From July 14 to July 25 NCU will launch its first volunteering initiative under the European Solidarity Corps. Eight young people from eight different European countries will come to Toruń to connect and exchange experiences with seniors from the region.
The two-week volunteering project Bridging Generations will take place at the Copernican Integration Centre in July. Its goal is to build relationships between young people from abroad and older residents of the region. Volunteers from Cyprus, France, Spain, Ireland, Slovakia, Sweden, Hungary, and Italy will come to Toruń to spend active time with a group of local seniors.
As we get older, spontaneous intercultural contact becomes more difficult, there are simply fewer opportunities – says Małgorzata Błaszczak, Director of KOI and coordinator of the ESC volunteering programme at NCU. – That's why we wanted to create a space where such interaction would be possible. We hope our guests will feel at home in Toruń, and that all participants will gain new skills and leave with beautiful memories.
The programme will include language classes, art and ecology workshops, and shared care of the community garden at CIC. Social and environmental engagement were among the main motivations mentioned by the volunteers for joining the project. Participants will also explore Toruń together and take part in sessions where seniors share their knowledge and life experience, while the younger group contributes their digital skills. All project activities will be shared on CIC's social media channels.
Seniors from the region are invited to participate, and acceptance is determined by the order of registration. To reserve a place, please send an email to koi@umk.pl by July 2. Questions about the event should be directed to koi@umk.pl or by phone: 56 611 27 88.
The project is made possible thanks to the Quality Label awarded to NCU by the National Agency of the European Solidarity Corps. At the end of last year, the university received the Quality Label as a leading, hosting, and supporting organisation in international volunteering projects. Now, it's time to launch the first initiative.