ESC: Schuman Volunteers - Association for Children "CHANCE"

The Association for the Development of Children's Activity "SZANSA" (shortly "Szansa" or "Chance") is a non-governmental non-profit association founded in 1992. Our main focus are children as well as youngsters and their immediate educational environment; formal and non-formal (home, kindergarden, school, local community, leisure activities). Since its beginning, "SZANSA” has implemented several hundred local, national and international educational and training projects. Until now SZANSA's activities have reached over 10 000 children, youngsters and their parents, several hundred teachers and head teachers and almost 1000 volunteers. Through the experience of cooperation with the Dutch Bernard van Leer Foundation (1997-2004) we have discovered the importance of early childhood. Thanks to the Foundation, the “SZANSA” team underwent many interdisciplinary trainings on the subject. This has led to an extremely significant change in our work and way of thinking of children and their families and working with them: we have our focus from the deficit to the resources and potential of a child and its family, from the so-called "extinguishing fires" (including: individual therapy, sociotherapy) to introducing the "fire protection systems" (including: preventive programs - work with the family of a small child, work with preschool teams and leaders in the environment). We focus our efforts on creating the best possible educational conditions for children and youngsters and raising the quality of work in early childhood education. In this field, we cooperate with local governments, by taking active part in consultations, collective bodies, advisory groups etc. We work with schools on every day basis: supporting school headmasters and teachers in their work, training the teachers on the topics related to violence prevention, supporting pupils facing difficulties in their school life (among others – our volunteers help students with their homework, provide tutoring activities) and introducing volunteering actions in schools. Each year we organize all kinds of summer and winter holiday camps, packed with preventive - educational - leisure activities. Approximately 200 children and youngsters participate in our camps each year. During a school year, we organize creativity developing activities for the youngest children and their parents : "Mum, Dad and Kid's Club" , "Mum and Preschooler's Club", also activities supporting the development of preschool children. We use active, non-formal education methods. We also remain active and visible in local communities, by organizing various events, like for example Neighbourhood Fairs, local garage sales, holiday actions etc.