A 16-year-old Moroccan, Hssaine Akram, is among 1,000 teenagers selected from 99 countries to participate in the Children’s Programme at the 2026 International Festival of Youth in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

The participants, aged between 14 and 17, were selected from nearly 16,500 applicants worldwide.

The programme, launched by the Movement of the First under the festival’s “Follow Your Dream” theme, seeks to promote international collaboration, cultural exchange and the development of youth-led initiatives.

Speaking at the programme’s presentation, Akram praised the reception offered to international participants since their arrival in Russia.

“I think it is a huge honour for us to be here because we can see just how warmly Russia treats and welcomes teenagers from all over the world. We are very grateful for that,” he said.

The Moroccan teenager said bringing together young people and specialists from different educational and professional backgrounds could help produce innovative solutions to challenges across various sectors.

“Bringing together specialists from different fields to work on projects makes it possible to arrive at genuinely valuable, well-thought-out solutions across different industries,” he added.

Chairman of the Board of the Movement of the First Artur Orlov said the programme was designed to help children from different countries develop and advance joint initiatives.

“Our main goal is to bring together children from different countries to develop and advance joint initiatives,” he said.

“We are creating a space of friendship so that the whole world can see Russia’s openness, its hospitality and its readiness to build diverse forms of cooperation.”

Mr Orlov said the teenagers would participate in 60 laboratories and workshops covering science and education, digitalisation, information technology, creative industries, culture, sport, health, media, public administration and entrepreneurship.

Organisers expect the participants to develop about 60 projects, which will be assessed by experts and partner organisations for possible implementation in Russia and other countries.

The Children’s Programme features more than 250 activities delivered by 120 partner institutions, including universities, technology companies, cultural organisations and state-owned enterprises.

More than 100 speakers and experts, as well as over a dozen performing artistes, are expected to participate.

Advisor to the Chairman of the Movement of the First Roman Bogatyrev said activities would include physical fitness tests, esports masterclasses, cultural programmes and off-site events.

He added that a children’s newsroom would allow young participants to independently produce and publish social media content documenting key moments of the festival.

Other attractions include the “City of the Future”, where Russian research institutions and companies will exhibit technological developments, and an interactive Ethnographic Village showcasing the country’s cultural traditions.

The programme will also host a meeting of the Coordinating Council of the International Association of Children’s Organisations.

The International Festival of Youth is taking place in Ekaterinburg from September 11 to 17, 2026.

It has attracted 10,000 young leaders from 191 countries, comprising 5,000 Russians and 5,000 international participants.