TDJ
REVIEW 2018
www.tdjfoundation.pl
in this issue
Passion is the ability to engage in something, love for certain activities, not just a unique hobby.
page 12
TDJ FOUNDATION Aleja Roździeńskiego 1a 40-202 Katowice, PL fundacja@tdj.pl www.tdjfoundation.pl facebook.com/fundacjatdj/
table of contents 4 6 8 10 12 14 22 28 30 32 36
Let’s meet The year of 2018 and changes in the Foundation The Foundation team grows Strategy for the years 2018-2022 What is passion? Holidays with Passion Individual Development Program College Scholarship Academy of Education Leaders “Na Kopcu” Kindergarten myOXperience
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Support our actions by making a donation
ACCOUNT NUMBER 47 1020 2498 0000 8802 0373 6790
Parents are the first and main educators for their children, kindergarten only helps them to perform this role.
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Young people often do not even dream of foreign studies, because Oxford, Cambridge or Harvard are abstract to them. In TDJ Foundation programs we want to break this myth.
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TDJ Edu Review 2018 3
Let’s meet WHY? The world is developing by leaps and bounds. We create more and more tools that make life more comfortable and work safer and more effective. However, in many countries it is not possible to take care of the most basic human needs. Still, not all children have equal chances to reach their full potential, realize their interests and develop their talents, and most often for independent reasons, such as the socioeconomic situation or the available educational offer. UNICEF, a global humanitarian and development organization working for children, has developed a report on unfair start and educational inequalities. It says:
(...) some children achieve worse results in learning because of factors beyond their control, including their place of birth, the language they use or the profession their parents do. Such children, when entering the education system, are already in a worse position, which may be even deepened if the distance between them and their peers is increased instead of being reduced by the policies and practices in the area of education. (...) Not all children have equal opportunities to achieve their full potential, realize their interests and develop their talents and skills. UNICEF
WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE THE ACHIEVEMENT OF FULL POTENTIAL BY A CHILD? individual activity natural talents access to out-of-school educational offer education system
family situation individual features
*Based on the UNICEF report
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situation in the country (political, economic, social, cultural)
peers
In addition to analyzing the collected data and making a diagnosis, UNICEF suggests in its report how to counteract educational inequality. According to the recommendations of the organization, it is crucial to take care of: • good start for each child by providing access to high quality pre-school education, • a proven and high quality education system, i.e. one that provides all children with key skills to fully participate in the society, • reduction of the impact of social-economic inequalities e.g. through greater integration and access to schools for children from families with different social status, • equal involvement of boys and girls in basic school subjects and attention to gender proportions among teachers, • improved disparity testing in education, which will allow to more accurately diagnose causes and search for effective solutions to this problem.
WHAT DO WE DO? We have established the TDJ Foundation to eliminate inequalities by enabling children and young people to access best educational practices. We create a safe place and tools that allow young people to discover and develop their potentials. We work in the field of: • preschool education, • children and teenagers’ motivation, • youth development in four areas: educational, personal, social and professional, • increasing awareness of available foreign education offer, • support for teachers. We believe that investment in education and development is the highest value for society. * Source of information: UNICEF Office of Research (2018). „Unfair Start: Educational Disadvantage of Children in Developed Countries”, Innocenti Report Card 15, UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, Florence.
TDJ Edu Review 2018 5
How we change 1
We focus on finding best educational and development practices to enable their access by our students. Thanks to this, we promote equal educational opportunities for Poles.
2
During the first years of the TDJ Foundation initiative, we dedicated it to our nearest community only, that is the children of TDJ employees and portfolio companies, for whom we organize summer camps, foreign scientific trips and support in developing their potential. In 2018, however, we decided to take up an even greater challenge and expand the circle of recipients of our activities to include youth from all over Poland as well as educators.
3
4
5
In order to broaden the educational horizon of Polish youth, we show the opportunities offered by foreign universities and the investment in one’s own development. We also teach students how to obtain financial resources for education. In 2015, we opened the first kindergarten. We know that the first years of life have an amazing impact on the development of every human being, which is why we decided to develop our activities in this area and to create new kindergartens throughout Poland. Educators are the key in raising the quality of education and awareness of the best practices. By working with children and young people on a daily basis, they have the greatest impact on them. By supporting educators in raising the level of their work, we can help young people in a systematic way. Therefore, we are preparing to open a training center for teachers.
About 7000 TDJ and portfolio companie’s employees have access to dedicated TDJ Foundation Projects 6 www.tdjfoundation.pl
2018 IN FIGURES
210
30
68
children and teenagers participated in Holidays with Passion
teachers trained in the Academy Of Education Leaders
children develop in the “Na Kopcu� kindergarten
918
10
24
High school students entered the myOXperience competition
people attended language courses in Great Britain
people graduated from IDP in 2018, and 68 were qualified for 2019 edition
TDJ Edu Review 2018 7
The Foundation team grows
January 2018
March 2018
Junior Project Manager
Project Manager
Małgorzata Dudek
Bartłomiej Marszałek
A graduate of the University of Silesia with a degree
A graduate of the SWPS University of Social Scienc-
in Media Culture. For 15 years associated with scout-
es and Humanities with a degree in Personal De-
ing, where she is involved in volunteer training and
velopment Psychology and Coaching. In the years
acts as an educator and manager, and for 2 years
2013/2014/2015 he received the VIS Rector’s Prizes
she has been the Chief Commandant of the ZHP
(Very Important Student) for achievements in social
Katowice troop. She was the Chairman of the Youth
sciences. Since 2012, he has been actively involved
Council of Katowice. In the foundation she was in
in the creation and implementation of youth projects
charge of Erasmus+ projects, then joined the Holi-
based on the process of social and psychological em-
days with Passion team, and currently she is a tutor
powerment. Since 2016, the head of the camp staff
in the Individual Development Program.
implementing their own active leisure programs for children and youth. Currently, a project manager at TDJ Foundation responsible for the implementation of Holidays with Passion and the Individual Development Program.
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Oliwia Kwiatkowska Chairman of the Board of TDJ Foundation
July 2018
Janusz Gorol Chief Operating and Development Officer
Justyna Główka Project Coordinator
September 2018
Junior Project Manager
Project Manager
Marek Żydek
Monika Madigan
A member of the team responsible for the Individual
For three years she has been involved in educational
Development Program. He is the supervisor of the
activities run by the Foundation, as a co-author of “Na
Large Stage at the Slot Art Festival, where he also
Kopcu” kindergarten project. In view of our develop-
took care of volunteers and supported the organ-
ment and investing in pre-school education, Monika
ization of the event. He created camps for youth
coordinates a project aimed at opening further places
three times, and for two years he has been running
operating in the spirit of family kindergartens.
an original program for high school and junior high school students on e-identities. He also acted as the announcer at different events, and ran his own radio show in Radio Egida. In his private life – a keen cyclist and motorcyclist who loves reading books and travelling with his wife to faraway places.
TDJ Edu Review 2018 9
Strategy for the years 2018-2022 Our mission Supporting children, youth and families in developing competence and discovering passion so that they can consciously and responsibly build their future by serving others.
In 2018, we asked ourselves about the foundation’s identity and the directions of its further activity. We wondered what kind of social impact we wanted to have, what opportunities we had and what kind of organization we should become to achieve our goals. The result of our several months’ work is the strategy adopted for the years 2018-2022. On the right, its most important aspects are presented. 10 www.tdjfoundation.pl
LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES • strong team, • reliable partner, • knowledge hub, • accelerator of changes.
FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION
Values
Passion
Competence
Family
Our objectives DISCOVERING PASSION + DEVELOPMENT OF COMPETENCE of young people through the creation and implementation of projects.
BEING AN EXPERT
SUPPORTING FAMILIES
in the field of education and development.
in raising children based on Christian values through the foundation’s activities.
TDJ Edu Review 2018 11
What is passion?
What role does passion play in the lives of young people? How does it affect their involvement and how is it perceived? We asked our pupils about it. Passion is the main reason of our communication PASSION, ACCORDING TO TDJ FOUNDATION: with young people. It is also the foundation for ABILITY TO ENGAGE IN SOMETHING, FONDNESS FOR CERTAIN ACTIVITIES. strengthening their skills and competencies. We decided to check how this concept is perceived by our pupils, what emotions it is associated with To us, discovering passion is a process taking place and whether it is important to them at all. through the strengthening of the sense of involveIn the course of our research* it turned out that ment in various activities and broadening one’s inthere is no clear definition of passion, and everyone terests. We are convinced that in this way young can understand it differently. It happens that pas- people have a better chance to achieve fulfillment sion is a prize, an end in itself, and its discovery is - regardless of whether they have unusual interassociated with success. On the other hand, lack of ests, are preparing for the final exams or take their passion gives rise to frustration, and takes away the first job. sense of one’s own uniqueness and contentment. *results of the Tenka team research carried out on behalf of the TDJ Foundation in 2018 Working with children, youth or educators, we want to break with the bipolar system of successes and failures, instilling them with the idea of passion as we understand it.
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PASSION IN PRACTICE The participants of our camps described the staff as „people with passion” who were the biggest attraction of summer trips. Educators addressed them with respect, treating them as equals. They were especially valued for their participation in class-
es and for established relationships. Young people wanted to spend more time with the educators, they wanted to get to know each other even better. *Perception of the Holiday with Passion team by parents and participants according to the Tenka team’s research
THE FULFILLMENT IS, TO SOME EXTENT, A MORAL PHENOMENON BECAUSE IT MEANS CHERISHING A FEELING THAT YOU ARE A GOOD AND VALUABLE PERSON. A. Giddens
TDJ Edu Review 2018 13
Time for motivation
Holidays with Passion is a six-day camp, which takes place on three different dates, each devoted to a different subject. Our participants can test their skills in the field of art, science and sport. Thanks to the original camp programs, we motivate each other to learn as well as to discover and develop our interests. We want the participants of Holidays with Passion to have special time,
develop their independence, sense of efficiency and effectiveness, and make them believe in their own strengths.
3
24
theme camps
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210
participants between the age of 8 and 17
educators and assistants
15
coaches and instructors
Bartłomiej Marszałek Manager of Holidays with Passion
Magdalena Hetnał Chief educator of Holidays with Passion
Monika Wielgosz Factual coordinator
Educators and assistants
TDJ Edu Review 2018 15
Effects of our actions During Holidays with Passion, we carried out an evaluation study, the purpose of which was to check the impact of the camps on the individual’s mental functioning in many areas. Significant changes were observed in the results concerning self-evaluation, locus of control and sense of effectiveness. The result of the study was a comparison of measurements of given characteristics before and after the camp. SELF-ESTEEM It is a relatively permanent disposition of an individual, understood as a conscious attitude (positive or negative) towards „myself”. Higher self-esteem is associated with: • more frequent and more intense experience of positive emotions, • a greater experience of happiness (satisfaction of life), • taking up greater number of various activities. LOCUS OF CONTROL People with an internal locus of control are convinced that what they encounter in life is the result of their own actions, attitudes, behaviors, while people with an external locus of control tend 16 www.tdjfoundation.pl
to believe that what happens to them is the result of external reality, circumstances and events that the person cannot control. Participation in the camp influenced the measurement of the participants’ locus of control so strongly that the results increased even by almost 6%. A SENSE OF SELF-EFFICIENCY It is a social competence of individuals to imagine themselves as people who can effectively influence the reality. It includes two subscales - having power necessary to initiate actions and perseverance to continue them (sustaining activity). A higher sense of self-efficacy increases motivation to act and is associated with better individual achievement. The stronger beliefs about self-efficacy, the higher goals people set and the stronger their commitment in the intended behavior is, even when facing accumulating failures. Interestingly, this is the value that most considerably increased among the camp participants.
What I liked most were the classes with Mr Kork, because I learned different experiences and constructed things that will be useful in the future. The classes taught me how to work in a group. I met very nice people at the camp, we were well-integrated, everyone was smiling and full of energy to work. My tutor and his assistant were very friendly, kind, funny, helpful and always smiling. I liked them very much. Dagmara AGE 13 Camp participant
CERTAIN FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED THE RESULTS Living conditions: • mental safety (environment without violence), • social comfort (2-4-bed rooms, comfortable bed, proper and regular meals).
The influence of the relationship with the councellor: • partner relationship based on mutual respect, listening to each other and to individual needs, • proper working methods, including freedom of choice, activating forms of work, concentration on the goal, feedback on the progress made. *Excerpts from the research report carried out by the TDJ Foundation, conducted by Bartłomiej Marszałek (psychologist) and Tomasz Wojtas (psychologist, data science specialist).
9,40%
Higher self-esteem in children aged between 12 and 13. Self-esteem has a relatively constant value, therefore any change in this area is a great success
100%
Satisfaction and pleasure of participation
59%
A greater sense of effectiveness in youth aged between 14-18 in the field of action initiation
47,2%
A greater sense of effectiveness in children aged between 12-13 in the field of action initiation
TDJ Edu Review 2018 17
How participants see the camps
staff are people with passion
unusual atmosphere
reciprocity in understanding
program diversity adults take part in activities together with children opportunity to meet new people
MOST IMPORTANT INSIGHTS The great advantage of the program of each camp is its diversity. Such a formula coincides with the purpose for which the participants come to the camp, i.e. to discover new interests, not to deepen particular ones. Trying yourself in various activities has other benefits, too: the participants of Holidays with Passion have the impression that they are doing more than on other trips but they also have a choice. The camp offers something interesting for everyone and there is no time for boredom. Young people learn new things that they would never be able to experience in their close environment.
sincere relationships
FACTORS INDICATED BY YOUNG PEOPLE AS IMPORTANT FOR THE INVOLVEMENT IN ACTIVITIES* Motivation for action: • experiencing emotions, • implementation of activities, • relaxation, • devotion to passions, • self-expression, • being on your own. Barriers to action: • fear of judgement, • unknown group, • no time – school or other activities, • unkind educator, • unsuited age group. *results of the Tenka team research carried out on behalf of the TDJ Foundation in 2018
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Challenge for 2019 Increasing availability of camps and support for greater number of young people while maintaining the quality of Holidays with Passion.
TDJ Edu Review 2018 19
Camp reviews*
I wanted to overhear whether they say cool things to other parents, too, and whether it was the same or something else. And it turned out that they can say something different about everyone! And always in superlatives, even though I know my son wasn’t very well-behaved. That’s nice. PARENT OF THE PARTICIPANT OF HOLIDAYS WITH PASSION
Holidays with Passion, according to the recipients, is the foundation’s flagship program. Young people go to camps in search for passion, new experiences, and not to improve those they already have. The camp enables them to get away from everyday life and the previous image; it is a way to find themselves. A great advantage of camps is that, despite repeating some topics, their program differs every year.
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UNUSUAL ATMOSPHERE The first association with the camp is the atmosphere of this place, which is impossible to describe. It is a place where people are attentive and responsive to the needs of others, they take care of each other. Mutual understanding, listening, praising, supporting and taking care of each other was very important. Solving problems on a regular basis as well as no prohibitions and orders made it possible to establish honest relationships.
PARENTS SPEAKING ABOUT THE CAMP For parents, the most important thing is that their children come back from the camp delighted, smiling and believing in themselves. Parents greatly appreciate talks with the counsellors and employees of the foundation. As they say, they always listen to some nice words about their children. The camp responds perfectly to the need of parents to pull their children away from their phones. They are happy that they can also learn something in addition to having fun.
RELATIONS AMONG PARTICIPANTS Sincere relationships allow you to feel relaxed at land, thanks to which you can meet people from the camp. Integration of participants at the begin- various places (especially that some relations are ning of the camp gives everyone the opportunity also maintained outside the camp). Meeting new to meet others, thus no one is judged superficial- friends is one of the things that motivate young ly, by their appearance. You could sense the inti- people to go to the camps. macy in the group where everyone got to know *Tenka team research report, conducted at the request of TDJ Foundation in 2018 each other in just one day. The advantage of these camps is that they gather people from all over Po-
TDJ Edu Review 2018 21
We help children to discover themselves Each of us is unique. Each of us has different educational and developmental needs. To meet these needs, you need to work with each participant individually. Bartłomiej Marszałek IDP Project Manager
In the Individual Development Program, we want to help young people to define their personal goals and development paths. We have focused our activities on an individual approach to the participant’s needs, which is why the basis of the pro-
The opening conference and content-related
2017 SEPTEMBER
gram is one-to-one work with the tutor. We pay great attention to building self-confidence, understanding one’s own potential and using the acquired competencies to improve oneself and one’s own environment.
Summarizing conference of the IDP 2019/2018 scholarship
2018 May
Meetings with a tutor and individual work. Study visits, mentoring, courses and training sessions.
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Challenge for 2019 GOAL Creating space for discovering opportunities, designing and taking actions in the field of personal, professional, social and educational development. This is our main goal. We implement it through the main activities: tutoring and participant meetings.
Increasing the number of tutors so that greater number of young people have the opportunity to develop in the program.
Program evaluation. Working on a new formula
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
Field training for tutors
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
The recruitment of participants for IPR 2019
TDJ Edu Review 2018 23
IDP 2017/2018 scholarship holders
68 20 2016/2017
24 2017/2018
Increase in the number of participants in subsequent years 24 www.tdjfoundation.pl
2019
INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN FIGURES
136
tutor sessions
2 integration conventions
80 tutoring hours
5
vocational counselling sessions
13 individual courses
3 seminars
4
study visits in companies
19
mentoring sessions with specialists
9 months of work on the Individual Development Program TDJ Edu Review 2018 25
IDP effects Impact of IDP on young people
81% 81% The youth participating in the program edition of 2017/2018 evaluate tutoring as a useful tool in their development.
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87,5% 87,5% All participants of the program rated it highly.
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
1 – highest score 1 – highest 4 – lowest scorescore 4 – lowest score
4
My cooperation with the tutor consisted in helping me to sort out my plans for the future. Additionally, during conversations and meetings I also focused on improving my self-confidence and stress management skills. Mutual trust was the key to success. Agnieszka Bąk TDJ Foundation scholarship holder
Collaborating with the tutor and learning soft skills at the meetings held to open and summarize the IDP were an absolute novelty to me. I am a student and a graduate of the mechatronics college who never suspected that such skills can be so useful in everyday life. A great motivation as well as a great positive surprise for me was spending time with people who also develop their passions and a great progress that every IDP scholarship holder made in just 10 months! Piotr Frątczak TDJ Foundation scholarship holder
THE BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN IDP ACCORDING TO SCHOLARSHIP HOLDERS* • gaining courage and confidence, • new experiences, • sorting out plans for the future, • inspiration from other participants, • peer group support,
• opportunity to reach places and people which would not be possible to achieve without foundation, • safe environment for new experiences, • opportunity for reflection *Based on the results of studies conducted by the Tenka team
TDJ Edu Review 2018 27
Education abroad We want young people - especially those from our immediate community - to believe that education at the highest level is within their reach. The youth often do not even dream of foreign studies, because Oxford, Cambridge or Harvard are abstract to them. In TDJ Foundation programs we want to break this myth. Oliwia Kwiatkowska President of the Board of TDJ Foundation
Justyna Kudala Long-term scholarship holder of TDJ Foundation. In recent years, she was a participant of Holidays with Passion, and during the Individual Development Program she worked on a path related to architecture and was preparing for a one-year trip to Italy. Justyna supported us, joining the young staff of Holidays with Passion. She is spending 2018/2019 school year in Como, Lombardy, where she lives with an Italian family and studies at the Italian school together with her peers.
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Piotr Bartela He dreamt of becoming a professional voice-over presenter who would lend his voice on the radio or television. Thanks to the participation in the Individual Development Program he started gaining competence in this area. At the age of 16, he got his first assignment for a professional recording! In the subsequent editions of the program, he got prepared for his Matura exam and currently he is planning his professional path. In 2018, he participated in the Leadership Course at the University of Oxford. COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP IN FIGURES
3
scholarship holders of the foundation became Ampleforth College students for one week
3
College Scholarship graduates came back from a oneyear trip to Great Britain and the USA
If only that was possible, I would be more than happy to take part in the next edition of the program. I think that this is an amazing development opportunity, unavailable to most people of my age, and simply an unusual adventure. In my school - St. Clare’s - I was most surprised by the combination of old British traditions and modern solutions as well as beautiful Oxford dormitories full of students from all over the world. Teachers’ approach to students guided by the volun-
1
winner of College Scholarship left for a one-year academic exchange to Italy
10
young people attended two-week courses at the best universities of Great Britain
tary principle was great, no one was forced to do anything, yet everyone wanted to do their best. The course I attended, i.e. Leadership, helps to develop language and leadership skills as well as public speaking. Piotr Bartela Participant of Leadership Course, Oxford
TDJ Edu Review 2018 29
We support the development of educators school
Our observations show that the development of young people is mainly influenced by three groups: parents, school and supporting organisations. As a foundation, we constantly cooperate with parents of our scholarship holders. However, we asked ourselves the question of how we can positively influence teachers, educators, trainers and all those who on a daily basis accompany young people on their development path. Hence the deAEL PARTNERS
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parents
supporting organisations
cision to create a place where we can pass competencies and also share our experience in working with children and young people. We completed the first pilot edition of the Academy of Education Leaders in March 2018.
Challenge for 2019 Creation of a continuing education center for management staff, teachers and other educational workers.
KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCIES PASSED TO THE PARTICIPANTS DURING AEL
7h
Thomas Gordon, “Parenting Without Failures”
Motivation or how to restore the willingness to act
2h
2h
2h25’
1h25’
6h
ABC of sexual education or how to talk to children about sexuality
25’
Organization of free time
25’
Communication how to talk so people listen and listen so people talk
2h25’
Coaching in working with a group
Communication without violence
TDJ Edu Review 2018 31
Our first kindergarten
Our kindergarten starts the process of personalized education and is so special because it is an extension of the family home. Parents are the first and main educators for their children, kindergarten only helps them to perform this role. Monika Madigan Project Manager
This is the first pre-school education project in which we decided to invest three years ago to support families in bringing up children at such a crucial moment of their lives. “Na Kopcu� kindergarten is an unusual undertaking because it was
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fully created by parents who wanted to raise their children in a spirit of diligence, honesty, freedom and responsibility, so that they would grow up to happy and helpful adults.
68
children currently attend the kindergarten,
38%
parents use the kindergarten library
when we started there were 8 of them
95%
families remain in the project until the end of pre-school education of their children
over
50%
the families evaluate the project very highly and are ready to pay higher tuition fees
Inspiration The main inspiration of “Na Kopcu” kindergarten is the Catholic Church doctrine and the life of St. Josemaría Escrivá, who did not only accurately diagnose the causes of many contemporary problems related to family and
up-bringing of children but also was able to make parents aware of their role as first educators. He encouraged them to establish schools where children could receive education in accordance with their beliefs and values taught at home.
TDJ Edu Review 2018 33
80%
of our families perform various volunteering works for the project
over
80%
of our fathers walk their children to the kindergarten during the adaptive week - many of them at the expense of their days off
TUTORING AND PERSONALIZED EDUCATION The kindergarten is not meant to make everything for parents, but to support them in achieving the best educational results. It is facilitated by meetings with tutors (family tutoring), where an individual educational plan is established on the grounds of a good knowledge of the child and an objective assessment of the child’s talents,
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100%
attendance of both parents during tutoring sessions
abilities and areas that require improvement. Tutor is an individual educator assigned to a given family. We also provide parents with various forms of education and counselling, such as lectures, workshops, selected publications available in the kindergarten library and conferences in the field of knowledge about upbringing.
EDUCATIONAL MODEL Our educational model is based on a comprehensive upbringing that covers all aspects of the child’s personality and focuses on five areas in particular:
1
Mind
2
Emotions
3
Body
4 5
POSITIVE MOTIVATION SYSTEM Agenda It serves to record positive changes in the child’s behaviour. 5-to-1 Rule The optimal ratio of positive feedback to critical remarks, strengthening student’s involvement. The ethos of the WDJ Well Done Job characterized by reliability and quality - passing standards and values. Work, being a conscious and voluntary act of a person, is a par excellence educational measure (essential and necessary).
the pursuit of truth
the joy of doing good
a tool to do good
Spirit establishing personal relationship with God and other people
Will pursuit of goodness
RESULTS OF OUR WORK • parents involved become kindergarten employees, even if it requires retraining, • parents declare that their marriage relationships and joy of raising children improved thanks to our project, • every year each educator reads and develops a minimum of 12 books in various fields and attends at least 3 training sessions, • all kindergarten workers including a janitor and other supplementary personnel participate in training sessions and discussions about the books read, • thanks to the involvement of families, the Family Academy courses have been launched.
TDJ Edu Review 2018 35
myOXperience
With the aim to broaden the educational horizon of young people, in 2018 we established cooperation with Project Access Polska, an organization of Poles studying at Oxford and Cambridge. We asked ourselves what we can do to show our youth the offer of foreign universities, and above all, how to convince them that these universities are within their reach. The result of our work was the myOXperience competition, to which we invited young people, aged between 15-16 from all over Poland. The main prize was a 5-day trip 36 www.tdjfoundation.pl
to workshops at the University of Oxford and accommodation in one of the university colleges. Our goal was to make the youth desire to take up a challenge and try to apply to foreign schools bearing in mind their own Oxford experience.
This is an unusual opportunity for Polish students to get to know an amazing atmosphere of Oxford and to convince themselves that even such prestigious colleges are within their reach. We strongly believe that a trip in the framework of myOXperience will be a milestone on their educational path, helping them not only to decide to study at that particular university, but also to broaden their mental horizon and to reach for things that previously seemed impossible. Janusz Gorol Chief Operating and Development Officer Co-organizer
918
competition entries
170
51
competition participants qualified for the second stage
winners who received a 4-month mentoring assistance and an opportunity to participate in workshops in Warsaw
PROJECT ACCESS POLAND Foundation set up by Polish students from Oxford and Cambridge. It promotes studies at the best foreign universities and offers free-of-charge assistance to Polish high school students in the application processes.
30
Main Prize: a trip to a 5-day workshop at the University of Oxford
The foundation team believes that everyone, regardless of their financial situation, should have equal opportunities to develop their talents. The Foundation operates within the framework of the international Project Access organization.
THE TRIP TO OXFORD INCLUDES
1 academic classes with Oxford professors
2 workshops with TDJ Foundation and Project Access
3 visiting Oxford
TDJ Edu Review 2018 37
How we are perceived
We strive to ensure that our programs closely respond to the needs of those under their care. That is why we commissioned a comprehensive research on the foundation’s activities. The study was based on the opinions of participants, parents and experts with whom we cooperate, as well as on the summary of good practices, evaluation of other offers on the market and on academic knowledge. In the study, our recipients (parents, participants, colleagues, experts) indicated the strengths of the foundation’s activities, which in their opinion: • provide safety and trust, • bring joy, • help kids to grow and decide for themselves, • provide the feeling of being important, • ensure partnership relations. *Based on the results of studies conducted by the Tenka team
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In the opinion of our recipients, the foundation team creates a family atmosphere and is associated with committed adults and mutual respect, who are perceived as those who offer support and guidance to young people, influencing them in a positive way. Particular attention was paid to the ability to build self-confidence, lack of assessment as well as fully organized time and openness. The respondents often emphasized the fact that the foundation’s programs are implemented in the environment that accepts mistakes, which are not regarded as something wrong but as a chance to learn.
I would like to thank the TDJ Foundation and parents who supported me a lot. Sometimes, even an ordinary conversation means more than you think. A GRADUATE OF COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP
HOW TO WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE The study also aimed at identifying important aspects in working with youths. The most important thing is to create a friendly environment which fosters the acquisition of knowledge and skills. Defined ways and methods of work, on which we focus within the programs, include: • use of engaging working methods, • showing the purpose of learning certain subjects and looking for the possibilities to make use of them, • support in learning skills,
• development of independent and team working skills, • individual approach, • working on self-evaluation skills, • support in overcoming fear of embarrassment, bad judgment, • support in communication with adults and peers, • support in adopting active attitude towards life tasks.
TDJ Edu Review 2018 39
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