Workcamps in Poland
Stowarzyszenie Jeden Świat – SCI Poland organizes from a few to even a dozen workcamps a year, thanks to which we not only send but also host volunteers from all over the world. Workcamps are short-term volunteer projects. They usually last about 2 weeks. They are diverse in topics and are always connected with the current needs of local communities.
Polish workcamps are based on cooperation with public institutions and non-governmental organisations from all over the country, as well as the support of international volunteers and the coordination of their work by trained Polish volunteers, i.e. campleaders.
The fruit of this cooperation are important local initiatives with an international spirit. So far more than 330 workcamps have taken place in Poland. Read more about them
How to participate?
- by supporting a workcamp in Poland as a volunteer (this also applies to international volunteers living in Poland) – write to us at incoming@poland.sci.ngo
- by coordinating a workcamp (become a campleader)
- by hosting a workcamp in your organisation or institution – scroll down to organise a workcamp
- by visiting a workcamp, getting to know its specifics and volunteers and sharing the knowledge about workcamps with others in the media, including social media
Insurance
All volunteers on a workcamp are covered by SCI insurance.
SCI provides insurance on site and throughout the workcamp. The insurance covers accidents and medical expenses. It’s important to note that it is designed to be additional to other policies. The volunteer must take the European Health Insurance Card with them as proof of the basic insurance they have as a pupil, student, employee or person registered as unemployed person.
Please kindly note that there is an additional incoming fee of 50 Euros for all volunteers applying through Partner organisations or Contacts of the SCI network. Check the status here: https://bit.ly/3vhBD5J. This fee covers hosting costs, insurance, a small travel fund to enable disadvantaged volunteers to join projects and administration costs and is to be paid on arrival at the project or online directly to the hosting branch. For volunteers coming through SCI Branches and Groups there is no additional incoming fee.
Workcamps 2023
In 2023, as always, we will organize workcamps all over Poland. All workcamps are realized within the “Workcamps – together for peace” project. You can read more about the project here, and a few words about each of the workcamps can be found below.
New energy. Monar Gaudynki
Monar is a Polish non-governmental organization focused on helping, people with drug and alcohol addiction and many other groups of people who need help. The main task of volunteers is to socialise with the community, by helping them in their everyday work (gardening, cleaning, working in the kitchen, renovating etc.) and taking part in leisure time activities with them. Games, camp-fires, sport activities, workshops with/for the residents will bring fresh energy and relaxation to the centre. During the workcamp, the volunteers will also go with the patients on a camping trip to the beautiful area on the lakeside.
Integration Centre for Children
Integration Centre for Children and Youth “Stokrotka” in Warsaw creates a safe space for 20 children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Volunteers will help organise activities for 25-30 children from the Centre as part of the Summer in the City programme. They will co-lead animations and workshops. The programme will include issues from education, integration, sports activities, creative activities, arts and crafts. There will also be excursions (e.g. to the swimming pool). There will be one-day picnic as an event to summarise the workcamp.
Poznań Summer School
Poznań is the city located in west-central part of Poland. This year for the fourth time a secondary public school in Poznań will host an international group of volunteers. Volunteers will organize different workshops for a group of local youth from the school, between 13 and 19 years old, who mostly have no possibility to spend holidays outside their place of living. There will be young people from Poland, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. It will be a chance for them to meet people from different countries and to spend holidays in an interesting way. Our aim is to build young people’s self esteem and self confidence, encourage them to speak English, teach tolerance and openness towards diversity, develop creativity. We invite volunteers full of ideas and positive energy.
New energy. Monar Lipianka
SCI Poland has been successfully co-operating with Monar for 20+ years. Monar is the largest Polish NGO dealing mainly with drug addictions. The center in Lipianka is situated near Ostrołęka, 90 km from Warsaw, in a small, quiet village, among fields and forests. The main task of volunteers is to socialize with the community by helping them in their everyday work and taking part in leisure time activities with them. Games, camp-fires, sport activities, workshops with/for the residents will bring fresh energy and relaxation to the center. It is possible that for a few days during the workcamp volunteers will go with the patients and therapists on a camping trip to the area near the sea/lakeside and do some kayaking.
Art of living. Monar Wyszków
Monar runs 30 rehabilitation centers in different parts of Poland. The center in Wyszków is situated 50 km from Warsaw in a small, quiet town, next to the river, among fields and forests. In this therapy center there are around 30 patients, between 18 and 30 years old, coming from different backgrounds and areas of Poland, who work and live together undergoing a group one-year long therapy. Beside dealing with daily life activities there are many different artistic, sport and outdoor events, volunteering in social centers for children, theatre workshops etc., used as tools of therapy and rehabilitation.
You can also find all the workshops organized by SCI this year here: https://workcamps.sci.ngo/icamps/
