790 volunteers, 1,476 projects, and 11,322 children—these are the results of the 21st round of the “PROJECTOR” program, which was wrapped up on September 12 in Lublin during the closing gala. The most active volunteers and a teacher were honored, and the organizers announced the start of recruitment for the next edition.
Launched in 2003, the program aims to level the chances in education for children and youth living in rural areas and small towns. As part of the program, groups of two or three student volunteers carry out projects for elementary school students designed to develop their knowledge, skills, and interests. The projects take place during the school year and over summer break.
Gala and Summary of the Round
The event was held under the theme “Light—We Ignite Curiosity. We Illuminate Possibilities.” The gala was hosted by the Program Ambassadors, Marcin Michalik and Sebastian Markowicz, and opened with a performance by Amelia Sowińska. Statistics for the 21st round:
- 790 volunteers,
- 1,476 completed projects,
- 4,269 hours of activity,
- 344 host organizations,
- 368 child caregivers,
- 11,322 children participating in the activities.
Speeches By Organizers And Experts
Dr. Zofia Sapijaszka, the Board of the Educational Enterprise Foundation President, emphasized the value of the community of students, teachers, and partners, and noted that the program’s strength stems from openness and willingness to share knowledge.
Mirosław Czyżewski, Program Officer at Polish-American Freedom Foundation, spoke about the program’s long-term impact on local communities and importance of sparking curiosity in the younger generation.
Kamil Wrzos, Director of the “PROJECTOR” program, discussed the progress of the past round and thanked the team and partners. Among the experts supporting the program were Ewa Drobek, Dr. Mateusz Dudka, Mateusz Salach, and Dr. Anna Malińska.
Films, Projects, and Evaluation
Video reports from the volunteers’ tour and the Science Picnics were shown, edited from Sebastian Markowicz’s perspective. Maria Redzimska presented the IT for SHE Kids program, and Milena Trela presented the A Great Adventure with Finance project. The evaluation was conducted in the form of a Kahoot quiz. Michał Szkudlarek summarized the year in the Ambassador Program and announced recruitment for the next round.
Awards for the Most Active Participants
Dr. Zofia Sapijaszka and Mirosław Czyżewski presented the awards:
- Natalia Pruchenko – 4 visits to elementary schools as part of PROlekcja and a trip to the Summer Workshops with PROJECTOR, for a total of 31 hours with children,
- Marcin Gronek – 9 science picnics (36 hours),
- Sebastian Markowicz – 11 science picnics (approx. 44 hours),
- Agnieszka Krzyżyńska, teacher – classes were held in 10 classes at her school, and she invited four colleagues to join the project, resulting in 5 mentors working at the school.
Social Events and Workshops
The official part of the event concluded with a concert by Amelia Sowińska. During the social and networking evening, participants had access to a motivation mirror, a photo wall, face painting on canvas, and cards with wishes for others. On Sunday, the Capture the Sparkle in Glass workshop took place.
