Esteka Association

The aim of the association is to raise young people up to be active citizens of our country and of the European Union, to honor the Polish cultural and patriotic heritage, and to be open to other cultures and nations. ESTEKA Association: 1) has been extending its patronage over artistically gifted children and youth since 2003. Workshops, specialized courses, and festivals directed towards this group are organized as part of our activity. During these events, under the guidance of trainers and instructors, children and youth develop their interests and skills in dance, song, acting... 2) has been organizing activities for disabled children, youth, and adults since 2006. Various projects funded in part by local government administration – the municipality of Tarnobrzeg, the Podkarpackie Voivodeship Marshall Office, and government bodies – The National Fund for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons. Over 80 final beneficiaries have accepted our help in 2013. The activities are led by trained hippotherapists owning appropriate certificates and having experience in caring for disabled people; 3) has been supporting the activity of seniors by organizing sport (horseback riding, sailing, aerobics, Nordic Walking, etc.), educational, civil, and cultural events since 2012. 4) supports gifted children and youth by funding scholarships and organizing educational and correctional classes in mathematics, biology, English, and Polish. The children are taught using the latest technology, multimedia, and e-learning platforms. 5) gathers the youngest citizens of Tarnobrzeg in specialized focus clubs: sailing, horseback riding, journalistic, and volunteer work. 6) organizes annual local and non-local summer camps for a group of over 600 children and youth. The camps incorporate various specialized activities, such as artistic, football, horseback riding, photography and film-making workshops, which allow young people a versatile personal development. 7) is active internationally, organizing student exchanges and partnership programs. Moreover, the Association organizes various forms of spending free time for children, youth and senior citizens. Public service announcement campaigns, charity drives, hippotherapy for disabled people, photography, writing, song, and art contests are organized as part of thematic projects. Esteka initiates and coordinates numerous recreational events aimed at the local community. As part of an investment project, Esteka has begun to organize the creation of two centres in Tarnobrzeg: 1. A Hippotherapy Centre, where disabled people will be able to benefit from rehabilitational and hippotherapeutic courses, regaining their health and physical well-being. 2. A Centre for Education of Gifted Youth, where young people will be able to develop their passions and interests in art and music, as well as in various sciences.. Both projects currently possess finished building plans and visualizations. Currently, we are working towards raising the funds necessary for carrying out these plants, so that they might serve the betterment of health and quality of life of disabled people, as well as the development of gifted children and youth's talents. Esteka association has been established in 2003. Its aim is the creation of an environment appropriate for human intellectual and social development, including helping the odds of disabled people and women, and carrying out social help and charity work projects. Moreover, the association promotes activities serving towards the development of children and youth, seniors, and local communities. Currently, the association is managed by a 5-man Council. The Council consists of people experienced in working with youth, for example as members of the structures of the Polish Scout Association. They are also properly qualified to manage a public benefit institution. Esteka works on the basis of social engagement of its members, supporting members, and volunteers (close to 90 people in total). Over 50 people are employed in a fee-for-task agreement for the realization of all projects and activities yearly. We are supported by 4 full-time workers who manage the association's activities. The potential of the Association's management rests in the people possessing specialized skills: horseback riding instructors, hippotherapists, rehabilitation instructors, English language, mathematics, biology, and Polish language teachers, qualified caretakers, dance, music, and sailing instructors, a football referee, football trainers, business active people. This ensures that all activities undertaken by the Association are realized on the highest possible level, are beneficial to the targeted people. We are also experienced in entrepreneurship skills (actively leading and running a lot of projects) and we took part in variety of workshops on leading NGO and how to perform business activity. We assume that creativity is the trigger for entrepreneurship abilities. Esteka members underwent memory techniques, accellerated reading and open thinking courses, so we are willing to share our experiences as well as gain and learn about new solutions from our partners and project itself. The Association owns its own building base with didactic, conference-daycare, office, and social rooms. The rooms are equipped with PA systems, multimedia equipment, interactive board, projector, TV set, WiFi, and computers, both stationary and mobile. On the basis of signed agreements, Esteka employs three holiday resorts for the purpose of organizing summer expeditions , as well as using them as grounds for hippotherapy and rehabilitative courses. The Association is also active internationally, including the efforts towards European integration in the sphere of education. To realize these projects, a special team has been organized. Its members are experienced in acquiring, realizing, and managing funds from the EU and from other sources. Projects realized by Esteka are funded by local self-governments and the national government, targeted donations, EU funds, donations from physical and legal persons, as well as from the Association's private funds.