My Place Under the Sun currently continuously works with 60 children at risk of poverty and marginalization aged 6 to 17 and their parents. It thus actively contributes to the Strategy of the Fight Against Poverty and Social Exclusion in the Republic of Croatia (2014-2020).
How Do We Work?
On the occasion of a child's entrance into the program, we organize children and parents' initial conversations with an expert assistant – a social pedagogist – where we assess the children's needs, interests, capabilities, and desires. We use these guidelines to assign children to different activities according to program capacities.
In addition, we track children's growth and development monthly using evaluations and volunteers' work journals and a social pedagogist's annual assessment. At the school year's beginning and end, we measure their improvement in educational achievement. When required, in agreement with instructors and parents, a social pedagogist, psychologist, or program leader contact the school to facilitate our collaboration and increase the child's success as partners.
Children
- Individual assistance with studying all educational subjects throughout the entire school year.
- The OsnaŽivko civic education workshop, sewing workshops, acting, book club, majorettes, computer science, creative, culinary, dance, music, DJ-ing workshops
- Psychological work with children and their families.
- Extracurricular activities: hangouts, excursions, museum, cinema, and theatre visits.
- Connecting physical personals, organizations, and institutions with the program's protegees to provide free content and services and pay for school meals, library cards, sports club memberships, and similar forms of support.
- The educational content on life skills and legal rights for children and parents.
Families
- Psychological support and work with children and their families.
- The educational content on life skills and legal rights for parents and children.
- Proactively organized informal hangouts and excursions.
