Under the County Scheme for People with Disabilities, CSOs in the county of Śrem have the task of taking measures to improve the lives of people with disabilities in the community and at work. Our observations have shown that the greatest obstacles preventing people with disabilities from attaining new competencies include fear of a new environment, and an insufficient range of services to help attain competencies.
The Director of the Dąbrowa Primary School has said that the image that children of early school age have of people with disabilities is based on a stereotype and not very positive, but the children are glad to participate in new initiatives.
We wish to enable people with disabilities to open up to a new environment and to improve their self-esteem by training them to be ECO-Educators and give lessons of this kind to children.
We will conduct ecological and educational training (in theory and practice) on ecological growing of vegetables and herbs, use of vegetables and herbs in health foods, basic beekeeping issues, and workshops on communication with children and integration activities for use during teaching sessions. At the same time, we will provide one-on-one psychological counselling. Once the training is completed, the eco-educators will conduct lessons at primary schools and preschools.
The project will help people with disabilities to improve their self-esteem and belief in the control they have over their own lives, and become Eco-educators. Children of primary school and preschool age will be given lessons on ecology and an opportunity to overcome the stereotype of people with disabilities.
Fifteen people in the Śrem Occupational Therapy Workshop as well as approximately 100 children will take part in the activities. The partner in the project – Dąbrowa Primary School, will encourage year 1-3 pupils to attend the meetings and provide a venue and garden to hold them.