Raising Awareness Among Children and Youth About the Needs of People with Disabilities at Elementary School No. 8 in Szczecin

The project “Raising Awareness Among Children and Youth About the Needs of People with Disabilities” is the fourth edition of an initiative that has garnered significant interest and recognition. During the KTO? NGO! Pozarządowy Szczecin 2024 Awards Gala, we received an honorable mention, and our activities were covered by local media. In previous editions, we expanded the project to include younger audiences. The project’s goal is to increase young people’s awareness, empathy, and openness toward people with disabilities, as well as to foster inclusive attitudes within the school environment. This initiative aligns with the main objective of the “Społecznik na 5!” Program — building regional identity and cohesion through the activation of residents — as well as its specific objectives: raising awareness of the needs of the community, strengthening social bonds, and developing educational activities. The project will be implemented in elementary and secondary schools in the West Pomeranian Province—in Szczecin and nearby municipalities. The target audience will be approximately 180 students aged 7–19, and indirectly also teachers, parents, and the local community. The sessions will take the form of integration and educational workshops led by a team from the Idę Dalej Foundation. Students will learn about the world of people with disabilities through conversations, exercises, and simulations using teaching aids: a wheelchair, a white cane for the blind, blindfolds, and other props. New additions will include glasses simulating visual impairments and a hemiplegia simulator, which will allow participants to realistically experience the barriers faced by people with disabilities.