On September 20-21, 2025, the finale of the 20th anniversary round of the “PROJECTOR - Student Volunteers” program took place in Lublin. The two-day meeting under the slogan With “PROJECTOR” across Poland. One mission, thousands of adventures, was designed in the form of a journey, symbolizing the path that the program and its volunteers have been traveling for two decades, reaching schools in small towns.
The event in Lublin brought together over 60 volunteers, teachers, and friends of the program. In her welcoming speech, Dr. Zofia Sapijaszka, President of the Educational Enterprise Foundation, emphasized that for two decades, the program’s mission has been to equalize educational opportunities and strengthen social attitudes among students. “This is not only an educational project, but also a community that shapes the responsibility and courage of young people,” said Kamil Wrzos, director of the “PROJECTOR” program.
Radosław Jasiński, Program Director of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation, also conveyed words of support and thanks in a letter to the student volunteers. “The work of ‘PROJECTOR’ volunteers is much more than just helping with learning. Thank you for the enormous heart and courage you put into every project. In this way, you build civic engagement and prove that every good deed we invest in pays off for all of us and builds a better future. You are the best example that each of us has the power to change the world.”
Next, the guests took the floor: Magdalena Nogaj, a teacher from the Primary School in Głuchołazy, who emphasized the enormous importance of workshops conducted in schools, and Monika Styczeń, a volunteer who shared her own experience in working with children. The organizers emphasized the role of the Program Ambassadors, thanking them for their commitment and warmly welcoming new members to the group supporting the development of the program.
Next, the participants took part in a quiz, which actively engaged the guests and recalled the most important facts and achievements of the “PROJECTOR” program over the past year.
The highlight of the gala was the presentation of awards for commitment, innovative approaches to working with children, and promoting the “PROJECTOR” in local communities. The following students and teachers were honored: Monika Styczeń, Amelia Kulanica, Natalia Szeląg, Sebastian Markowicz, Joanna Drozd, Hubert Błoński, Konrad Dral, Agnieszka Socha, Ewa Żuchowska, and Magdalena Nogaj. The event also celebrated the 20th anniversary of Kamil Wrzos’s work as the Director of the “PROJECTOR” program.
The artistic part of the event featured a performance by Julia Romanyuk, a student from Ukraine, who presented songs related to the theme of travel, accompanied by music. Participants also enjoyed a special attraction: the finale passports, in which they could collect stamps at various locations during the event. These passports symbolized the journey through the program and served as a souvenir of the entire meeting.
The second day was workshop-based. Agata Gliniak introduced participants to the world of Travel Journal. Participants learned how to document their own experiences and then created their first sketches and notes in their travel journals. The second workshop was on mobile photography, led by photographer Dawid Pawka. The instructor presented practical tips on taking photos with a phone, after which the participants set off into the city of Lublin. The city became their outdoor photo studio, full of interesting shots, joint experiments, and opportunities for integration.
The finale of the Jubilee edition of the program was an opportunity to celebrate successes together and set new goals for the coming years.
Launched in 2005, the “PROJECTOR – Student Volunteers” program aims to equalize educational opportunities for children and young people living in rural areas and small towns. As part of the program, groups of two or three student volunteers carry out projects for primary school students to develop their knowledge, skills, and interests. Since the program’s inception, over 46,000 educational projects have been carried out throughout Poland in over 3,300 schools, with the participation of over 17,000 student volunteers for over 475,000 students. In the anniversary round of 2024/2025, over 700 university student volunteers carried out 1,451 educational projects for 11,740 students from 358 primary schools.
The Program Manager is the Educational Enterprise Foundation.
