Contemporary education increasingly extends beyond acquiring knowledge and developing academic skills. It also plays an important role in fostering social responsibility, empathy and concern for others. At Akademeia High School, volunteering is part of everyday school life, with students regularly engaging in initiatives supporting seniors, children and people in need.
One of the most remarkable projects undertaken by the school community is its cooperation with the Alzheimer’s Centre in Warsaw. It all began in 2022 with an idea from Bruno, then an Akademeia student and now a graduate of the school. He proposed organising a Mother’s Day concert for the Centre’s residents. What was initially intended as a one-off event quickly became a tradition that continues to this day.
In May, members of the Akademeia Music Band visited the Centre for the fifth time. The choice of songs was far from accidental. The young musicians performed well-known pieces that evoked memories and encouraged the audience to sing along. The concert received a very warm response: the room was full, and the audience asked for several encores. One of Akademeia’s students documented the event through photography.
Although the concert is the most recognisable aspect of the school’s cooperation with the Alzheimer’s Centre, it is not the only one. Students also participate in the Centre’s daily activities, attend sessions at its day care facility, support art workshops and develop their own projects, including an exhibition of works exploring the subject of memory.
Akademeia’s young volunteers are also involved in initiatives for children receiving hospital treatment and their families. The school works with the Ronald McDonald Foundation, while members of its Volunteer Club organise activities for children staying at the paediatric hospital of the Medical University of Warsaw.
The school community also supported the construction of Poland’s third Ronald McDonald House by participating in a charity art auction. The House officially opened on 26 May 2026 on the premises of the Children’s Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw. It was created for the families of seriously ill children, allowing them to remain close to their loved ones throughout lengthy treatment. Representatives of Akademeia also attended the opening ceremony of the facility, which will soon welcome its first guests.
On 20 June, Akademeia’s campus hosted the annual picnic for Ronald McDonald Foundation volunteers. Making the school grounds available for the event is another expression of Akademeia’s continued support for the Foundation’s work.
– There are lessons that cannot be learned solely in the classroom. Meeting another person, sharing a conversation or music, and giving someone your time teach empathy in a very tangible way. Students discover that even the simplest gesture can make a meaningful difference – says Dr Karolina Watras, Director of Akademeia High School.
