Supporting education is one of the most important pillars of the Wrocław Strategy for Intercultural Dialogue (2018-2022). The concept of education includes many areas - from educational activities for children and adults carried out by schools, kindergartens, non-governmental organisations, universities, workplaces, and institutions - through communication in the city space and the media - to twofold integration between residents, counteracting hate speech and community building.
We consider interculturalism as a process, the directions and results of which depend primarily on us: the inhabitants of the city.
Ambassadors of Dialogue is a municipal educational project whose aim is to provide educators with opportunities to develop intercultural competences, deepen interest in the subject of openness and tolerance, counteract discrimination, and develop an atmosphere of dialogue in educational institutions among the teaching staff.
Ambassadors of Dialogue act as representatives of their institution, taking part in workshops, trips and study visits organised by the Wrocław Center for Social Development, during which they exchange good practices and gain knowledge and inspiration for new activities. Project participants receive support in educationally and interculturally difficult situations through contact with specialists, non-governmental organizations and other educational institutions in Poland and abroad.
Preparatory classes were inaugurated in Wrocław schools in 2019, in response to the need to support parents of foreign-language children coming to Wrocław. The programme was created on the initiative of Wrocław educators in cooperation with the Wrocław Center for Social Development and the Department of Education of the Wrocław City Hall. The offer is addressed to foreign-language children - including children of foreigners and children returning to Poland from emigration.
In the preparatory class, students have more Polish language classes. They learn everyday communication, but also words and expressions in mathematics, science, history and other school subjects. Pupils learn about Polish culture, take part in thematic lessons and integration activities, get to know the city. At the same time, the child does not lose a year, because he follows the core curriculum for his level.
In Wrocław, depending on the needs of a given school year, there are preparatory classes in various schools at primary and secondary level. Information on enrollment in preparatory classes is provided by the Education Department of the Wrocław City Hall.
Intercultural assistants’ task is to support foreign students in Polish schools. Their work includes helping children in learning and integrating with peers and the school community, supporting the teaching staff and mediating in contacts between parents and the school.
The first intercultural assistants started working in schools in Wrocław in 2018. As part of the reSTART project financed from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF, European Commission) and the Polish state budget, the Kaleidoscope of Cultures Foundation implemented a pilot project: "School of intercultural assistants” in 2020. As a result, the candidates for assistants were trained to perform supporting functions in schools and were then employed on a pilot basis in schools. More about the assistantship within the reSTART project on the project's page.
Currently, the number of assistants in schools is constantly growing, thanks to cooperation with the UNICEF and trainings prepared by the Kaleidoscope of Cultures Foundation.
"Starter pack" is a publication dedicated to children who start their education in a Polish school and their parents and guardians. In the publication, they will find information on everyday life in a Polish school (for example, answers to questions like: what a school club is, what a formal outfit looks like, or what grading scale applies in Polish schools). The guide also contains a glossary of school terms and templates of documents useful during the school year, e.g. consents or exemptions.
The publication was published by the Wrocław Center for Social Development and was created in cooperation with the Department of Education of the Wrocław City Hall. The second edition (2022) has been prepared in 3 language versions: Polish, Ukrainian and English. The brochure is free of charge and distributed to primary schools in Wrocław and is available in Przejście Dialogu.
The digital version of the materials can be downloaded here.
