COMMON ACTIVITIES

Apart from the activities in particular hosting organization all Schuman volunteers will also have some common activities such as:

• Contributing to the Schuman volunteers’ social media channels.
• Participating in weekly meetings. Once a week all Schuman volunteers will spend the whole day together with the Schuman Foundation (online or face-to-face) to learn Polish, evaluate the last period of activities, prepare workshops/animations for each other, integrate. This will be a space for you and you wil be welcome to propose common activities, share your interests and learn from each other.
• Having an opportunity to write blogs dedicated to their experience in the form of articles, photographs, audio/video materials. If you secretly dream of. Posts are published on the Foundation’s website and social media. You can find blogs of previous and current volunteers here: schumanvolunteers.pl.
• Actively taking part in celebrations of the Europe Day organized by the Schuman Foundation
• Taking part in “internal on-arrival training” organized by the Schuman Foundation. The first days followed by volunteers’ arrival to Warsaw will be spent all together, not in a particular hosting organization.

POLISH ROBERT SCHUMAN FOUNDATION

OCTOBER 2023 – SEPTEMBER 2024

2 VOLUNTEERS

The Polish Robert Schuman Foundation is a non-profit organization which focuses on strengthening the civil society, supporting active citizenship, promoting European integration and fostering European values. We use non-formal and interactive educational methods such as activities in public space, urban games, we organize cultural exchange projects and take part in European voluntary movement, organize conferences, seminars, debates and workshops. Our goal is to present Europe and the EU in a simple and clear manner for targeted recipients. We cooperate with many NGOs from the same field, public institutions and with European School Clubs from Poland and other countries. Our office is located in the centre of Warsaw.

ACTIVITIES

• Visit schools and European School Clubs across Poland with presentations/ workshops about Europe & EU, European values and cultural diversity, their countries, possibilities of mobilities in Europe and other topics of volunteers’ interests connected with the mission of the project which they prepared themselves. They will be guided to create interactive and engaging activities, using non- formal methods of education;
• Manage Schuman Volunteers’ profiles on Facebook and Instagram. They will prepare the content, which consists of writing texts, taking photos, creating graphics and shooting short videos, as well as responding to messages and (in case of Instagram) creating an interactive experience for the audience via Instagram stories;
• Promote international volunteering & European Solidarity Corps by organizing an info point and activities of their interest/choice (for example visit universities, prepare informative materials, podcasts, videos, etc.); assist in current Schuman Foundation’s European & civic education projects;
• Have space to develop their own projects/propose own activities connected with the mission of “Schuman Solidarity Crew” project.

ASSOCIATION OF DEVELOPING CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY “CHANCE”

OCTOBER 2023 – SEPTEMBER 2024

2 VOLUNTEERS

Association of Developing Children’s Activity “Chance” is a non-governmental organization that carries out various activities mainly for the local community of Ochota district of Warsaw. «Chance» tries to inspire parents, teachers, organizations, institutions to create the best conditions for the comprehensive development of children, increase the educational conditions for children and raise the quality of work in early childhood education. It runs morning classes for kids aged 0-4 and afternoon/early evening classes for kids aged 3-9. The Association is taking action on educational projects, prevention, educational and training programs for different target groups – children, youth, teachers, students, parents, volunteers. In this field, to encourage a strategic system change “Chance” cooperates with state and local authorities. Every year they organize all kinds of preventive- educational summer camps.

ACTIVITIES

• Support the trainers in organizing everyday activities (workshops of cooking, English, music, motorsensory etc.) – support in organization, conducting and enriching with volunteers’ own ideas;
• Help to prepare materials for workshops;
• Present the culture, traditions, cuisine of their country of origin using non-formal learning methods;
• Participate in preparations of the annual events for the local community of Ochota district (family picnics etc.);
• Contribute new ideas and prepare different activities for all age groups and implement them later on (under guidance of tutors);
• Assist at the office of HO (participate in meetings, document management, handling correspondence etc.).

SPECIAL KINDERGARTEN 393

OCTOBER 2023 – JULY 2024

2 VOLUNTEERS

Special Kindergarten no 393 in Warsaw is a public educational institution for children with physical and intellectual disabilities (cerebral palsy, genetics definitive, down syndrome etc.). There are 30 children from 2,5 to 8 years old divided into 4 groups. Some children are able to walk and some are able to communicate verbally but some need help with all basic movements and operations. The pedagogical team is supported by specialists that lead different therapeutic activities like speech therapy, sensory integration, physiotherapy etc.

ACTIVITIES

• Participate in the classes and workshops (group and individual activities with children in various age groups),
• Help the staff in everyday routine. They will help in changing children’s clothes, feeding the children or assisting them to eat their meals, going to the toilet. Each day is organized in systematically way, as it is required by children. Everyone starts the day with greetings and the whole day schedule is presented in interactive way using AAC methods (augmentative and alternative communication);
• Propose their own activities for the group. There is a special kindergarten plan which educators must follow but there is also some space for volunteer’s own creativity – they can adapt theatre plays instead of reading to children or exercising their artistic talents while preparing materials & scenery for kindergarten plays, seasonal holidays etc.;
• Suggest educational group activities and/or individual work process for one child, all under supervision of an educator;
• Learn about different methods of working with children with various disabilities. They will have a chance to see therapeutic meetings, learn about adapted computer programs and didactic tools. Through cooperate with specialists in everyday classes and therapies, they will be able to gain professional knowledge and insight into working methods;
• Assist in walks and trips outside of the kindergarten. Most of the children are not able to move or walk, but of course some outdoor activities will be organized. For example walks in the park (with a help of wheelchairs), visiting the theatres, visiting neighbor kindergartens etc.

SPECIAL KINDERGARTEN 213

OCTOBER 2023 – JULY 2024

2 VOLUNTEERS

Special Kindergarten number 213 in Warsaw is a public educational institution for children and youth with physical and intellectual disabilities. There are 47 children and adolescents (from 3 to 25 years old) divided into 8 groups. All protégés are children with disabilities accompanied by other developmental disorders, e.g. autism, genetic diseases, behavioral disorders and physical disabilities. The pedagogical team is supported by specialists that lead different therapeutic activities like speech therapy, sensory integration, physiotherapy etc. The kindergarten works at different times – there are groups working only in the morning and groups working only in the afternoon.

ACTIVITIES

• Help in two different groups of children – 1 group of children with autism between 4-6 years old and 1 group of children with physical and intellectual disabilities. Each group is up to 6 children which creates an opportunity for establishing individual relationship during individual lessons, therapies;
• Accompany teachers and experts with special activities like physiotherapy, sensory integration, fairytale integration, language therapies. Take a part in integration and didactic activities in group activities;
• Propose own ideas on how to develop existing activities or create new ones for children. With teacher’s help volunteers will add new content to the weekly schedule. They will prepare presentations about their home countries or thematic days/weeks to promote their culture;
• Assist staff in their activities connected with daily routine: morning greetings, planning whole day using AAC methods (augmentative and alternative communication), assisting during the meals or feeding children, assisting children while going to the bathroom;
• Occasionally go out with children to theaters, cinemas, parks or visit partner schools’ institutions. Once a year in springtime group of children visits seaside for holidays and volunteers will be asked to join them and help during this trip.

SPECIAL KINDERGARTEN 245

OCTOBER 2023 – JULY 2024

2 VOLUNTEERS

Special Kindergarten 245 takes care of visually impaired children from 3 to 6 years old. There are 40 children with various visual defects divided into 4 age groups. It’s important to recognize that children in the kindergarten are not sightless, though all of them have some serious vision problems. Kindergarten provides regular activities such as musical lessons, gymnastic, art, dancing, English classes but also special treatment for children who have been diagnosed with different visual defects. Children under professional supervision perform everyday exercises using specialist equipment. Kindergarten also provides professional psychological, logopedic and educational therapy.

ACTIVITIES

• Assist during the teacher-managed group classes or individual lessons. Volunteers will get specific guidelines and training to prepare them to work with children with disabilities;
• Help teachers in conducting workshops and classes for children in different age groups;
• Take part in therapies and professional lessons with experts;
• Help kindergarten’s staff in daily routine with typical self-care activities, such as personal hygiene, eating and dressing, midday nap.
• Provide additional activities of the volunteers choice about volunteers’ culture – for example presentations of their countries, thematic days, celebrations of holidays, local events for parents;
• Prepare ideas how to improve or develop existing activities and conduct them with teachers. Time for playing is the time volunteers are welcome to propose their own activities like handcrafts, musical workshops, reading books. They can implement their own solutions and ideas with acceptance of the teacher;
• Assist during visits and activities outside of the kindergarten like going out to cinemas, theatres, museums etc.

KINDERGARTEN 146 IN WARSAW

OCTOBER 2023 – JULY 2024

1 VOLUNTEER

The Kindergarten no 146 is a public educational centre in the Mokotów district of Warsaw and it has been designated for children with special nutritional needs. Kindergarten provides a lot of extra activities for children in well-equipped classrooms & outside of the building in a big, beautiful garden. The goal is to ensure that the children are raised in a friendly and supportive environment, so that they can become and open-minded young people. There are 5 age groups in the kindergarten (2 groups for 3 years old children and one group for each – 4-, 5- and 6-years old children). For the first 2 months volunteer will be offered to get to know the specifics of working in each of these groups. After this period volunteer will decide in which group the activities are the most interesting and challenging for them and will start working in a selected group. After some time there will be a possibility for them to change the group once again if they will wish to.

ACTIVITIES

• Support the teachers in organizing educational activities & preparing materials and activities for special events;
• Assist the children in everyday activities and help them with dressing, meals, toilet;
• Learn about special dietary requirements for children, healthy diets and lifestyle;
• Present the culture, tradition, cuisine of the country of origin of the volunteer by making presentations prepared together with the teachers from the kindergarten;
• Help in the preparation of the annual or specific activities/events for parents and children (e.g. festival of tulips, international day of selected country, grandmother/grandfathers’ day, celebration of holidays);
• Contribute new ideas and prepare specific exercises for the whole group with the support of the teachers, such as musical workshops, handcrafts etc.;
• Accompany the group, help and support teachers during trips outside the kindergarten (e.g. theatre, zoo).

BILINGUAL PRIMARY SCHOOL NO 1

OCTOBER 2023 – JULY 2024

1 VOLUNTEER

Bilingual Primary School No. 1 was established 10 years ago, in Wesoła – peripheral district of Warsaw. As a private institution, it’s led by the Amaltea Bilingual Education Foundation, but thanks to the implemented program, it holds the rights of a public school. The classes are conducted in Polish, English and Spanish. The school has its own building with 13 classrooms, a computer lab, a school library, a gym and a canteen. The school’s teaching staff are 44 teachers and there are 180 students. As extracurricular activities, the school provides after classes activities for students, developing their various passions and interests, as well as individual educational consultations. Students, teachers and parents willingly participate in school’s projects concerning topics of charity, cultural, scientific, sport and social activities. Cooperation with parents is developing well and effectively. Students have their representation in the form of an active school government. Since 2018 the school is actively involved in the implementation of various Erasmus+ projects.

ACTIVITIES

• Planning, preparing and running activities of their choice and interest for the students (grade 4-8) attending after school activities on volunteer’s culture, global education, sport, dance, film, IT, languages, theatre, art, etc. – we are open to the volunteer’s ideas.
• Helping the teachers in the dayroom with taking care of 1-3 grades students after their finished lessons playing with them, providing easy and fun games or short activities.
• Running regular, open for school and local society, meetings once per month to promote ESC as well as volunteers’ work at the school – such as presentations, workshops, debates etc.
• Helping with organizing and running school events and competitions.
• Helping with the school’s decorations.
• Co-creating school’s social media content; participating and helping on the school trips – if necessary.
• Planning, preparing and running activities/workshops for participants from the local community and students during the winter and summer break, concerning volunteer’s culture, global education, sport, dance, film, IT, languages, theatre, art, etc. – we are open to the volunteer’s ideas.
• Preparing activities for children during their recreation break (12:00-14:00) – helping the teachers to take care of students outside of the school building – playing games, doing mini environmental projects, organizing sport activities etc.

35TH BOLESŁAW PRUS HIGH SCHOOL IN WARSAW

OCTOBER 2023 – JULY 2024

2 VOLUNTEERS

The 35th Bolesław Prus High School with bilingual classes is a public school located in Warsaw, whose main statutory objective is to educate and prepare students to live in the modern, rapidly changing world. The institution puts strong emphasis on internationalization, in large part through promoting the value of learning languages. Apart from bilingual classes with both Polish and English as languages of instruction there are “international” classes for students participating in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP). The school is also committed to developing students’ scientific interests in other areas. One of the most notable examples of such actions is the activity of the European Club, which for the past 20 years has been spreading knowledge on different aspects of the European continent, often in collaboration with external organizations such as the Polish Robert Schuman Foundation or the University of Warsaw. The reach of such actions is not limited to the school building, either, as in the last years there is an increasing emphasis on building a stronger relationship with the local community of the Saska Kępa neighbourhood.

ACTIVITIES

• Cooperate with teachers and other members of the school community in organizing lessons,
• Get involved in already existing extracurricular activities, such as the School Theater Circle, the European Club, the School Volunteer Service or the Board Game Club, but also propose their own ideas to engage students in new activities.
• Take part in the organization of school projects, such as the School Science Festival, Sports Day, European Day, Foreign Languages Day etc.
• Develop competencies related to communication skills and creativity, managing events, organizing work, conducting workshops.
• Participate in extracurricular events, such as outings to museums, cinemas, theaters or participation in workshops organized by scientific and cultural institutions.

EUROPEAN INTEGRATION CLUB AT THE SCHOOL COMPLEX IN WOJKOWICE

OCTOBER 2023 – JULY 2024

2 VOLUNTEERS

European Integration Club is an informal union of high school students and teachers interested in the EU and other cultures. The priority of the EIC’s activities is intercultural, European and civic education of youth. Within the EIC, workshops, school exchanges and debates on European topics are organized. The Complex of Schools in Wojkowice provides an offer of general high school education with specializations in psychology, nature and firefighting, law and police force as well as professional education in the field of landscape architecture, aviation technician, geodesy. The students of the school come from Wojkowice as well as other nearby cities in the Silesian agglomeration. The volunteers will support the club in its activities connected to European & intercultural education and organize non-formal language learning activities in English/their mother tongues for high-school students.

ACTIVITIES

• Organize individual English/mother tongue conversations with members of the European Club and high school students and help them improve their language skills and increase awareness about their countries, cultures and current EU topics which the conversations will be dedicated to;
• Prepare presentations/ workshops about Europe & EU, European values and cultural diversity, their countries, possibilities of mobilities in Europe and other topics of volunteers’ interests connected with the mission of the project. They are guided to create interactive and engaging activities, using nonformal methods of education (with the assistance of their tutor) and conduct the workshops for members of the European Integration Club, students of the complex of school as well as for other schools and European School Clubs in the Silesian region.
• Promote international volunteering, for example, during long breaks between lessons volunteers can organize activities in the hallway in school. They will have their own “volunteering corner”, where they can organize activities for students.
• Have the possibility to assist youth workers at local youth club for youth with difficult social backgrounds, cooperate with a local primary school and kindergarten; have the opportunity to take part in the school’s social life and activities.

Have space to develop own projects/propose own activities connected with the mission of the project.

TRAVEL MONEY: 360€
POCKET MONEY: 150€/month
FOOD MONEY: 100€/month

The apartments will be rented for the entire time of volunteers’ mobilities and are equipped with all necessary utilities. Volunteers are obliged to keep the flat clean. In Warsaw volunteers will live in 2 apartments, each will be shared by up to 7 volunteers. Mostly, volunteers will share a bedroom with another volunteer. Volunteers hosted at Wojkowice will live in Będzin, a town close to Wojkowice. It takes about 30 minutes to get from the flat to the school by bus. In Wojkowice 2 volunteers will share a flat, each will have their own bedroom. Living costs (cost of water, electricity, internet, etc.) will be covered by the Schuman Foundation, but volunteers will be obliged to sustainable use of the recourses.