The epidemic of the coronavirus has stopped the world from functioning as it has been known for generations. It puts to the test not only financial liquidity, family relationships, the psyche of the individual, but also a classic school model, with which we were forced to say goodbye at the beginning of March.
Teachers had to face the challenge of distance learning, use platforms and tools that have not been tested so far, familiarize themselves with and co-create a new space for education, with methods of management, control and feedback, which have not been tested yet.
The creation of this new distance learning structure is currently facing a large wave of criticism within the educational environment as well as from parents. Closing the schools overnight prevented the teaching council from developing joint and coherent methods of action during the crisis, setting priorities, or finding optimal solutions. There was no time to analyze even hypothetical educational activities conducted remotely, and there was not enough space to set specific educational goals.
Read more: Pandemic and the situation of education in Poland. The future of international youth exchanges|...
On one of the weekends in January 2020, about 70 employees and volunteers of the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe, from three decades, celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Foundation in Krzyżowa. Everyone was asked to send their souvenir photos from the time they worked in Krzyżowa. The meeting organizers wanted to prepare a presentation of these photographs for a festive evening. In numerous photos from the 90s you could see Ewa Unger among colleagues. It was understandable, at that time she was the chairman of the foundation's board and at the same time she worked socially in the Foundation's office in Wrocław and regularly participated in working session, meetings and public events in Krzyżowa. Participants of the jubilee meeting gave Ewa Unger written wishes and greetings, which reached her in the form of a several-page letter. The recipient read these words in full awareness, several times, with joy, although she did not know all the authors personally. Today we know that this letter was a symbolic farewell and thanks - thanks for 30 years of existence of the institution that would not have been possible without Ewa Unger, one of the great, important and distinguished women in the history of Krzyżowa.
[FOTO: Marek Aureliusz Pędziwol]
Read more: Farewell to Dr. Ewa Unger (20.10.1926 – 15.03.2020) | Annemarie Franke
Corona has affected the daily lives of each and every individual in the earth, including our pedagog Tabitha from Germany and our volunteers Seda from Turkey and Antonina from Russia, who have been staying in Krzyżowa Foundation for months. The following sentences will tell you their daily lifes and how they try to turn this challenging situation into a common good for the society and the foundation. Not to forget mentioning about the generous helps and supports of our other employees, we hope our stories bring you inspiration and strength towards the solidarity in these difficult times.
Read more: International volunteering in Krzyżowa during a pandemic - our wonderful girls have hands full of...
Discrimination, racism, anti-Semitism are still dangerous occurences in the modern world to which young people are particularly exposed. Therefore, it is extremely important to speak about them in a language that reaches young people and methods using modern forms of communication.
IYMC in cooperation with the Anne Frank House is preparing a new anti-discrimination project based on methods that respond to today's educational challenges during quarantine. It intends to use the possibilities of Stories that Move - an innovative educational platform dedicated to anti-discrimination and addressed to youth aged 14-17.
Read more: Preventing discrimination online - IYMC is working on a new educational project.
