Centrum Wspolpracy Europejskiej

Our organization is the Centre of European Co-operation, running a language kindergarten, primary school, and activities available for all the kids in the city. We invite people from different countries to eNTe, so the Polish kids could meet people with different backgrounds and cultures. Our aim is to teach Polish citizens another languages, cultures and to show people from abroad the culture and language of Poland. One of the main concepts of the place is a natural, situational study of the foreign language. Children learn communicative English just like their mother tongue. They do not learn any vocabulary or grammar, as they acquire the language unconsciously by listening and playing with it. Our educators introduce the English language in natural way, through entertainment, activities or communication. Primary aim of eNTe is not to learn foreign language but to prompt positive associations with it. The presence of foreign volunteers is one of the factors which motivates the kids to use the language. Our aim is to teach them how to solve problems on their own, how to be persistent and patient, which will lead them to the result: feeling of satisfaction of being independent. The pedagogical aspect implemented in eNTe is based on Euro-didactic approach and uses the approach of relaxing activities, formation of self-reliance and responsibility for one’s own acts and decisions through ‘practical exercises of everyday life’ (applying to the plate, self-dressing, using the toilet, solving problems, democratic decision-making). We introduce developmental materials, verbal lessons and our most important principle is: ‘help me to do it myself’. We have also implemented model of the ‘oriented to the situation’, by Dr. Armin Krenz and Dr. Jurgen Zimmer. Each week a certain subject is picked up and most of the activities refer to this specific subject. The subject may be chosen by children or by teachers according to their observations. eNTe is an open educational centre, which aims to visit as many places as possible. We are not an isolated island, as every week we have long-distance trips, which is an excellent opportunity to discover and experience the world. Other weekly activities in eNTe: - Gymnastics - Dance - Music - Animals - Speech therapy - Chess The structure of the groups in eNTe refers to model of family: older children assume responsibility for the youngers. Older children may bring newly acquired skills into effect (e.g. tie shoes) by helping younger ones. Kids of our of kindergarten are aged 2,5- 5 years. At school we have two age groups, one is 6-9 and the other 9-12 years old. In kindergarten we have 4 different groups each one of them with its own name:Tigers, Frogs, Ladybirds and Butterflies.