Quick Facts
Duration: 5 Weeks
2012 Dates: June 27th-July 30th
- Orientation: Krakow, Poland: June 27-July 1
- Concluding Session: Krakow, Poland: July 29-July 30
Number of Volunteers: 30-35
Language Requirement: none
Village Setting: rural, small/medium size town. Depends on host families
Living Conditions: Modern (plumbing/internet)
For questions not answered on this website, Contact Ilona
Program Structure
As a volunteer with the Poland program, you will spend the first 4 days of the program in Krakow with approximately 30 other volunteers. Krakow is a city proud of its long and glorious history, rich heritage, and architectural beauties and for centuries was the capital of the Polish kingdom. Today it remains southern Poland’s metropolis and a crucial center of business, culture and education. Known as the city of students, its growth and popularity in recent years can be greatly attributed to Poland’s entrance into the European Union.
Orientation will give you an opportunity to get acclimated to your new environment and will provide you with teaching ideas. Your daily schedule will consist of a balance of training sessions, sightseeing and social events. Group excursions include trip to Auschwitz, the salt mines of Wieliczka, as well as tour of Krakow’s cathedrals and main tourist attraction, the Wawel castle. Volunteers will be responsible for the costs of orientation, including an organized hostel stay ($10-$15/night) and all group excursions.
After the orientation, on June 27th you will travel to your assigned village to begin teaching. Villages are located around four central cities – Tarnow, Rzeszow, Poznan and Bialystok. For those who stay near Tarnow, the commute from Krakow will be very short, only one hour. Villages near Rzeszow, although several further hours away, will bring you into a beautiful mountain region of Poland, Bieszczady. Poznan and Bialystok will be a 7-8 hour trip north by train, and this will be our first year expanding into these cities. Host families will pick volunteers up directly from the train/bus station.
The last day of teaching will be July 27th, after which you will travel back to Krakow on the 28th. The closing session will include a few more tours and free time, but will mostly be focused around the experience of teaching, what participants taught and learned, and ideas for improvement. The Poland program officially ends July 30th.
Your Host Community
Most volunteers with the Poland program are placed in very rural villages, although several volunteers in the past have been placed in more urban environments. Expect all villages to be very picturesque – with mountains in the Bieszcady region and rolling hills around Tarnow. Those placed near Tarnow will be no longer than one hour away from the city and no longer than one hour away from other volunteers. If you are placed in the southern region of Poland, the closest city (Ustrzyki Dolne, near the Slovokian border) may be up to two hours away, and you may be that far away from other volunteers as well. Transportation between all villages is easily accessible. The villages themselves will be relatively small and you should have no problem walking to the place where you teach. Those volunteers who are in villages near Poznan will be close to a large city but also in a rural and beautiful city! Poznan is one of the oldest cities in Poland and was once the capital (as was Krakow) – it will serve as a fantastic cultural experience.
Each volunteer will be placed with a host family. Most host families will have moderate amenities, such as TV, landline phones, and showers. Most volunteers have their own rooms; however you might have to share a room with a host sibling. Most host families treat volunteers as they do their own children, and are warm, welcoming, and protective. Eastern Europeans are known for their hospitality and place much importance on food, and you will feel this during your stay. No restaurant you’ve ever eaten at will beat your host mom’s cooking!
While all volunteers’ experiences vary, volunteers are expected to interact with village life in their free time. This includes spending time with your host sibling and arranging outside of class events with your students. Examples including playing basketball with students in the evening, taking them out for ice cream, or meeting the older students to just chat at the local pub. Although you are their teacher at school, you want to be sure that you bring a bit of your true self and your culture to the table. On weekends, volunteers may travel with their host families, travel with friends, or stay in the village and bond with those around them!
In terms of cultural differences, 99% of host families will be Catholic and will most likely take you to mass on Sunday morning. Although Polish meals typically consist of meat, potatoes and salad, accommodations for vegetarians have been made in the past. Volunteers should also be pro-active in their village – many Polish students will be very shy at first. Reach out to them and make the first move; doing so can define your cultural experience!
Teaching
Your teaching space will most likely be located at a local school or community center, and all students will be on summer break. Expect to teach between 30-70 students in total. Most of your students will be between 6 and 18 years old and range from beginners to advanced in their knowledge of English. You may also have enough adults interested to have a separate adult class. Most volunteers teach at least three classes daily, one hour each, depending on the number of students and their level of English. In the past, volunteers have taught three classes from 9-12 in the morning as well as an hour evening class for adults. As their teacher, you are free to divide the students into groups and create a teaching schedule at your preference. As some students may be studying for their “Matura”, or final high school exam in English Language, they may ask you to tutor them in your free time.
Basic teaching resources like chalk and a chalkboard are available in most villages, and computer facilities may be available as well. Art supplies may be provided as long as you ask! In the past, younger students have loved incorporating games into their learning, while older students have enjoyed speaking and practicing their oral English skills. Remember, these students are used to a very strict school environment; making learning English fun for them is encouraging in every way. Students are very respectful and polite and often bring flowers and drawings to class. The one thing you will never forget is their gratitude for your time spent teaching them.
Additional Information
Please check back soon for an updated program addendum with more specific information.
LE Poland Addendum_PY2012, a field-guide to life in country.
Poland Projected Expenses PY 2012. Please note that all expenses are estimates and can vary depending on personal spending habits.