme, 36,000 children from 124 schools have participated in it. The program has shown measurable improvement in participants’ knowledge and skills, with an average improvement of 22% in mastered skills by the end of the school year, highlighting its effectiveness. The program has also trained 217 teachers from 124 schools in 5 regions of Kazakhstan through the Training of Trainers (ToT) program, improving the quality and engagement of classes. The program opened up additional career opportunities for teachers.

The Jas Leader Akademiiasy program received a positive assessment from the National Academy of Education named after Y. Altynsarin, which opens the way for its inclusion in the national register of additional education in schools.