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Description
In small towns in Podlasie, children and young people have considerably fewer opportunities to develop their talents. The range of extra-curriculum classes is meager, intended primarily for children of up to primary school year IV, and the poor transport service between the place of residence and school hinders use (Youth 2018, CBOS, National Bureau for Drug Prevention, 2019). During a pandemic, after many months of lessons online, young people do not always get support and are at risk of depression due to isolation and an extreme sense of helplessness (J. Suchecka Thousands of children have disappeared from the system. Where can they be?). We intend to prevent this, and help young people who face hardship to develop their talents and abilities. We will organize training for mentors (a female writer, female journalist, sociologist, female multimedia teacher, history teacher) and project coordinator on recognizing special needs in young people in a difficult environment. Working with local institutions (school, social welfare center, school student council) they will each recruit three people for self-help groups, and work with them both individually and in groups, so that when meeting individual needs other abilities will be developed as well: literary, journalism, artistic, and history skills. We envisage a meeting to integrate young people and mentors, combined with a media communication workshop and an artistic event, and digital publication of recommendations for future programs. Fifteen talented pupils (12- 17) from schools in Białowieża, Białystok, Szudziałowo, Supraśl and Jedwabno, at risk of social exclusion due to the pandemic and events in their lives, will participate. The young people participating will improve their knowledge of culture, art, and science, receive emotional support, and be able to present the importance of their needs. Six people will receive mentoring training.
Summary of project results
The project addresses the problem of exclusion of children and young people from small towns in Podlasie, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the fewer opportunities for this group to develop their talents. The offer of extra-curricular activities is modest, aimed mainly at pre-school children and those in early childhood education, and its use is hampered by the lack of local transport between the place of residence and the school (CBOS, 2019). The material status of the family and lack of access to information about existing opportunities can also be obstacles to development. Inequalities were exacerbated by the pandemic, remote learning and the humanitarian crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border (Białowieża and Szudziałowo were in the exclusion zone).
The Project Promoter conducted a pilot mentoring project for primary and secondary school students from 5 towns in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. At the beginning of the project, 5 mentors were selected: a writer, a radio journalist, a visual artist, a historian and an activist involved in preserving the memory of Jewish culture. A series of 3 trainings on working in a challenging social environment was prepared for them. Then, in cooperation with schools, NGOs and cultural centres, young people were invited to participate in the project. The task of the mentors was to discover the talents of the young people and motivate them to develop. Mentoring consisted of individual and group work with young people and the development of literary, journalistic, artistic and historical skills and interests. There were also two integration meetings between young people and mentors; one of them was accompanied by a workshop on online safety.
The activities were attended by 17 students aged 12-17 from schools in Białowieża, Białystok, Szudziałowo, Supraśl and Śniadowo, at risk of social exclusion due to pandemics and life circumstances. The young people increased their knowledge of culture, art and science, developed interests and competences in these areas. They also received emotional support and were equipped with the skills to express their needs, became more open and confident.