Primary School in Łączno named Rotmistrz Pilecki, Łączno, Poland
Public Primary School in Miłomłyn named Tadeusz Kościuszko's I Division, Miłomłyn, Poland
Research conducted in Ostródzki district showed that most students do not engage in any extra-curricular activities and volunteering is not considered an attractive form of civic engagement. Conversations with the teacher revealed that the youth rarely showed any initiative and were reluctant to participate in school life, including student council activities.
Our goal was to activate the youth, support the development of social and civic competences, and encourage participation in civic life. To that end, we have trained young leaders to self-organize sporting events for their peers. We also promoted the concept of volunteering by designing and implementing grassroots initiatives in the district, together with the students.
We partnered with three rural schools and their students. In collaboration with the host schools, we have created a club that will motivate the students to get more engaged. Our final partner was the Miłakowo municipality, which supported sporting events and the creation of Volunteering Center, as well as promoted our project.
Thanks to the flawless cooperation with our partners, we managed to engage the youth in volunteering initiatives and the organization of events. We noticed an increase in their self-esteem, a belief in the value of their work and that it’s being noticed. According to our observations, the young people have developed their interpersonal and collaborative competences.
