Additional lessons, workshops, trips and psychological support – Lower Silesian local governments secured EU funding for these activities to help students readjust to school after the pandemic and remote learning. Thousands of children benefited from the support, including students from Bystrzyca Kłodzka.
“Children are very important to us, and after the pandemic they found themselves in a new and difficult situation. That is why we considered mitigating the negative effects of isolation and remote learning on students a priority,” says Renata Surma, mayor of Bystrzyca Kłodzka. “We realized that reintegrating class groups, catching up on learning losses that students complained about, and overcoming their fear of returning to school would not be easy. That is why we did not hesitate for a moment to use EU funds to help the children return to normality.”
Trips as education and integration
The project was carried out from May to November 2022. In total, 825 students from Primary Schools No. 1 and No. 2 in Bystrzyca Kłodzka and from Wilkanów took part. During a one-day trip, the younger children visited Jura Park in Krasiejów. The participants were provided with coach transport, admission tickets to the dinosaur park, all-day meals and, of course, plenty of attractions. Their older classmates took part in longer, three-day educational and integration trips. They visited Poznań, Gniezno, Biskupin, Kraków and Wieliczka, as well as Toruń, Warsaw and Gdańsk. The trips were completely free of charge for the students.
Oliwier from class V b went to Kraków and Wieliczka with his classmates. There was a lot to see, but he liked Wawel, the Wawel Dragon and the salty walls in the salt mine best. Some people checked it out.
Natalia from class 2 b still remembers the trip to the Dinosaur Park in Krasiejów, especially the 5D cinema of emotions, where the film was watched through special glasses.
“The most important thing was that the trip was free, so for the first time all the children from the school could go,” adds Maja from class 6 b.
New memories, new skills
The participants brought back from the trips not only countless impressions, photographs and memories, but also a sense of integration with their classmates. Surveys conducted after each educational trip confirmed that the project’s intended goals – mitigating the negative effects of student isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic, improving their key competencies and universal skills – had been achieved. Specifically, the project aimed to foster cooperation and assertiveness, develop sensitivity to diversity and respect for others, and interest students not only in history but also in the social and economic development of our country.
“Implementing the project, although it was a considerable challenge due to its scope, the number of cooperating entities and the large group of students we intended to support, ended in complete success. The students returned happy, more integrated with their classes and – no less importantly – with newly acquired knowledge. That is why we will look for opportunities to continue the activities we have begun,” sums up Kornelia Wenc-Szumigalska, the project coordinator.
Informational material from the Marshal’s Office of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship
