The project participants can benefit from:
Integration guidance
Foreigners from the target group can obtain support and information, as well as specialist help – legal, psychological, vocational and integration, at the Information and Counselling Centre. As part of our integration guidance you can use the computer, the Internet, a printer or we can help in drawing up and filling in documents. Apart from that, we can help you with translation of your foreign documents (including certified translation) related to, for instance, legalizing your stay, recognizing diplomas, school certificates or medical documentation.
Living and housing support
We provide living and housing support in times of transition and difficult moments, which is mostly based on assigning packages with hygiene products, reimbursement of vital medicine or simple medical procedures, reimbursement of tenancy or student dormitories.
Polish language courses
The project foresees Polish language courses with elements of Polish history and culture at appropriate learning levels. The courses will be addressed to foreigners with a different level of Polish language proficiency – different advancement levels. Courses will be conducted by a team of lecturers with adequate specialization and experience in teaching Polish to foreigners.
Legal advice
We provide legal advice, under which you can get help in legalizing your stay in Poland, obtaining a work permit, understanding and interpreting official letters, drawing up letters, documents and applications as well as help in representing foreigners before relevant authorities during the proceedings for obtaining a stay permit.
Adaptive courses
The project also offers adaptive courses, which aim to facilitate societal and civic integration of foreigners by drawing their attention to the importance of civic rights and duties, matters related to safety and the unique nature of living in Poland.
The participants of our courses will receive food and drinks as well as course materials that include, for example, an information package for facilitating their contact with institutions responsible for handling affairs of foreigners. The package includes information on rights and duties of those residing in the Republic of Poland, practical information for easier navigation in different areas of the Polish system, such as legal, vocational, educational and administrative.
Vocational guidance
The participants of the project can count on vocational guidance along with information about the labour market in Olsztyn and Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, vocational and continuing education of adults, legal job agencies and the system for obtaining qualifications in Poland. You can also get help in drawing up official letters, translations and understanding forms, which filling in is required by employment procedures. Apart from that, you can obtain information on types of employment agreements and civil law contracts, rules of using labour market institutions and tax settlement (e.g. tax system, TIN tax return, assign TIN or REGON number).
Psychological guidance
The participants can also take part in psychological sessions based on improving your self-esteem, managing your career consciously, building your competencies and image on the labour market effectively as well as working out methods to cope with stress and crisis situations. The beneficiaries will get support in difficult times of transition and job seeking related to being laid off and long-lasting unemployment. Sessions with a psychologist will be useful for those foreigners, who deal with mental consequences of migration such as high acculturative stress. Guidance also includes dealing with difficulties related to integration and adaptation.
Due to the fact that children of migrants might also feel the need to use the services of a psychologist, that type of professional help will be offered to them – in terms of unique difficulties at school or educational needs, adaptation, any childhood phobias etc.
Meetings and cooperation with employers
The organizers of the project are going to hold two meetings with employers of migrants and environments that bring employers together.
The purpose of such meetings is to present prospective employees and their potential to the employers. On the other hand, the employers will present working conditions in their companies as well as allow for exchange of experiences with the employed personnel.
Apart from the organization of meetings, we offer constant cooperation with employers. Under this task, we will create a database of employers with increased credibility, who have expressed their willingness to employ foreigners; development and delivery of a newsletter to employees with practical and up to date information related to employment of foreigners; analysis of the labour market needs and problems connected with employment of foreigners; acting as a mediator in disputes between an employer and a foreign employee; maintaining contact with honorary consuls who represent nationalities of foreigners.
After-school club
As part of the project, we are also going to organize an after-school club and classes for the youngest children, where they will be entrusted to the care of a teacher and an activity organizer. The after-school club will offer teaching-compensatory and theme classes for children. Activities of the club will be connected with periodic encounters with culture: tours to museums, cinemas, theatres and meetings with people from the world of culture and art.
Integration holiday camp for children of Poles and foreigners
Integration activities for children will also be based on the organization of an integration holiday camp. Children of foreigners, together with Polish children, aged 7-15 (primary school), will go on an eight-day integration camp to a holiday resort. During the camp, children will take part in a culture programme that combines elements of Polish culture and culture of the country of nationality. It will also offer sports competitions for specific sports disciplines, walking and bicycle tours as well as free time activities done together (campfires, dance parties, integration games etc.).
Computer workshops
Foreigners who have difficulties with using the computer and the Internet can take part in courses specially addressed to them. The computer and the Internet constitute an irreplaceable tool in employment support programs and job seeking.
The ability to use the computer and the Internet is also required during integration as it allows for exchange of information within groups that bring migrants together, for instance, social media groups. We are going to hire a lecturer with knowledge and experience in running similar courses as well as rent a learning room equipped with computers. After the workshops end, the participants receive certificates and course materials with the most important information conveyed by the lecturer so they can use them after the end of the workshops. During the workshops, the participants will learn how to use Microsoft Windows, files and directories, create text documents, use the Internet, an Internet browser, electronic mail and social media. The acquired skills may be useful in many areas of self-reliant functioning, e.g., job seeking, tenancy and dealing with official and educational matters.
Antidiscrimination and multicultural workshops
We want to organize antidiscrimination and multicultural workshops, which will be addressed to the receiving society and migrants. These activities aim at bringing out sensitivity as well as developing antidiscrimination and intercultural competencies and strengthening attitudes of openness and commitment to the integration process. During the workshops, migrants will have a chance to get to know the receiving society and vice versa. The planned scope of topics includes: migration, interculturality, hate speech and hate crimes, their legal and emotional consequences for the perpetrator, combating unjustified prejudice and the need to sympathize with migrants, reacting to violence against them as civil duty, mutual development of values based on respecting human rights and diversity of migrants. The aim of the workshop is effective integration and discovery of differences and similarities between migrants from different cultural backgrounds and the receiving society.
Sightseeing day trips with elements of Polish culture
Integration, adaptation and multicultural activities also include the organization of sightseeing day trips with elements of Polish culture and history. Trips and city breaks around the area will be a perfect chance to learn about local monuments and landmarks, discover the history of the region and Poland. Participants will have an opportunity to exchange multicultural experiences and integrate with other migrants. Poles will also be invited to take part in trips. It will be a perfect time for integration, discovery of intercultural differences and exploration of areas around the place of residence, their culture and monuments.
Organization of an intercultural feast
Intercultural and integration events for foreigners and the receiving society also foresee an intercultural feast.
During this meeting participants will have a chance to discover tastes of the regional cuisine, offer dishes of their own cultural cuisine, there will be culinary workshops and displays, performance of dances originating from various cultural backgrounds, shows including martial arts and sports disciplines popular in different cultures.
Integration meeting and cultural events
Intercultural and integration events for foreigners and the receiving society include the organization of a meeting to celebrate the International Migrants Day. The meeting will be attended both by migrants as well as representatives of the receiving society. The participants will be able to present their cultures, traditions and customs, and the purpose of such meetings is to present positive aspects of migration as the process of enriching local communities, integration of migrants, building relations and tightening bonds, discussing own experiences.
Integration and intercultural events will include meetings organized to present culture and tradition of the country of nationality. The meetings will be a perfect chance to discover cultures, learn about traditions of other nationalities. Moreover, they will allow for relations between the participants to be developed: foreigners and representatives of the receiving country, who might turn out to be colleagues, schoolmates, neighbours or co-workers. We will also organize cultural events such as cinema and theatre outings or museum tours. The aim of such meetings is both integration as well as encounters with culture.