In Kielce, discussions were held on the well-being of school communities and students in multicultural classrooms

On April 27, 2026, a conference supporting cooperation among schools took place at Museum of Dialogue of Cultures in Kielce as part of the project “Raising the Level of Well-being of the School Community in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship”.

The event was an important meeting for the educational community of the region. Discussions focused on student wellbeing, psychological resilience, integration, and the everyday challenges faced by schools working with children and young people with migration and refugee experience.

Priority: psychological resilience and integration

The project is being implemented under the government programme “Friendly School” for the years 2025–2027, with the support of the European Union. The main aim of the conference was dialogue on real support for students, parents, teachers and school specialists in a multicultural environment.

Key partners and representatives of the education sector took part in the event:

• Grażyna Dekiel – Świętokrzyskie Deputy Superintendent of Education,
• Krzysztof Kalita – President of the Management Board of the Association Integration Europe – East, Regional Project Operator,
• headteachers, educators and representatives of schools from the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship.

Deputy Superintendent Grażyna Dekiel welcomed all participants and highlighted the importance of the project for the Świętokrzyskie region. She emphasised that the project activities would help better understand the needs of students with migration experience, while also facilitating communication, integration and the building of positive relationships within school communities.

Krzysztof Kalita presented the scope of support available to schools, students, parents, teachers and school psychologists. He also outlined the framework of cooperation with educational institutions for the years 2026–2027.

Challenges of the modern school

The conference programme covered a wide range of topics related to working in multicultural classrooms:

• Dr Katarzyna Krzystanek, psychology lecturer at Jan Kochanowski University, introduced the topic of building tolerance and preventing exclusion in the school environment. She also discussed methods of working with classes, stressing that the integration of students from other countries requires work not only with newcomers, but also with the receiving community.
• Olha Kholodna shared her personal and professional experience as a psychologist and a mother from Ukraine, speaking about a child’s first steps in a Polish school.
• Liudmyła Yurchenko spoke about her own migration experience and work with students affected by wartime migration, as well as integration support in multicultural classrooms.
• Urszula Kaźmierska discussed the experiences of Polish students based on her own example and that of her children, answering the question: what is it like to be a Pole-migrant in Poland?

What will schools receive in 2026–2027?

During the conference, an action plan covering four support modules was presented:

• For students: individual psychological consultations, workshops on emotional resilience and digital hygiene.
• For young people aged 13+: the INTEURO Youth Career Incubator, offering career guidance and mentoring.
• For parents: support groups, assistance from interpreters and cultural assistants, as well as integration trips.
• For teachers: professional supervision, training on working in multicultural groups, and ready-to-use methodological materials.

In addition, every school qualified for the project will receive an “Educational Corner” – packages of adaptation materials, worksheets on emotions, and guides on working with foreign students.

The conference concluded with an open discussion in a relaxed atmosphere. Educators had the opportunity to exchange experiences, present the needs of their institutions and establish cooperation aimed at improving relationships and wellbeing within school communities.

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