POLISH-AMERICAN FREEDOM FOUNDATION

THE POLISH-AMERICAN FREEDOM FOUNDATION'S (THE "FOUNDATION OR "PAFF") PRIMARY EXEMPT PURPOSE AND ONE PROGRAM SERVICE IS TO ADVANCE THE PURPOSES OF SECTION 201(A) OF THE SUPPORT FOR EAST EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY ACT BY CONTINUING AND BUILDING UPON CERTAIN ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES ESTABLISHED BY THE POLISH-AMERICAN ENTERPRISE FUND (THE "FUND"), AND TO UNDERTAKE DEVELOPMENTAL INITIATIVES DESIGNED TO SOLIDIFY POLAND'S TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY AND FREE MARKETS. IN FURTHERANCE OF THIS PRIMARY EXEMPT PURPOSE THE FOUNDATION FOCUSES ITS EFFORTS ON (I) MAKING INVESTMENTS IN AND GRANTS (INCLUDING MATCHING GRANTS) AND/OR LOANS TO NON-GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS, NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT POLAND; AND (II)SPONSORING SCHOLARSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS, AWARDS, STUDENT LOANS AND EXCHANGE PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT POLAND, BY ALLOCATING ITS RESOURCES TO SUPPORT PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREAS OF ECONOMIC REFORM, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, FOSTERING CIVIL SOCIETY, AND SUPPORTING LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND LEGAL REFORM. THE FOUNDATION CONCENTRATES ITS EFFORTS IN THREE TARGETED AREAS OF SUPPORT OF ITS PROGRAM SERVICE: I. INITIATIVES IN EDUCATION II. DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES III. SHARING POLISH EXPERIENCES IN TRANSFORMATION PRESENTED BELOW IS A SUMMARY OF THE FOUNDATION'S PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: PROGRAMS AS OF 31 DECEMBER 2023 INITIATIVES IN EDUCATION ENGLISH TEACHING SINCE 2000 THIS PROGRAM HAS INITIATED AND SUPPORTED ACTIONS TO PROMOTE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND IMPROVE ITS TEACHING STANDARDS AMONG CHILDREN AND YOUTH FROM SMALL TOWNS AND VILLAGES, THUS STRENGTHENING THEIR EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES OVERALL. THE PROGRAM FOSTERS THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF ENGLISH TEACHERS WORKING IN SMALL TOWNS AND RURAL AREAS AS WELL. "ENGLISH TEACHING" STIMULATES AND DEVELOPS A VARIETY OF SOCIAL INITIATIVES. THEIR RESULTS OFTEN SURPASS THE INITIAL GOAL, LEADING TO THE GENERAL SPURRING OF ACTIVITY IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES. THE PROGRAM IS AIMED MOSTLY AT ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS WORKING IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND KINDERGARTENS BASED IN RURAL AREAS AND SMALL TOWNS. IN THE PAST MANY INITIATIVES WERE ORGANIZED AT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS, BUT THOSE SCHOOLS NO LONGER EXIST. THE PROGRAM INCLUDES TRAINING SESSIONS FOR TEACHERS, COUPLED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING PROJECTS WITH THEIR PUPILS; IT ALSO PROVIDES HELP IN PREPARING THESE UNDERTAKINGS. BETWEEN 2000 AND 2023, GRANT COMPETITIONS ADDRESSED TO SMALL-TOWN SCHOOLS AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS FINANCED 1,210 PROJECTS TO ORGANIZE SCHOOL CLUBS FOR FANS OF ANGLO-SAXON CULTURE AND ENGLISH, CREATE LIBRARIES WITH ENGLISH LITERATURE AND PRESS, AND FORM THEATRICAL CLUBS. THE PROGRAM LED TO ORGANIZING NUMEROUS CONTESTS FOCUSED ON ANGLO-SAXON WRITERS, CULTURE, AND HISTORY, AS WELL AS SOME SONG FESTIVALS. CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS WERE INVITED TO WATCH ENGLISH FILMS AND TAKE PART IN LESSONS WITH NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH. MORE THAN 75,000 PUPILS AND NEARLY 5,000 TEACHERS PARTICIPATED IN THE PROJECTS DIRECTLY, AND OVER 200,000 PARENTS AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVES OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES WERE ENGAGED INDIRECTLY. ON OFFER ARE ALSO SUMMER LANGUAGE CAMPS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH, WHICH ATTRACTED NEARLY 2,000 PARTICIPANTS FROM 2006 TO 2023. "WEEKENDS WITH ENGLISH TEACHING" ARE METHODOLOGY TRAINING SESSIONS FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS BASED IN TOWNS AND VILLAGES WITH POPULATIONS OF UP TO 20,000. TO DATE, 158 SUCH TRAINING SESSIONS HAVE BEEN ORGANIZED FOR A TOTAL OF 7,200 PARTICIPANTS. 19 NATION-WIDE EDUCATIONAL MEETINGS ENGLISH TEACHING MARKETS WERE ORGANIZED FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF INTERESTED INSTITUTIONS, ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS, AND PUBLISHING HOUSES; THEY ATTRACTED MORE THAN 9,000 ATTENDEES. THESE ANNUAL MEETINGS HELP EXPAND THE COOPERATION NETWORK OF ENGLISH TEACHERS FROM SMALLER LOCALITIES; THEY ARE BACKED UP WITH A SOCIAL MEDIA PORTAL AND REGULAR E-NEWS ABOUT OTHER EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES, SUCH AS GRANTS FOR PROJECTS, TRAINING, OR CONTESTS. IN 2023, OVER 300 PARTICIPANTS TOOK PART IN THE ENGLISH TEACHING MARKET. THE POLISH ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH "ENGLISH TEACHING" WAS FOUNDED IN 2015, DEVELOPED FROM THE "ENGLISH TEACHING AMBASSADORS" INITIATIVE THE MOST ACTIVE TEACHERS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM. ITS MAIN PURPOSE IS THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF ENGLISH TEACHERS FROM SMALL TOWNS AND VILLAGES IN PARTICULAR, AS WELL AS ADVOCATING RELEVANT SOCIAL ACTIVITY. BETWEEN 2020 AND 2022, BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS, THE PROGRAM OFFERED MOSTLY ONLINE TRAINING SESSIONS, AS WELL AS WEEKLY WEBINARS HELD BY EXPERTS AND TRAINERS IN COOPERATION WITH INSTALING WHICH ATTRACTED OVER 50,000 PARTICIPANTS. ALSO, THE ANNUAL ENGLISH TEACHING MARKET MEETING DID NOT TAKE PLACE DURING THAT TIME. THE 17TH "ENGLISH TEACHING MARKET" MEETING HELD IN 2022 SUCCEEDED IN GATHERING NEARLY 300 ATTENDEES. ENGLISH TEACHERS WHO COOPERATE WITH THE PROGRAM WERE PROVIDED SUPPORT IN TERMS OF METHODOLOGY AND TECHNIQUES OF REMOTE TEACHING. LANGUAGE PROJECTS FOR STUDENTS, WHICH BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER, WERE MOSTLY CARRIED OUT ONLINE. PROGRAM MANAGER: THE NIDZICA DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION "NIDA" WWW.ENGLISHTEACHING.ORG.PL EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM, INITIATED IN 2001, IS TO SUPPORT SOCIAL INITIATIVES AIMED AT EVENING OUT THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A GOOD START TO ADULT LIFE FOR RURAL AND SMALL-TOWN CHILDREN AND YOUTH BY INCREASING THEIR COMPETENCIES AND DEVELOPING THEIR SOCIAL SKILLS, SUCH AS TEAMWORK, WINNING THE SUPPORT NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH SET GOALS, AND PLANNING ACTIONS TO ACHIEVE THEM. AS PART OF THE PROGRAM NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, CULTURAL CENTERS, LIBRARIES, AND INFORMAL GROUPS APPLY FOR GRANTS FOR PROJECTS THAT STIMULATE THE ASPIRATIONS OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE, ARE CONDUCIVE TO THE FULFILMENT OF THE REALISTIC GOALS THEY SET ON THEIR OWN, HELP COPE WITH EMOTIONS, DEVELOP ACTIVE ATTITUDES AND OPENNESS, AND ENCOURAGE ACTING FOR THE BENEFIT OF THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. THE PROJECTS GIVE YOUNG PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN CLASSES EXTENDING BEYOND THE STANDARD EDUCATIONAL OFFER OF THEIR SCHOOLS. IN 2023, THE "BIG GRANTS AND "SMALL GRANTS" COMPETITIONS CHANNELED FUNDING TO A TOTAL OF 111 PROJECTS. THESE INCLUDED INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE PRO-ECOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES, RECLAIMING PUBLIC SPACE BY THE YOUNG (E.G. BY PAINTING MURALS, OR TAKING CARE OF URBAN GREEN SPACES), BROADENING THE SCOPE OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES FOR YOUTH, E.G., BY ORGANIZING OUTDOOR URBAN GAMES OR STAGING THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS. THE PROGRAM ALSO OFFERS TRAINING FOR PROJECT COORDINATORS TO INCREASE THEIR QUALIFICATIONS, TEACH PROJECT MANAGEMENT WITH A FOCUS ON ENGAGING YOUTH AS ACTIVE CREATORS, PARTICIPANTS, AND DIRECT IMPLEMENTERS OF A GIVEN UNDERTAKING. THE PROGRAM OFFER IS COMPLETE WITH THE SUMMER SCHOOL FOR YOUNG LEADERS, WHOSE EVERY EDITION ATTRACTS MORE THAN 20 PARTICIPANTS OF "EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES" PROJECTS. AT THE SUMMER SCHOOL, YOUNG PEOPLE SPEND A WEEK OF THEIR HOLIDAYS AT WORKSHOPS WHERE THEY FIND OUT HOW TO PLAN AND IMPLEMENT SOCIAL ACTIONS MORE EFFECTIVELY, AND LEARN MORE ABOUT CIVIC EDUCATION. IN THE TWENTY-THREE YEARS OF THE PROGRAM, MORE THAN 3,340 PROJECTS WITH ALMOST 153,000 PARTICIPANTS WERE CARRIED OUT (INDIRECTLY: 516,000 PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED). THE PROGRAM ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACTIVATION AND INTEGRATION OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO ACT FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH.