Stowarzyszenie na rzecz dzieci i mlodziezy "Vitava"

Our main task is to conduct an institution of a daily support carried out by a teacher as a sociotherapeutic common-room. In the framework of this activity we focus around us, on a voluntary basis children, youth and their families who need our support. Our motto is: The strength of interactions is our experience and competence as well as the unique atmosphere of peace, security and friendship. Common-room is primarily a place of asylum, essential to our protégés in times of personal crises, the difficulties of growing up. We are trying to give them emotional support, often with the participation of the whole group. We strive to meet the specific, individual needs and interests of our youth. Every child can count on the actual help in learning, family crises or in solving conflicts with the peers. In the framework of our institution each pupil, apart from participating in a group activities, can take part in thematic workshop (drama and art). Children are provided with a help of speech therapist, psychologist and pedagogical therapist. To have an overall impact on our pupils, in the sphere of our activity is the whole family and the local environment. We want our actions to positively affect the entire family. We encourage parents and teachers to work together for the children. Founding in 1999 the socio-therapeutic common-room we set ourselves three types of objectives: emotional, social and intellectual development of our youth. These objectives mutually interact and complete each other. However, we always remember that the goals are best implemented only with the cooperation of the entire environment of the child. Acquired skills, experience and developing the interests give a child hope and a certain perspective of life, distract its attention from immediate and destructive ways of coping with problems. The program impacts 80-100 children, age 6-14 in three different common-rooms located in the city of Gdynia. In each place pupils are divided into different age groups. Stay in common-room is voluntary and is preceded by a trial period, which helps in getting to know other children, the principles and topics of the conducted group activities. Children are recruited mainly from the families: - having problems with alcohol' - with social problems, - educationally dysfunctional, - facing economic problems.