This summer, 20 children of the employees of the University at the age of 10 to 14 years old made the trip to Poland, visited for a week Warsaw, and then a recreation center of Warsaw Polytechnic in the town Gribuv. The trip was the next step in the development of long-term cooperation of our University and the Warsaw University of Technology, in particular through trade union organizations.
But first things first.
As it was being prepared
In March 2014 the management of Warsaw Polytechnic offered to organize holiday in Poland for twenty children of employees NTUU”KPI”. On behalf of the Rector of the Warsaw University of Technology Jan Schmidt and the President of the Union of Polish teachers Zdzislaw Galkovsky organization of summer camps on the Polish side was entrusted to the Vice-President of the Union Krzysztof Wilczynski. From our University, with the support of the Rector of NTUU”KPI” M.Z. Zgurovsky and the chairman of the trade union committee V.I. Molchanov – Deputy Chairman of the Trade Union Mikhail Bezuglyi was responsible for the organization.
After two months of discussions and arrangements for the end of May the group started to be formed. The number of those wishing to send their children to summer camp in Poland was about fifty, so we had to carry out a competitive selection of children from different departments, faculties and institutes. By the way, the children, who were not included in the coveted list, were offered traditional tours in the union camps for children in Kyiv region, Odessa and Ivano-Frankivsk.
After all the organizational, visa and transportation activities a group of children accompanied by trade unionists – KPI workers – went to Poland.
The head of the trade union committee of child, senior lecturer FMM O.N. Kozhemyachenko was the team leader. Her assistants were – Chairman of the sports commission trade union, a senior lecturer FBE S.O.Zhuravlov, head of the laboratory FMM L.S.Efimovich, deputy chief of VCCA I.A.Bashinska and we – assistant professors with FMM A.V.Grechko and Yu .V.Tyuleneva. During the entire period of stay in Poland group was engaged by representatives of the Polish side Agata Sikorski and Zenobia Shits.
In Warsaw
Upon arrival in Warsaw children and accompanying were housed in a dormitory of the Warsaw University of Technology, and the next morning they started familiarity with the university.
Everybody were impressed by the main body of the Warsaw University of Technology with a cozy courtyard. Further, in the hall of the Senate of the University Ukrainian students met with the vice-rector of Students Professor Vladislav Vishorek. The meeting was also attended by Polish scholars from the town Gribuv where the recreation base of architectural practice specialties of the Warsaw University of Technology is located. Vice-rector told about the features of the Warsaw University of Technology, which has about 36,000 students and nearly 5,000 employees, its relationship with the town Gribuv and cooperation with NTUU”KPI”. Senate hall is decorated with portraits of rectors, there is also the portrait Wojciech Sventoslavskiy – graduate chemistry department KPI, whose monument was opened a year ago in the NTUU”KPI” near the building №4.
Vice-Rector spoke in detail about the pre-university training, which includes not only specialized education of school graduates of the necessary disciplines, but also is oriented on the work with the students of the middle classes. The classes and excursions allow them to develop creative and alternative thinking to acquire teamwork skills and learn to present the results of their work. Students, in addition to his studies, can realize their abilities on student Internet television, radio, public student initiatives in sports, sailing club and scientific groups and offices, which number more than 120.
In the Warsaw Polytechnic, our students also attended the lectures, where they were playfully introduced to the work of the laser, the principles of thermodynamics and Electrophysics, developments in the photo and measurement techniques.
For the week, held in Warsaw, our children also visited the stadium, which hosted the opening match of Euro 2012, visited Warsaw airport where the passenger passed all stages of control and saw near the aircraft, were on the lookout 30-storey building of the Palace of Culture and Science, the gift of the Soviet Union to the Polish government.
A trip to the Center for Science “Copernicus” was extremely exciting. The students made a variety of experiences and learned about the extremely interesting and fascinating world of physics, astronomy and chemistry. This center covers an area of 22 thousand m2. It was opened in 2010 and is one of the most modern in Europe. Great impression on the children was produced by some of the gallery: “World in Motion”, “Generation”, “Area Light”, “Man and the Environment”, a planetarium “sky Copernicus”, a robot poet “Elektribalt.”
The children were strongly impressed by the park, located on the roof of the National University of Warsaw Library, which offers scenic views of the right bank of the Vistula, and the Warsaw district – Prague. Creating parks on roofs is quite popular in Poland. These parks are not only support a favorable microclimate in the buildings, but also efficiently use a limited territory. People who work in the city center, can any free minute to enjoy the wildlife and breathe fresh air.
On the fourth day of the stay in Poland, children visited the Warsaw Zoo, which is home to around 5,000 animals (500 species). Among them, there are animals and birds that live in Poland (otters, brown bears, storks and so on), and exotic animals – African elephants, Rothschild giraffes, Indian rhinos, anteaters, cheetahs, gazelles, gibbons, many types of birds, reptiles and tropical fish. At the zoo there are playgrounds for the kids who make the stay even more exciting and fun.
Excursion to Vilyanovskiy palace impressed not only children but also adults, participating in delegation. There is a special program for school-age children, which contributes to a better perception of historical information. In a playful way children explore and learn about the important events in the history of Poland, associated with the palace.
A quest center of Warsaw joint with Polish schoolchildren was extremely exciting for the Ukrainian students. The game allowed the children not only to assess the greatness of architecture in Warsaw, but also learn a lot from the history of certain outstanding monuments such as the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, the Royal Palace, the Market Square, the center of which is a monument to the Warsaw mermaid whose image adorns the coat of arms Polish capital.
At Gribuv
The small town Gribuv was remembered by contrasting landscapes and very clean air. Recreation of the Warsaw University of Technology has everything you need for active and quite relaxing. In its territory there are wonderful golf, tennis and basketball courts, playground, gazebo, where you can almost like at home to spend a summer evening and prepare meals on the grill.
English classes were held in the form of a game and only in English.
Also in the form of a game in groups with Polish schoolchildren our children solved different plastunski problems, took water treatments in a mountain river.
The children visited this apiary, observed the behavior of bees, listened to the story about the intricacies of beekeeping.
Also, we have made a number of excursions in the surrounding area. In Grudek-Dunajcem we saw rural life at the example of a small commune (district) of Poland. In Krynica we visited city promenade, the building of the old pump, old mineral baths, built in 1864, tried the water of different composition from several sources, visited the plant for the production of water “Krinichanka” in the museum of the artist N.Krinitskiy, as well as explored the local funicular – a cable road to the mountain Parkova. In the resort town of Mushin our students visited the leisure center, outdoor swimming pools and an amphitheater. In the town of Nowy Sacz they visited the events of the final day XXII International children festival of Regional Art “Holiday Children of the Mountains”.
Also we visited Krakow – the capital of the Polish kings, a city with countless attractions, cathedrals, museums, one of the most glorious cities in Europe. But Krakow is necessary to see because to describe it is not enough! In Ciezkowice the travelers visited the nature reserve fossilized city.
Impressions
At the end of our stay in Poland we questioned students about their impressions from a trip to Poland and visited places. Everyone said they were astounded by Warsaw as a wonderful city where friendly people live and work. They like also the culture of the neighboring country, and learned a few songs in Polish. Pauline added that she really liked the view of Warsaw from the 30th floor of the Palace of Culture and Science, as well as good counselors. Mary said that she was struck in Warsaw zoo with a vast territory and numerous well-groomed people. Stellar shared impressions of the aircraft and the airport scale. Lyudmila added that through Warsaw Ukrainian quest they better remember the story of the Polish capital, as well as check their intellectual and physical abilities.
Diana and Dmitri told me that they liked the visit to the zoo. A pleasant surprise for them was a large quantity of ice cream, the gift from the organizers, as well as an evening stroll through the city. And she liked to chat with polish children. Dima also said that he was struck by Parks in Warsaw, football and swimming in a mountain river in Gribuv.
Yura was struck by the Stadium in Warsaw, where which the Euro 2012 was played, as well as various parks and melodious fountains, churches. He remember playing in the center of Copernicus and communication with Polish students, among whom he found a lot of friends. Dima said that Poland – sport country, a lot of people are met who play sports: running in the morning or evening, ride bicycles, are engaged in competitive sports.
On the issue of English language students noted that the level of English, which they captured in their home schools, high schools and high schools, was much higher than their Polish teachers expected from them. And it was easy enough for children to solve problems, play games and find a common language with Polish students.
These unforgettable, bright and inspiring three weeks of summer 2014 have been to twenty employees’ children NTUU”KPI”. Their smiles, glowing eyes and gratitude will live in the hearts of those who made efforts for this journey.
A. Grechko and Yu.Tuleneva, Associate Professors, Department of Economics and Business
За матеріалами газети “Київський політехнік”