Our host partner in Poland is the county government of Siedlce, which is somewhat akin to a state government in the United States. The teaching programs are formally administered through a variety of schools, while the childcare programs are formally administered by the facilities where we work. Our primary host contact is Marek Blaszczyk, director of Reymontowka, who has hosted our teams since 1990.
From Maryla Cudna, Cisie Elementary School Principle:
"Our school has partnered with Global Volunteers for 14 years. Although studying English with the volunteers is an extracurricular activity for our students, 65 percent of them regularly attend these classes. A lot of our students come from large and low-income families, and the Global Volunteers classes are free of charge. This makes this unique opportunity available for everyone.
Because these classes are conducted so professionally,our students not only have few difficulties in their English classes in middle or high school, but they are also successful in a variety of the English language competitions. Although the English language has become a compulsory subject in our school system and our students have a few hours of English per week with the Polish teacher of English, this is still not sufficient in order to communicate fluently and it is really recommended that the students practice English in this ideal from of the classes with the volunteers.
The contact with native speakers helps the children become more open and confident. They are studying the „real life” language and mastering the communication skills. They make friends with the volunteers. The students often stay in touch with their teachers for years, and they exchange letters in which they express their opinions, send holiday wishes, etc.
We hope you will continue our language workshops as this is an invaluable help for our school. We cannot imagine not having the volunteers and the classes with them. "
