Young helper program

Short summary

The “Young helper program” offers both individual and group support to primary school pupils. Individual support is provided by a mentor, a person who meets one student at a time over a certain period. The mentor helps with school tasks and does free time activities with the child. Next to the individual meetings there are group activities, which are called community programs: common games, visits to cultural institutions and other exciting places in the city or area. These events will be set up by the program organisers. High school students who apply to our program can decide which role they prefer: that of a mentor who offers individual help, or they would rather work with the pupils in groups as a program organiser.

Objectives: For mentees: To provide extra attention and care to those feeling left behind and/or experience little success at school/have a low self esteem

For mentors: To offer assistance to those who have difficulties in creating social bonds amongst their classmates/are marginalized/have problems at school; to practice solidarity through this; to offer a role model for the mentees

For program organisers: To take an active role in the building of the community; to practice facilitating, event organizing, public speaking

Pupils for whom this program was introduced will also develop their learn to learn competence just as their social and civic competence and cultural awareness competence. Their learn to learn competence will develop thanks to the advices, techniques and practices they might obtain from their mentors who are their experienced and successful companions since they are already at high school. Facing difficulties in their everyday life, the pupils can see mentoring as an example of being humane towards each other which can shape their own understanding of the interpersonal relations within our diverse society. This can contribute to their social and civic competences while being appreciated and respected can add to their self-esteem, strengthen their identity and make them more aware of their own cultural heritage (cultural awareness competence). 

The Young helper program was part of the Pearls project. 

Context of good practice

Alapvető információk az iskoláról és környezetéről helyi/regionális szinten (az iskola mérete a tanulók és a személyzet viszonylatában, a helyi körülmények és fő jellemzőik, pl. munkanélküliségi ráta)

The Losonci school is in the middle of Budapest’s 8th district among housing blocks built during the socialist regime. The school has been functioning for 33 years. The majority of the pupils come from Orczy quarter and Magdolna quarter of the district. The statistics of the district show that people of these parts of Józsefváros are the most disadvantaged.In the quarter where Losonci school is located segregation affects local schools. Its main reason is spontaneous - the parents tend to enrol their children in schools with higher prestige.[1] The relatively low status of the school is reflected not only in its popularity amongst parents but also in the success rate of its students. The number of pupils who continue their studies in (low prestige) technical schools (without baccalaureate) is higher than the national average. The diversity of social groups and the diversity of cultures, which appear in the school induce the teachers to apply various methods in teaching - projects, thematic days and weeks, cooperative technics and differentiation.

3It does not necessarily reflect the reality, but characterize the pupils' opinion and notion about their micro-society

Read full descriptionClose full description

Author:

Erzsébet Csáky

Institution:

Artemisszió Foundation

Institution Website:

http://artemisszio.blog.hu

The ESLplus portal uses cookies to improve your user experience in compliance with our data protection regulation. Cookies help us to personalise content, to monitor our website traffic using web analytics services, and to improve site functionality. By clicking on the "accept cookies" button, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information, please read our Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions.