“The Programme “Awareness pays off” should be implemented in the core curriculum of education in our country – to build a confident and proud society and show teachers tools that are effective and innovative in their approach to students”. This is just one of many opinions of the participants of the first edition of the programme.

 In our projects, we desire to meet the needs of the community around us. We share with you not only purely scientific knowledge but also try to shape appropriate patterns of behaviour and influence a positive perception of the world. In our projects, “health” and “conscious life” is achieved through a holistic approach to human life. The inseparable elements here are a positive approach towards the world and the ability to introduce into one’s life principles thanks to which one can live a long, healthy and happy life. The vision of a world in which the growing generation is confident, determined, knows its worth and limits, enjoys life and supports each other and is ready to meet all the challenges of the world around it has been around for a long time. It is certainly a beautiful vision, but it could not come true on its own. Help had to come from adults – who knew how to support the child in this direction. That is why the programme “Awareness pays off” was created and fully corresponds to the mission of the World Healthy Living Foundation and perhaps is its foundation. Holistically caring for the health, the belief that prevention is better than later reaction and that habits are the determinants of our lifestyle are the values of the Foundation that has also become the basis of the programme. As the Foundation, we have noticed that healthy habits start at an early age and in a child’s everyday environment. Appropriately developing them can significantly improve the quality of their lives and allow them to enjoy it better – and this is the fundamental goal of the Foundation.

The first edition of the programme “Awareness pays off” took place between April and June 2021 and included a series of lectures held in language tailored to specific age groups. During the programme, children and youth learned what online hate speech is and how to react to it. Moreover, they grasped how to build self-esteem, appreciate themselves, others and the surrounding world. They discovered the difference between communicating with a parent, teacher and peers and how to talk to each of them effectively. Adolescence has also learned to accept themselves and others, to know their strengths and to take care of them but also to see the strengths of everyone around them. Cooperation, not competition – such relationships were encouraged during the first edition by our speakers Alicja Sójka and Michał Zawadka. Emotions are another topic children have become familiar with. To control emotions and know how to deal with them, kids have to first be able to recognize them. Learning about feelings is important as it is not only about mental health but also about conflict resolution, building relationships and much more. The pupils also received a very important message – that all the tools they got acquainted with, care about their well-being. Whether they are on the internet, at school or in a relationship, it is crucial to building future habits that will be the key to lifestyle choices. The better they do at the start, the more likely they will choose health, which consists of several elements.

The programme has been and continues to be targeted at many groups due to its comprehensive support. Meetings are held with children and youth as well as with parents and teachers. The younger generation gets the tools and guidance on how to develop themselves in the best possible way and adults – information on how to support this development. Participants of the first edition of the programme were challenged. Their view of the world and the stereotypes hidden in it were questioned, and this created space to learn a new way of functioning and navigating in multigenerational relationships. The main four instruments that are the most important for the healthy development of children and youth can be summarised in short slogans: “Appreciate, not judge!”, “Work on strengths, not flaws”, “Hear the child, not just listen”, “Be present in the child’s life”. These elements are the key to healthy communication and unlocking the child’s potential.

This project is innovative because of its focus on two spheres simultaneously – school and home as the main environments that influence the young generation. Therefore, we are extremely grateful to all parents, attendants and teachers for your willingness to participate in the project and commitment to acquiring new knowledge – now you are responsible for putting it into practice. Youth who have taken part in the project have shown an openness to look at themselves and the world from a different perspective. This project was aimed at young people, and with the knowledge and skills they have acquired, they are changing themselves and their environment, which will pay off in the future! BUT THIS IS NOT THE END. We are already working on the next edition of the project, and we aim to reach even more people by giving young generation knowledge and building new possibilities. The first edition attracted tens of thousands of participants all over Poland – nearly 120 schools joined in the programme! We hope that during the next edition, the number will double, triple…Who knows? Already the interest of schools in the programme is enormous! It only shows how important and necessary this programme is, and its results can be seen in each group of participates.

What changes have parents and teachers observed?

86% of surveyed parents said that their relationship with their children had improved significantly after implementing the tips from the lectures, and 96% would be willing to participate in the next edition of the programme. Participating parents found the greatest value in the advice on communication. Parents like to talk to their child, but it is a skill like any other – it needs to be acquired. The biggest change we have seen among parents is that they understand their children better, they know their needs and their way of thinking – and this enables them to listen and see the world through children’s eyes. It helps young people to open up and spread their wings in family relationships. As Michał Zawadka says: “Young people are only 20% of our society and 100% of the future”.

Among teachers, 90% have already seen changes among their students participating in the programme. The joint work between the teacher and the students has resulted in pupils being more willing to take part in the discussion with the teacher, not being afraid to express their own opinions and being more kinder to one another. Further, instead of laughing at their classmates, they learned to support their successes and rise together from failures. Teachers also observed an increase in pupils’ awareness of health and nutrition. Although the return to stationary learning was short – we believe that after the holidays these changes will be much more visible.

As usual, at the World Healthy Living Foundation, everything happens for you and thanks to you. The project “Awareness pays off” was part of the 1% tax funding received. Therefore, we would like to thank everyone who has contributed or will do so in the future for your valuable support. The next edition of the programme is scheduled for March 2022 all over Poland.