The PAFF “Projector – Student Volunteers” program anniversary Gala, which was held at the Copernicus Science Center in Warsaw on February 11, 2015, made an opportunity to thank the most active people and institutions involved in the program. The organizer of the Gala was the Foundation for the Development of the Voluntary Service, the Program Manager since 2010.
The guests were welcomed by Jerzy Koźmiński, PAFF President, who pointed to the unique nature of the program. “The fact that student volunteering for the benefit of children and youth from villages and small towns is an important initiative among educational offer of the Foundation is proved by its results. The program, launched in 2003, has become a nationwide mass action. More than 25,000 educational projects have been implemented in almost 2,000 school all over Poland, more than 10,000 student-volunteers have participated in them and they worked with more than 250,000 students.” The PAFF President thanked all people and institutions involved in this initiative – the regional coordinators, students, schools as well as the institutional partners. He gave special appreciation to the Team of the Foundation for the Development of the Voluntary Service.
The most active students-volunteers, principals of the most involved in educational projects schools and the program partners were presented with the statuettes and diplomas by Minister Jacek Michałowski, PAFF President Jerzy Koźmiński and President of the Foundation for the Development of the Voluntary Service Zdzisław Hofman. Among those awarded was also Professor Tadeusz Rzeżuchowski, the initiator of the “Green Action” which was the prototype of the “Projector – Student Volunteers” Program.
The official part of the Gala included the debate on “(Human) Capital needed right now” with participation of Henryk Wujec, Joanna Malinowska-Parzydło of Personal Brand Institute, Agnieszka Bieniak of Grupa Pracuj.pl, Katarzyna Tuz of BRE Insurance, Jacek Babiel, “Benefit” magazine editor-in-chief and program volunteer Krzysztof Grabowski. The debate was conducted by Beata Jakoniuk-Wojcieszak and the participants discussed such issues as whether there is enough place on the labor market for projects based on voluntary work done by those who build social capital.
The 10 years of the program was summed up by President of the Foundation for the Development of the Voluntary Service Zdzisław Hofman and PAFF Program Director Radosław Jasiński. “We face many challenges but also huge opportunities which we shall take advantage of. We want other organizations willing to launch similar initiatives to apply our unique methodology, which we developed under the program, as a model one,” Zdzisław Hofman said.
The Gala was conducted by Przemysław Buksiński. At the end Krzysztof Kiljański gave a mini recital.
