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Description
The project responds to the problem of insufficient support for children and young people with migration experience in schools in the city of Bialystok. This results in these young people having reduced educational opportunities compared to their Polish peers. The school community is not prepared adequately to receive migrant children and does not know their specific life situation. Young migrants experience many difficulties, misunderstanding and discrimination. They are an absent group in the school community and their needs are not recognised. The project aims to improve the situation of children and young people with migration experience living in Bialystok in access to education, as well as to raise awareness about migration among the whole school community. We will provide migrant school students with intercultural assistance and psychological support. We would like to ensure that young people with migration experience become advocates for their cause and raise awareness in the host community about migration and the life situation of migrants. Within the project Polish language classes for young people will be held, we will also carry out film and photography workshops, participatory research, a theatrical performance, and training for teachers. The project is addressed primarily to children and youth with experience of migration in educational institutions in Bialystok (kindergartens, primary and secondary schools). We will support mainly the newcomers who have difficulties with finding themselves in the Polish reality, do not know the language, experience various forms of discrimination and are unable to establish relations with their peers. The result of the project will be the improvement of the school situation of students with the experience of migration, as well as the strengthening and greater sense of empowerment of young people. It will also increase the knowledge and competence of members of the school community regarding migration.
Summary of project results
In Podlasie region, as well as throughout Poland, since 2015 we are seeing an unprecedented increase in the number of migrants. Although our region has always been associated with multiculturalism, the current situation is unique. What is unique about Białystok is that, in addition to large migration from the East (currently mainly from Ukraine - due to Russia''s invasion of Ukraine and Belarus - intensified by the political situation there), Chechen refugees also live here (there is a refugee center here).
"Multicultural school" - a project whose aim was to improve the situation of children and young people with migration experience living in Białystok in access to education, as well as to deepen awareness of migration and the situation of migrants in the local community (recipients of project activities, school community, Polish youth).
- Support for intercultural assistants. The assistants'' work consisted of supporting children, teachers and parents in everyday relationships. Number of children benefiting from support – 196.
- Polish as a foreign language classes. Number of participants in Polish language classes - 194. We completed 17 courses for people aged 6-18. A communication book has been developed, consisting of a set of pictures presenting in a simple way the basic needs of young children. Each picture has words written in Polish, Ukrainian and Russian. 200 pieces were produced.
- Psychological support. Number of people using support – 55. We provided psychological support for children and young people with migration experience living in Białystok.
- Training for teachers. Number of participants in teacher training - 100. The topic of the training was the education of students with migration experience, it concerned factors determining the situation of students and anti-discrimination activities.
- Photography workshops for young people. Number of participants - 10. The aim of the activity was to give space to young people with migration experience to show their everyday life in Białystok. At the end of the activity, an exhibition of the completed works was organized.
- Research among young people with migration experience. Number of published publications -1. The research was part of the photography workshops. They were participatory in nature using photography. We talked about the challenges of living in Poland. The result of the research is a publication that also includes photographs taken by young people. Its aim is to sensitize Polish society to the situation of young migrants.
- A theater performance about the phenomenon of migration. Number of performances created - 1. The play "Przeżyto" concerned the experience of migration among young people and was created in a participatory way by the participants of theater workshops. Polish and migrant youth participated.
The project is addressed to children and young people with migration experience living in Białystok. Thanks to the activities carried out and the products prepared during the implementation, changes occurred among migrants and the local community. The work of assistants in schools was very supportive not only of children and their parents with migration experience, but also of teachers and school principals. Knowledge of the Polish language for children and teenagers is the basis for functioning in schools. The courses allowed our participants to adapt to school more easily and integrate into the education system more quickly. The knowledge and materials obtained during teacher training will also support teachers in the future in working with children with migration experience. Thanks to the creation and production of an educational booklet, preschool children with migration experience will be able to share their thoughts with their teachers and friends. The book is also an educational tool - children learn words and names in Polish. The show "Przeżyto", created from scratch as part of the project, is an educational tool for teachers and school counselors. It is a show about adversity and the need for acceptance. The show gave young people with migration experience the opportunity to open up to the community, show their problems, and be accepted into the local community. The theater group created during the project still exists and creates new performances. Thanks to photography and integration workshops and participatory research, the local community learned about the perspectives of young people with migration experience, how young people perceive their situation, expressed their voices through photography and interviews.
The developed products (publication, communication booklet, scenarios) are educational tools and enable greater publicity about the situation of migrant youth, the need to ensure equal treatment, respect for their rights and subjectivity.