ESC: Volunteering to Help Youth with Fewer Opportunities

The main aim of Windmill Tree Foundation is to support and promote holistic and sustainable development. By "holistic" we mean physical, mental, social human development. By "sustainable" we understand the re-integration of society with nature, art, economics. Our target groups : young people, children, middle-aged and elderly people. We pay special attention to young people with fewer opportunities. We mainly focus on geographical (coming from rural areas, disadvantaged regions), economic (coming from dysfunctional families) and those related to disability (we have experience with motor, visual and mild mental disabilities (like autism, Down syndrome) obstacles Actually, inclusion is kind of the "background music" of all our activities. We strongly believe that true, holistic and sustainable development of society is only possible if all its members are actively involved in this process. The idea behind all our activities is that they are accessible to everyone. Our geographical coverage on a national scale is the entire region of the Izera Mountains. The Foundation is registered in the town of Leśna, where we run the Day Care Centre and co-found the Community Centre. On an international level - the Foundation works mainly with the Erasmus + program. We are planning to expand our activities with the European Solidarity Corps, Visegrad Fund and Norwegian Funds. Spheres of activities : those "fields" that we believe most support sustainable and holistic development: arts and culture, sports/outdoor activities, mixed-ability activities, social entrepreneurship. Our main objectives: - supporting, promoting and implementing non-formal and informal education; - improving the quality of youth work, social work - by introducing creative, innovative approaches, exchange of experiences and good practices; - Promoting sustainable development on all levels - local, national, international; - Activating young people from rural areas; - Supporting and promoting cooperation between societies of EU, Eastern Partnership and other countries - Promoting and organizing intercultural, inter-religious and inter-generational exchange; - Support, promote and implementation of mixed-ability activities; Our Foundation, although young, has among its members experienced people. As freelancers, trainers, project coordinators and local activists we live and work in the Izery mountains region for more than 7 years - and since 2019 under the umbrella of Windmill Tree Foundation. We are international team, which brings together people from Poland as well as activists from Belarus, Germany, Ukraine, who have moved to Poland and are currently living and working in the region of Jizera Mountains.