(2023-2-PL01-KA220-YOU-000177554)

Participatory Visit in Poland

(March, 26th-30th, 2025)

1. Project Summary

2. The Host

3. Tea Festival, Cieszyn

4. Activity Agenda

5. Application & Documents

6. How to reach us

7. Things to bring with you

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[Index]

The TEENS project (Targeted unaccompaniEd forEign miNors Support network creation) responds to the growing need for structured, effective support for unaccompanied foreign minors (UFM), a group often exposed to trauma, displacement, and social exclusion. These young individuals frequently arrive in unfamiliar environments without guidance or protection, facing emotional stress, lack of access to education, and cultural barriers. The project is driven by the conviction that early and specialized intervention can not only improve their immediate well-being but also foster long-term integration and personal development.

TEENS seeks to strengthen the role of youth workers in non-formal and informal education settings by equipping them with tools to better understand and respond to the needs of UFMs. Through cross-border collaboration, the project encourages the exchange of good practices, aiming to create innovative, inclusive strategies for crisis response and emotional support. Central to this initiative is the development of an interactive resource which will be tested in workshops with underprivileged youth, helping translate theoretical approaches into practical, impactful support systems.

The project’s objectives include:

• Sharing knowledge and practices among youth workers on UFM support.
• Creating solutions tailored to crises affecting UFMs, with special focus on the most disadvantaged.
• Enhancing access to educational and awareness resources and fostering long-term cooperation among organizations.

Activities involve study visits in Poland and Italy, a course in Spain, and the development of an interactive book to be tested in workshops with disadvantaged youth.

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[Project Summary]

Laja Fundacja is a dynamic nonprofit based in Cieszyn, Poland, all about empowering adult communities through learning, sustainability, and cultural exchange. They believe in bringing people together across generations, backgrounds, and borders, to build stronger, more resilient communities.

From running hands-on workshops on permaculture and zero-waste living to organizing vibrant events like Tea Festivals and Earth Days, Laja is all about making learning fun and impactful. They’ve also been recognized by UNESCO for their efforts in preserving cultural heritage, proving that tradition and innovation can go hand in hand.

Whether it’s helping adults develop leadership skills, supporting social entrepreneurship, or creating spaces where people can share knowledge and grow, Laja Fundacja is all about making a difference, one project at a time​.

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[The Host]

CIESZYN - POLAND

When you visit this delightful place you will believe that time must have forgotten all about it.Almost every detail here tells you something of the story of ten centuries of changes that have happened since the three brothers, Bolko, Leszko and Cieszko, arrived here in 810, discovered a spring and decided to settle here on the Olza River. They called the place Cieszyn from the Polish phrase

“cieszym się” which means “we’re happy”

[The Host]

GEOGRAPHY

Cieszyn, one of the oldest towns in Poland, is situated in the Silesian Voivodship on the Olza River, opposite Český Těšín. The town was divided into two parts, with the left-bank being part of the Czech Republic and known as Český Těšín. Together the towns constitute an important transit centre on the Czech-Polish border, close to the territory of Slovakia, andform the capital of the Cieszyn Silesia Euroregion.

HISTORY

The town came into being in the 10th century as a stronghold built to defend Poland’s southern borders. From around 1290 Cieszyn was the capital of the autonomous Duchy of Cieszyn, a region that later became Cieszyn Silesia. In the 16th century the town was one of the most important centres of trade and commerce, and also a centre of the Reformation movement. After the World War I, Czechoslovakia attacked the Polish part of the region and forced Poland to withdraw from the greater part of the Zaolzie area. Poland recognised the new borders running along the Olza River in 1920; Czechoslovakia got the western section and a part of the Duchy capital known as Český Těšín while Poland got the eastern section of Cieszyn. During World War II Germany annexed the city and renamed it Teschen, and the borders of 1920 were not restored until 1945.

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[The Host]

During our stay in Cieszyn, you will have the chance to actively take part in the Tea Festival, a unique event organized by Fundacja Laja. The festival will take place on June 28 and 29, with preparations starting on June 27. More than just a celebration of tea culture, this event is a space for dialogue, creativity, and intercultural connection.

Through artistic workshops, tea ceremonies, and collaborative activities, you will experience diversity, inclusion, and personal expression in action. Your involvement in organizing and participating in the festival will not only strengthen your sense of belonging, but also offer valuable tools to navigate cultural and social adaptation processes, fully aligned with the goals of the TEENS project.

More information at: Swieto Herbaty & Fundacja Laja FB

[Tea Festival, Cieszyn]

[Activity Agenda]

This planning is a general proposal, some activities and visits could change depending on the weather or other factors.

[Application&Documents]

IMPORTANT

How can I participate in the training course?

Fill out the application form even if you have been selected already.

This way, you get registered and we can organise the training course and logistics successfully.

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It is completely necessary to fill and submit the whole form. If you find any problem, please let us know as soon as possible writing to:

office@laja.pl

Please, make sure you have filled it in.

APPLICATION FORM

TRANSPORT - How to reach the venue place

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The activity will take place in a town called Cieszyn, in LAJA’ facilities.

The address is: Castle Hill, ul. Zamkowa 3abc, 43-400 Cieszyn

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Cieszyn is well connected in terms of public transport.

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KRAKOW Airport - CIESZYN by bus

step 1:

bus from Krakow Airport (Port lotniczy Kraków - Balice) to Cracov MDA

https://www.flixbus.pl/

time: around 25 min. / price: around 5 EUR

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step 2:

bus from Krakow MDA (bus stand number D14) to Cieszyn bus station

By LAJKONIK BUS

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departure times: 8:05; 9:45; 11:00; 13:30; 14:30; 15:45; 16:45; 18:30; 20:15

time: around 2h 30 min. price: around 7 EUR

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KATOWICE Airport - CIESZYN by bus

INSTRUCTION:

https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Katowice-Airport-KTW/Cieszyn

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[How to reach us]

[Things to bring with you]

Please bring something you would like to share with us from your country. �E.g.:

FOOD

MUSIC

PICTURES

STORIES

CRAFTS

GAMES

DON’T BRING ALCOHOL

If you want to bring a typical drink for the cultural night, we kindly ask you to bring something non-alcoholic.

We want our activities to be alcohol free as part of the Erasmus+ policy. By participating in this activity you accept this policy.

And remember to bring positive vibes and your brightest smile!!