Author: obc_adm

Although he knows almost everything there is to know about language learning, he still admits that methods, accent and vocabulary need to be constantly improved. He speaks 7 languages and it’s not like he discovered his talent, found a miraculous way and suddenly everything changed. YoiTube, persistence and everyday encounters with the language turned out to be helpful – says Janek Meissner from Air Help, Ambassador of Language Tandem OBC, which is a part of the project “We are united by passion” of Olivia Business Centre.

Did it take you a long time to persuade you to share your passion?

I’m convinced that it’s worth inspiring people to discover new things, so when Olivia’s “Share Your Passion” project was proposed, I just asked “where and when” (laughs). I’ve spent four years learning languages, I still enjoy it and I thought it would be a good time to share the knowledge I’ve gained.

Weren’t you afraid that your willingness might clash with the enthusiasm of the participants?

I had, but the desire to take up the challenge prevailed. At the very beginning, it was hard to imagine what would come of it, but from class to class I found out that the idea was right.

Have you always had a flair for teaching?

I started my adventure with tutoring in high school and quickly got discouraged because I felt that my expectations were different from reality. Time allowed me to distance myself from the methods I used, in which I noticed a lot of mistakes. I decided that I would improve them and I implemented my “better” with subsequent students. It worked, and I had the opportunity to observe the satisfaction of my pupils, who left me and, instead of playing on the computer, searched for information on their own and delved into the topic they were working on together.

What did you teach?

Physics, which made me believe that my methods made sense when one of my students started looking for more information about Einstein’s relativistics. If I could inspire someone like that, I must have loved teaching (laughs).

How many languages do you speak?

Seven. I have mastered English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, Catalan and Polish.

How many years have you been learning them?

I started in July 2015. I tried hard and it resulted in English with a pretty cool accent and a rich vocabulary. I work in Spanish, so I know I have to speak nicely and coherently. I know Italian at a level that allows me to have a casual conversation with my friends who are natives. I’m happy when they admit that I speak well enough that they call me slang. In Portuguese, I am able to understand and tell stories, although sometimes I have to ask questions because I lack vocabulary. I can speak French and Catalan, but I can guess some of it from the context.

Have you discovered an ingenious method, or has persistence helped?

In high school, I passed only three of my German exams. I didn’t like these classes, I didn’t want to memorize a list of words, I hated memorizing them by force. It’s not like I had a super talent and suddenly everything changed. One day, I typed on YouTube how to learn a foreign language, watched 20 videos, memorized the most important information and put it into practice. On top of that, I was damn stubborn and spent about 2 hours studying every day for a few months. There is no miracle method – there is systematics and the assumption that you have to work regularly, otherwise nothing will come of it.

What happened that made you decide to share your knowledge and enthusiasm for thanks? Is there a second bottom?

I think it’s a nice thing to “know” and I’d like others to be able to benefit from my experience. The other side you ask about is people – I like to enjoy the successes of others, and the opportunity to participate in such stories gives me a lot of wings. It gives me great pleasure to be able to share the capital that is knowledge.

Tell us about this secret way, tell us what happens behind the doors of Language Tandem OBC.

I describe our meetings as an evolution full of experiments, and conducting such classes is a very valuable lesson for me. In practice, at the opening of the meeting, I give a presentation to the audience and tell them how I learned and how others do it. My favorite topic is how to become a polyglot in three steps.

How?

Step one – learn one language. Step two: learn the next one. Step three: repeat step two (laughs). Then all I have to do is explain to the group precisely what I meant. The presentation lasts about 20 minutes, then I devote 10 minutes to discussion and for the next hour the participants exchange languages in pairs, and my role is to give them tips on how to do such a tandem better and what to focus on.

Is there a common denominator that defines the participants of the OBC Language Tandem?

Usually, there are people who have had the opportunity to take part in a student exchange or have to deal with a foreign language at work. There are also lucky people who have learned a third language thanks to their partner or parents. They have different levels of motivation and motivation, but many of them admit that I used to be able to, and now I’ve forgotten if I can do a little and I would like to do better. I try to live up to those expectations. It is important that everyone is open and willing to talk.

What would you like to achieve with the Language Tandem of Olivia Business Centre?

To break the barrier and the feeling that languages are secret knowledge. It’s amazing that the further into the forest you go, the more the science draws you in, and we, satisfied with the results, want even more. My dream is for Language Tandem to be a strong base for what you can do on your own – a guideline that will help you move around the language without any problems. After all, no one is born a polyglot – you become one, which I wish for myself and other enthusiasts with all my heart!

Interviewed by: Dagmara Rybicka, Communication Department, Olivia Business Centre.

–/–

Join
Language Tandem OBC!

Please note that from March 19 we are organizing free English lessons on our FB profile. What do you need to know? Together with Talkers, every Tuesday and Thursday at 7:00 p.m . we will verify myths about language. No bulky books, cramming, or boring revisions. With exceptional instructors, such as Wiktor Jodłowski, the founder of the English language school, Talkersi.pl and… Jake Jephcott, Development Director at Olivia Business Centre. You will practice practical phrases, learn the rules, check how much time is actually needed to communicate effectively and what to do “smartly”;) when you don’t understand the interlocutor. And of course, you’ll learn how to break down the barriers of speaking English.

Follow our FB profile!

#razemmozemywiecej #niewychodzzdomu

See you!

As schools remain closed, remote learning is becoming crucial. These, in turn, are inextricably linked with students’ access to the Internet and computers. According to the official statistics of the Central Statistical Office (GUS) for 2018, nearly 20 per cent of the population of the EU is in the EU. of households in Poland do not have access to these basic educational tools. This gives rise to justified concerns about the digital exclusion of the youngest. Teachers with dozens to hundreds of students under their care have decided to hand in homework via e-mail or by sharing task updates in an electronic journal in the current situation. This is the most efficient and effective way to reach the majority of students. However, it is important to be aware that students Those who do not have access to a computer or the Internet will have much more difficult access to education in the coming weeks. The situation could get even worse if this situation persists for many more weeks.

Resident employees of Olivia Business Centre focused
in the OBC Social Activist group
reacted very quickly. They appealed to Tri-City entrepreneurs to donate used computers as part of the Laptops for Students campaign. The mission of supporting and promoting the campaign was also undertaken by Olivia Business Centre, which helped to promote the initiative among companies based in Olivia Business Centre and befriended institutions. In addition, on one of the portals under the slogan #LaptopyDlaUczniów OBC Social Activists have created a public fundraiser in which money is collected for the purchase of laptops. The computers will first be delivered to Primary School No. 35 in Oliwa, and then to other institutions in Gdańsk.

– As in every school, we also have children who need computers to be able to participate in lessons despite changes in the teaching system. – says Małgorzata Skwira, headmaster of Primary School No. 35 in Gdańsk Oliwa. – Support from entrepreneurs may prove invaluable during the period of remote learning requirement, which is why we appeal to you to get involved in the campaign and donate computers for children in need.

Volunteers to support the project appeared just a few hours after its launch. The company was the first to respond to the appeal of the Oliwa community Deltamarin Ltd. Ltd., which donated 12 desktop computers, as well as Thyssenkrupp and the Energa Group.

–We are checking the technical condition of the equipment, but we can already declare that we will provide students with ready-to-work sets along with the MS Office suite . – says Jadwiga Sztelwander-Zięba, General Manager of Deltamarin Sp. The technical settings of the computers for the school and the retrofitting of components needed to work with WiFi were offered by the owner of the ITAN company, Mr. Andrzej Polski.

Support for the Laptops for Students initiative is part of the #RazemMożemyWiecej campaign carried out by Oliwia Business Centre for the local community. As part of it, projects are carried out to help doctors and local entrepreneurs, support education, as well as volunteer work for seniors and people in need. Olivia has also initiated a #PokazSerce campaign, in which every day at 9.00 p.m. on the Olivia Star building, a red heart is displayed as a gesture of gratitude to all those who join in helping during the COVID-19 pandemic and an appeal for the unity of Gdańsk residents in this difficult time.

Want to know more about the stock? Do you have equipment to donate? Would your company like to help? Write to Magda from the Communication Department: magdalena.piskorska@oliviacentre.com

 

–/–

YES, WE SUPPORT SP35, TAKE A LOOK!

HERE YOU WILL FIND A LINK TO THE FUNDRAISER

HERE YOU CAN JOIN THE GROUP “SOCIAL WORKER OBC”

Assistance to seniors, webinars with experts, protective clothing and hot meals for the Naval Hospital at ul. Polanki and support for entrepreneurs – Olivia Business Centre is launching activities that will allow us to survive this difficult time for all of us.

The Together We Can More campaign, initiated in Olivia, is symbolized by a large red heart, which appears every evening on the façade of the tallest building in Northern Poland, Olivia Star. It is a gesture of support for all people and services involved in medical assistance and coordination of the fight against the threat of the virus causing the COVID-19 disease, as well as an appeal for unity among the residents of Gdańsk.

Photo: Mariusz Zawolski, FlyForYou

For two weeks now, OBC, which feels part of the Oliwa community, has been operating a crisis management team whose task is to ensure safety. In addition, a team has been established to coordinate the preparation and implementation of socially needed initiatives.

These are extremely important for entrepreneurs who need support during the epidemic threat. With their needs in mind, Olivia Business Centre launches broadly understood activities, including involvement in the form of lobbying for the necessary formal and legal solutions that will help in the current economic situation. The list of postulates submitted in cooperation with the Pomeranian Employers organization will be submitted to the Polish government.

Help is offered Gdansk Naval Hospital at ul. Polanki, which, by becoming an infectious disease facility, will note the growing demand for protective clothing and hot meals for all medical personnel fighting the disease. The Business Centre does not forget about its elderly neighbours, actively supporting the Dominican Fathers’ campaign “Stay at home. You Will Not Be Left Alone”, thanks to which seniors will be able to stay at home safely, because their needs will be taken care of by volunteers doing shopping and filling prescriptions in pharmacies. At the same time, Olivia Business Centre is preparing to launch a series of trainings in the form of webinars and workshops, which in the coming weeks will allow us to survive this difficult time together and respond to the needs related to remote work organization. It will start with an English language course conducted on the Olivia Business Centre profile on Facebook together with the Talkersi group. Free online lessons will be conducted by Wiktor Jodłowski, founder of the Talkersi English language school, and Jake Jephcott , Development Director at Olivia Business Centre, a native English speaker who has been living in Poland for years.

We have all faced a trial. We will come out of it stronger, better and sure that only Together We Can Do More. Let us be wholeheartedly there for others, remembering that not everyone asks for help. And this is needed all around! We will keep you informed about the details of the action, m.in. on OBC’s official Facebook profile , on Olivia’s LinkedIN.

Join “English Lessons with Olivia and Talkers”

 

–/–

^{Olivia Business Centre – the largest business centre in Northern Poland, located in the heart of the Tri-City, is a special address for over 500 top companies. m.in have their headquarters here. Amazon, Arrow Electronics, Bayer, Energa, PwC, Ricoh, Sii, and ThyssenKrupp. Understanding that the success of a company is determined by various factors, it guarantees them – in addition to the highest quality office space – access to specialized HR, IT, financial, consulting, legal and marketing companies present in the center. Tenants also have m.in at their disposal. conference centres, a medical centre with a pharmacy, a CityFit fitness studio, a junior high school, a kindergarten, a nursery, a beauty salon, a notary public or an electric car charging point. Olivia actively supports the local community and implements numerous projects aimed at the development and integration of the complex’s employees. Business, educational, cultural and sporting events are regularly held here.}

EDIT FROM 2 APRIL:

DOWNLOAD OUR PRACTICAL E-BOOK HERE

 

We decided to briefly summarize the English lesson with Janek Meissner and Wiktor Jodłowski. Here’s what they advise beginners and intermediates.

Remember, there is no universal method for learning a foreign language. Find your own way, pay attention to what you like. You love books – read them in English. Do you like TV series? Watch them in that language (with subtitles at the beginning). It helps you to write down vocabulary, that’s a good thought too!

Our teachers point out four methods of effective education:

• Immersion
• Sentence Translation
• Tandems
• Applications

A few words about immersion

Immerse yourself in the language. Try to feel like a native. Surround yourself with English. Watch TV shows, shows, movies, movies in target language. Listen as much as you can! It doesn’t matter that you don’t understand anything or much at first. Use audiobooks. Be patient and consistent, eventually words will become a part of your life. Let Shakespeare’s language be your number one! Do you have a passion? Study it in English.

Janek recommends: radio.garden

Sentence Translation

Listen, speak, repeat. Try to catch whole sentences. Use radio plays and podcasts. And remember, practice. Your speech apparatus has to get used to a different tongue or mouth pattern.

Janek recommends: languagePOD101

Tademes

In other words, learning in pairs. Try to exchange (also knowledge and competences). Teach your native language and have someone teach you English. Find an interlocutor, a tandem-partner, who will guide you through English, point out customary phrases, correct your pronunciation, etc. It’s a buddy.

Janek recommends: FB group Language Exchange Club Gdańsk (Tricity)

Application:

Want to start talking? You need words! Make the most of every free moment. Instead of looking in a window or browsing FB, use apps, online courses, learn words, phrases, phrases.

Janek recommends:

See the lesson with Janek

You will need:

• Summary of the lesson by Janek

• Graphic summary (WOW!) of the lesson by Iza Kosior

• Words from the webinar with Janek; for beginners and intermediate (by Ela Nowak)

• And here are the words from the webinar with Jake Jephcott, for advanced learners (by Ela Nowak)

See a lesson from Jake Jephcott

• And words from the webinar with Potts Hamish, for advanced learners (by Ela Nowak)

See a lesson with Hamish Potts

Remember, we organize free language webinars for beginners, intermediate (on Tuesdays) and advanced learners (on Thursdays). See you at 7:00 p.m. on Olivia’s FB page.

DOWNLOAD OUR PRACTICAL E-BOOK HERE

 

Olivia Business Centre under the name “Together We Can Do More” is launching a support package that will cover the medical community, entrepreneurs, students, seniors and people in quarantine.

Health service

The period of the COVID-19 pandemic results in increased activity of many business entities. Olivia Business Centre has directed its involvement towards social groups in need of support. Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has been supporting the medical community as well as the emergency services, providing them with meals to the 7th Naval Hospital. Out of your handsIt also extended to include the st. Wojciecha in Gdańsk’s Zaspa. Sets of medical clothing have also been ordered , which will be delivered to the wards any day now.

Trader

Olivia Business Centre has also appealed to local entrepreneurs to indicate the most urgent solutions that will provide support in connection with the deterioration of their situation during the pandemic. The list of proposals, in cooperation with the Pomeranian Employers’ organization, will be submitted to the Polish government. Webinars and trainings for entrepreneurs, which are conducted on the Facebook profile of Olivia Business Centre, are very popular.

Volunteering support for seniors and people in quarantine.

A poster campaign has been launched for staircases, pharmacies and post offices, which is addressed to seniors and people in quarantine. Olivia Business Centre supports the volunteering of the Dominican Fathers, who have set up a hotline to receive applications from people in need of help.

Education

The closure of schools requires the organization of remote classes. However, statistics show that nearly 20% of students do not have access to computers and the Internet, which, due to the prolonged break in classes, may result in educational exclusion for many of them. The community of Olivia Business Centre associated in the group OBC Social Activist She reacted very quickly and prepared an appeal to Tri-City entrepreneurs to donate used computers as part of the Laptops for Students campaign. The mission of supporting and promoting the campaign was also undertaken by Olivia Business Centre, which quickly led to the spread of the initiative among companies residing in Olivia Business Centre and befriended institutions. In addition, a public fundraiser has been created on one of the portals under the slogan #LaptopyDlaUczniów

, during which money is collected for the purchase of laptops. The computers will first go to Primary School No. 35 in Oliwa, and then to other institutions in Gdańsk.

Olivia Business Centre also supports the educational project “Closer to each other – closer to the world”. Classes in the form of e-learning will be addressed to students of Primary School No. 35.

_{Photo: Mariusz Zawolski, FlyForYou}

Action Symbol

The “Together We Can Do More” campaign initiated in Olivia Business Centre is symbolized by a big red heart, which appears every evening on the façade of the tallest building in northern Poland – Olivia Star. The illumination is a gesture of support for all services involved in medical aid and coordination of the fight against the threat of infection with the virus causing the COVID-19 disease, as well as an appeal for the unity of the inhabitants of Gdańsk.

More about the #LaptopyDlaUczniów campaign

More about language webinars

Interview with Janek Meissner

Inauguration of the #RazemMozemyWiecej campaign

READ POLISH VERSION

At Olivia, we share passion! We did a lot together in 2019, and a lot is yet to come. So far, together with you, we have created 17 Ambassador Clubs (

here
you
can read about sports clubs

).

To clarify, if you love the latest technologies, board games, you are a master of samba, yoga, bingo, you love crime series or books with ground-breaking ideas, you run, play chess, paint, draw (put any activity here) at the OBC, you can share your hobbies with others. You can simply do what you love with us and become an Ambassador of your passion. For us, it is important what is important for you – professionally and non-professionally, because we believe that #togetherwecandomore (#razemmozemywiecej)!

Below is a list of our non-sport Ambassador Clubs. Join us or propose something you would like to do with us. We will help you, i.a., to organise meetings and events.

We already meet to photograph, sing together in the OBC Choir, play board games and RPGs, learn foreign languages… We have a Parents’ Club and a Father’s Club, and children learn at Olivia, among other things, programming and robotics.

Here are our Ambassador Clubs. Join us on Facebook or propose your activity by sending an email to Ela from the Olivia Business Centre (
elzbieta.sumionka@oliviacentre.com

)
.

• RPGs or the OBC League of Adventure
• OBC board games
• Photography Club
• Language Exchange
• OBC for Parents and the Father’s Club
• OBC Choir

Here you can read about that “United by Sport“

and you can see that, together with us, you can play football, volleyball, run, cycle, swim in cold water and much, much more…

Read more:

UNITED BY SPORT IN OLIVIA

READ ENGLISH VERSION

At Olivia, we are united by passion! We did a lot together in 2019 and a lot is still ahead of us. So far, 17 Ambassador Clubs have been established with you (you can read about sports clubs here).

To clarify, if you love the latest technology, board games, you are a master of samba, yoga, bingo, you love crime series or books about groundbreaking ideas, you run, you play chess, you paint, you draw (you can insert any activity here) in OBC you can share your hobby with others. You can simply do what you love with us by becoming an Ambassador of your passion. What is important to us is what is important to you – professionally and non-professionally, because we believe that #razemmozemywiecej!

Below is a list of our non-sports Ambassador Clubs. You can join us or suggest something you would like to do with us. We’ll help you m.in. in the organization of meetings and events. You can read more about the Ambassador’s Club program here.

We are already meeting to take photos together, sing together in the OBC Choir, play board games or RPG games, learn foreign languages… We have a Parents’ Club and a Father’s Club, and children study at Olivia m.in. programming and robotics.

Here are our Ambassador Clubs.
Join us on Facebook or suggest your activity by sending an email to Ela from Olivia’s Communications Team (elzbieta.sumionka@oliviacentre.com).

• RPG games, or the OBC Adventure League
• Board games OBC
• Photography Club
• Language Exchange
• OBC For Parents and Father’s Club
• OBC Choir

Here you can read about the fact that “We are connected by sport” and you will see that with us you can play football, volleyball, run, ride a bike, swim and much, much more…

 

READ ENGLISH VERSION

WE ARE UNITED BY SPORT

UNITED BY SPORT IN OLIVIA

READ ENGLISH VERSION

These are the two days of the year that no one needs to be reminded of by the calendar, because the words Grandma and Grandpa are enchanted with the greatest childhood memories. Remembering about those we love, Olivia Business Centre prepared a meeting that was to be both a surprise and an unusual thank you.

– Many of us, when thinking about Grandmas and Grandpas, feel that our hearts are warming. We decided to thank the next meeting Oliwa from a Bird’s Eye View for Grandmother’s and Grandfather’s Day, which turned out to be a fantastic opportunity to spend time together intergenerationally – says Dagmara Rybicka, Communication Manager at Olivia.

This important day began at O4 Coworking with a cup of aromatic coffee, delicious cakes and a lecture about Oliwa.

– The plan of the event has been prepared in such a way that our Residents could spend the whole day, afternoon or lunch break in Olivia with their Grandparents and Parents. They could have been with them since the “green lecture” or went up to the 32nd floor for half an hour, only to return to interrupted classes a moment later. They could also, after entering Olivia Star TOP, stay in the restaurant and eat something delicious together with their guests – says Magdalena Piskorska, Event Manager from Olivia’s Communication Team, the organizer of the event.

Extraordinary stories about green and recreational areas were told to the crowd by Łukasz Darski – a guide to Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot, who is also a resident of Oliwa. Mr. Łukasz’s stories inspired the seniors to make many memories. You could hear about places that many young people have probably missed. It turned out that a very important element of the district are viewpoints and Oliwa squares equipped with open-air gyms. Seniors recommended their favorite meeting places, encouraging their grandchildren to live an active and creative life, where relationships between people are the most important.

The special guests of the Oliwa from a Bird’s Eye meeting were a married couple – Mrs. Czesława and Mr. Henryk, in whom the Tri-City community recognized the heroes of the film about Olivia Star TOP published in social media. They were the first visitors to the observation deck on the 32nd floor of the tallest building in Pomerania.

The highlight of the celebration was a joint ride to one of Olivia’s top floors. Admiring the panorama of Gdansk was accompanied by a commentary from the guide.

“ It’s a really amazing time, full of positive energy, warm words, wonderful memories,” says Magdalena Piskorska. – Once again, we invited Seniors to Olivia, because it is a place for them, one that is supposed to connect generations, experiences and passions. We invite everyone who is curious about us, the world and who is close to Gdańsk after Lent.

“The smiles on the faces of Grandmothers and Grandfathers and the questions whether Oliwa from a Bird’s Eye View will become a permanent part of the tradition of the business centre confirmed that the surprise was a success,” sums up Dagmara Rybicka.

READ ENGLISH VERSION

THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL MEETING!

 

 

^{Fig. Maciej Roszkowski, We Love Foto}

These are two days of the year about which the calendar does not need to remind anyone, because the words Grandma and Grandpa bring back the greatest memories of childhood. Remembering those we love, the Olivia Business Centre has prepared a meeting that was meant to be both a surprise and an unusual thank you.

“Thinking about Grandmas and Grandpas warms the hearts of many of us. We decided to thank our loved ones with a meeting Oliwa District from a Bird’s Eye View for Grandma’s and Grandpa’s Day, which turned out to be a fantastic opportunity for people of different generations to spend time together,” says Dagmara Rybicka, Communication Manager at Olivia.

This important day began at O4 Coworking with a cup of aromatic coffee, delicious cakes and a lecture about Oliwa.

“The event plan was prepared so that our Residents had a chance to spend their whole day, afternoon or lunch break in Olivia with their Grandparents and Parents. They could have stayed with them starting with the ‘green lecture’ or entered the 32^nd floor for half an hour just to resume their activities a moment later. After entering Olivia Star TOP, they could also stay in a restaurant and eat something delicious with their Guests,” says Magdalena Piskorska, Event Manager from the Olivia Communication Team, the organiser of the event.

Łukasz Darski , a guide to Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot, who is also a resident of Oliwa District, told a wide audience unusual stories about green and recreational areas. The stories of Mr Łukasz brought many memories back to seniors. You could have heard about places that probably many young people have missed. It turned out that very important elements of the district are Oliwa viewpoints and squares equipped with open-air gyms. Seniors recommended their favourite meeting places, encouraging grandchildren to an active and creative lifestyle, in which relationships between people are the most important.

Special guests of the meeting Oliwa District from a Bird’s Eye View was the couple – Mrs Czesława and Mr Henryk – in which the Tri-City community recognised the characters of the video about Olivia Star TOP published in social media. They were the first visitors to the observation deck on the 32nd floor of the tallest building in Pomerania.

The culmination of the celebration was a common visit to one of Olivia’s top floors. We admired the panorama of Gdańsk and listened to the guide’s commentary.

“It’s really an amazing time, full of positive energy, warm words and wonderful memories,” says Magdalena Piskorska, “Once again, we invited Seniors to Oliwia, because it is a place for them, a place that is to bring together generations, experiences and passions. We invite here everyone who is curious about us, the world, and who simply feels close to Gdańsk.”

“Smiles on the faces of Grandmas and Grandpas and questions whether Oliwa District from a Bird’s Eye View will become a tradition of the business centre confirmed that the surprise was successful,” sums up Dagmara Rybicka.

THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL MEETING!

 

^{photo: Maciej Roszkowski, We Love Photo}

It’s hard to take care of a better tomorrow while standing on the sidelines. At PwC in Gdańsk, the employees did not fold their hands, but by taking part in volunteer work, they jointly declared war on air pollution. In the form of workshops, they reach schools and kindergartens with the conviction that environmental education is the most important step to stop climate change. Ania Aramayo and Dorota Kaszubowska, coordinators of the project in Gdańsk, talk about the second edition of the “Business vs Smog” initiative, which attracts more and more organisations.

Has Gdansk business declared war on air pollution?

Ania: We are in the process of implementing the second edition of the “Business vs. Smog” programme, which was conceived and initiated by PwC. We started our activities in September and will finish in March with the end of the heating season. Dorota and I are local coordinators who implement activities in Gdańsk. The idea was born in Krakow, but very soon other cities – Warsaw, Katowice and Łódź – joined the action.

And why did a city that is famous for its clean air join the action?

Dorota: I remember my surprise when I heard that there was smog in Gdańsk and Pomerania. Very quickly the doubts were dispelled by a trip to one of the small towns in the region, a huge black cloud hovered over the local houses, which for the inhabitants was a permanent element of the landscape. I made sure that this is a topic that definitely applies to our region as well, and that education will be an effective weapon.

Why do you want to act socially, why do you want to get involved and devote time?

Ania: We are glad that we can do something useful, and that we have the opportunity to change. We all complain about various negative things that happen next to us, instead of wasting energy on it, it is worth taking concrete action. What’s important, the enthusiasm of the people who came up with the project and implemented it was so great that it was hard not to succumb to it (laughs). The idea behind the “Business vs. Smog” program is to have a real impact – we work with the youngest, we get the opportunity to educate, raise awareness and instill the desire to care for the environment.

Are you the only volunteers at PwC?

Ania: We are coordinating the program in Gdańsk, working closely with a group of volunteers, which currently consists of about 30 people, and over 100 people in the entire PwC in Poland. According to the assumptions, each of them is obliged to conduct at least two educational workshops in educational institutions, so summing up, the scale of activities becomes noticeable. All the more so because PwC has also invited other companies to join the program.

What does it look like from the technical side?

Dorothy: Many PwC employees have children, so it is much easier for us to reach schools and kindergartens that are interested in education. In our opinion, such an action is of great value. I had the opportunity to see for myself that what we do is needed – the institution I talked to was very open to cooperation. A conversation with the management assured me that the project should grow and be continued in the following years, I received an invitation that if we wanted to do more in this area, the door was open and we were welcome. Other volunteers have been contacted and I am sure that the initiative will stay in these benches for good.

Do you have a proven model on how to interest a unique and demanding audience in the topic?

Dorothy: At the very beginning, there are trainings for volunteers, conducted by experts from the Krakow Smog Alert, during which we learn about the substantive aspects of the topic, but also learn how to talk to the youngest so that it is not boring and how to make them interested in the topic. The children’s audience is very demanding – there is no room for generalities here; We must always be prepared to maintain attention.

Ania: The workshops are always adapted to the age of the participants, which requires a completely individualized approach from us. We use materials specially prepared by the Krakow Smog Alarm – games and activities, we implement ideas that encourage children to actively cooperate.

How to reach their hearts?

Dorota: Authenticity – children are great and insightful observers of 😉

Can they handle it?

Dorota: Definitely! Depending on the size of the group, we have planned that the meeting should last no longer than 45 minutes, children get tired quickly, lose concentration, so it is our responsibility to make the workshops interesting and engaging enough to deserve the attention of the youngest.

Ania: We want the children to tell their parents about the workshops when they return, also influencing the everyday decisions of adults.

Do you think such a change is real? Are we ready to give up our habits?

Ania: Yes, otherwise we wouldn’t have taken up the challenge. The entire team of PwC volunteers is sure that we may not be able to carry out a revolution, but we will persuade people to change in small steps. Education is the most important weapon in the fight for the climate.

How long does it take for this to work?

Ania: The most important thing is that the different types of activities are combined. It is well known that education is a kind of foundation, but appropriate legislative action is equally important.

Dorothy: The first edition of Business vs. Smog was a kind of field for experiments. On the basis of the conclusions, we started with the second one, which is more and more eagerly publicized, which confirms that the program makes sense. Last year, we managed to train as many as 10,000 children, mainly in Małopolska and Silesia. The principle of small steps is the most effective, because an attempt to “force” change would certainly end in reluctance.

Let’s go back to the creation of the project – where did it all start?

Ania: The initiator of “Business vs. Smog” is the Krakow branch of PwC. We have invited other companies and organizations to participate in it, and now there are 29 of us in total. I hope that the business group will continue to grow.

How can more organizations join?

Ania: There is a formal path to joining the program for willing companies. In the first edition, there were 13 organizations, and in the current one, there are already 29. The program is open, but we also set certain requirements – as to the number of workshops and recipients. Each of the companies has its own contribution to the program – we share tasks. New companies can complement us and support us. For example, one of the companies that deals with translations offered to take care of them (we also run workshops in English). Everyone gives something from themselves and at the same time becomes responsible for a given element of the program. There are a lot of jobs and sectors in which you can fulfill yourself, so we invite you to participate all the time in accordance with the principle that together we can do more.

As coordinators, do you feel that you are changing the world a bit?

Dorota: A little bit!

Do you see the first effects of your work?

Ania: Awareness is growing, more and more people want to join the actions that will lead to stopping climate change. More and more volunteers are asking what they can do and how they can do it.

Dorothy: I have the impression that, especially now in the new year, everything has gained momentum. Our actions ignite others.

Ania: People want to act themselves! I can see that the idea drives, so it’s fantastic to see the commitment, because it has to translate into change. If we manage to hit wider and wider; Awareness of how we should act to protect the environment will grow.

From the very beginning, it went smoothly? Have you faced the label of eco-freaks?

Ania: No. The awareness of the society is growing, and we do not try to implement controversial ideas and push astonishing theses with our actions. I think we’re perceived as normal (laughs). People see our enthusiasm and willingness to act and many of them decide that it is worth joining. After all, everyone understands what it means to be responsible for the planet, which we bequeath to future generations.

Dorothy: We do not impose, I think that it is best to start every change with yourself and thus inspire others to change, we work with people who consciously approach the topic.

PwC’s everyday life under the green flag?

Dorothy: PwC’s overarching goal in the world is to build social trust and solve problems. One of the biggest challenges today is to protect the environment and stop negative climate change. By initiating projects such as “Business vs. Smog”, we achieve the company’s goal and have a positive impact on the environment. In addition to the company’s environmental programs, we have good habits, for example, we make sure that the last person to leave the office always turns off the lights, and the refrigerators are turned off on weekends.

What do you want to achieve this year?

Dorothy: Raise awareness and draw attention to air pollution. We want to convince you that it is worth taking care of a place where you can live well.

Ania: Awareness, education and active scaling up. The second year of the project is the beginning, we are sure that in the following years we will be able to favor the land on an even larger scale. If even one child suggests to their parents to choose a tram instead of a car, it is already a big change and a reason to rejoice.

More information about the program: https://www.facebook.com/BiznesKontraSmog/