ESC: Opportunity 5: Volunteering in a support group for Ukrainian children

Name: ESC: Opportunity 5: Volunteering in a support group for Ukrainian children
Start: 2024-09-01
End: 2025-02-28
Location: Wrocław, Poland

Code: 518c1d33-1db6-11ef-aae3-fa163ef8d720 Copied

Poland Culture Education European Voluntary Service Culture Education +1 Permanent

About the project

📝 Detailed information

🏢 About the local organisation

The Foundation of Social Integration Prom was established in 2004. We've been hosting ESC volunteers in our children's center, Brave Kids project, our office, Polish kindergartens and schools in Wroclaw since 2009. Apart from ESC projects, we’re also involved in local projects that support the integration of people and groups of people at risk of marginalization and social exclusion such as children from disadvantaged backgrounds, Roma minority, and people with mental health issues. Break cultural and social barriers through cultural exchange with children and the local community. Volunteering mobility take place in a support group for Ukrainian children "Sadoczek" in the beautiful city of Wroclaw, Poland. Volunteers will be responsible for supporting teachers and assisting children in daily activities, running fun and engaging activities about their culture.

💼 What the programme involves

The tasks of the volunteer will be mainly related to but not limited to the following main activities:
Accompanying children, providing them with support and safety; Assisting in preparing meals;
Assisting in organizing arts and developmental activities; Participating in team training sessions and meetings;
Expanding knowledge about early childhood education through job shadowing principles;
Developing mini-session plans and implementing them under supervision.

"Sadoczek" is a daily meeting place for a group of children aged 3-6. It was established to support women who emigrated from Ukraine with their children. The attendees include children from Ukraine and Poland, with the dominant language being Russian/Ukrainian.

Volunteering hours are 35 hours per week (6 hours per day in host org. + 5 extra hours per week for planning activities for local events) that promote the project and the European Solidarity Corps.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Taking part in Polish classes throughout the volunteering mobility (Polish classes are included in the 6 hours per day).
Supporting the teacher with managing the group of children in a safe manner in the classroom and outside.
Supporting young children in self-help activities like helping in dressing up, feeding, leading the child by the hand somewhere if needed etc).
Presenting your country and culture to children and teachers by running workshops, creating visual aids, dances and other activities.
Engaging in and supporting events in the hosting organization (e.g. Christmas party, Children's Day, Mother's Day and Dad's Day, etc.).
Creating and supporting arts and crafts workshops according to interest and skills/ different art techniques, clay, paper-mâché (paper pulp), salt dough etc. Creating workshops according to your interests (ecological, dance, art, drawing, playing musical instruments, theatre, etc.).
Making teaching aids for classes according to the participant's ideas and according to the suggestions of other teachers.
Participating in 4 out of 10 events outside the host. org. to promote the project and the European Solidarity Corps (e.g local festivals, picnics).

🏠 Accommodation on site

Volunteers will be accommodated in double rooms in a flat shared with other volunteers (about 5 people in one flat). The kitchen and bathroom are shared with flatmates. Flats have internet access, basic kitchen equipment, clean towels and bedding sets.

🍲 Food

Food money is 550 PLN a month. This money is enough to buy basic food to cook at home, not to go to restaurants.

⚠️ Requirements

WE WOULD LIKE TO HOST VOLUNTERS WHO:

Love working with children, are creative and imaginative, are open to accepting other cultures, personalities and different ways of life. Are motivated to spend 6 or 10 months in Poland, have some experience in scouting/voluntary work/baby-sitting, are not afraid of working in big groups, have good organizational skills, have a positive attitude towards potential challenges of living abroad. Volunteers who are flexible, friendly and helpful, and who are responsible, reliable and honest. We are also looking for volunteers who are ready to work with/for the local community and to promote the project. Volunteers who are abke to do medical check-up (necessary to work with children). We are looking for volunteers who speak a basic level of either Russian and/or Ukrainian. Volunteers who have a clear criminal record (certificate will be required).

We are looking for 1 participant (EU residents + Georgia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine) to volunteer in the support group “Sadoczek” ran by the Association of Critical Education in the city of Wroclaw.

🤝 Meeting point

The meeting point will be communicated in the information sheet.

ℹ️ Additional information

PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS AND WHAT IS PROVIDED:

Polish language course (twice a week, 4 school hours).

Obligatory on-arrival and mid-term training in Poland.

All the required medical examinations, 4-day training in our office to get participants started, health and safety training in host.org. are provided at the beginning of the project.

Monthly pocket money is 150 EUR a month.

Reimbursement of the travel costs from the city of origin to Wroclaw and back (up to the amount based on the ESC Distance Calculator, the excessive amount will be paid by the participant).

Local transportation card (for trams, buses and night buses).

Mentor's support throughout the entire project.

Support of a special mentor and additional support (e.g. psychologist) for participants who experience obstacles in their lives (health issues, geographic, social, educational, economic obstacles.

local transportation card for buses and trams. Medical tests in Poland required to work with children are covered by the project. Travel costs to Wroclaw and back are reimbursed based on the distance calculator provided by the ESC program.

The project is implemented under the European Solidarity Corps Programme, financed by the European Commission.

The participating organisations have to be mindful of these needs as they are responsible for providing a respectful and trusting hosting environment. At the same time, the organisations participating in the initiative devote a great deal of time, energy and resources to set up a high-quality activity; they should therefore expect that European Solidarity Corps participants show a similar level of respect for the local communities and the people that are directly concerned by the activities (https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/mission_en).

What do we provide ?

training before and after the project ;
health insurance during your project ;
round-trip travel reimbursement ;
accommodation and food ;
pocket money ;
language course ;
return Week-end ;
Youth Pass and SVI international Volunteer passport.
Before applying for this volunteering project, you need to enroll yourself at European Solidarity Corps Platform (https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en) and specify yor European Solidarity Corps Participant Number (PRN).
This organisation holds a European Solidarity Corps Quality Label.
Contact the ESC coordinator at +32 2 888 67 13 to get more informations.