Solidarity with Ukraine

Community & Civic Engagement

Want to develop your social skills, be useful, do something to benefit the local community, and gain experience? Check out YUFE's community activities at NCU. 50 hours of community service will give you personal development and an international YUFE Civic Star certificate. This is a certificate that confirms the student's social engagement and the acquisition or development of transversal competencies, including teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking, active listening, etc.

In the 2023/2024 academic year, you can earn the YUFE Star by engaging in the following activities:

YUFE Volunteering Programme 

This offer is aimed at students who wish to work for the local community. The scope of duties depends on the place where the activity is carried out and may include, among others, assistance in the organisation of cultural events (concerts, meetings with artists), business (conferences, meetings with entrepreneurs), social (festival, integration meetings), educational (intercultural classes) and ecological (in the Edible Garden). Check out the offer prepared for NCU/YUFE students in Toruń:

Three first offers require a physical presence on site in Toruń, the fourth one can be done online.

Students interested in volunteering online can apply for programmes offered by YUFE's partner universities. The current offer is available on the YUFE Virtual Campus (Explore YUFE courses, then Civic Engagement Activities).

Studying and want to teach Polish to other YUFE students? Become a tutor within the Online Language Cafés.

International Cafés

Cyclical meetings of international students with residents of YUFE cities and regions to share their cultural experiences and discuss stereotypes. The programme is implemented in cooperation with the Regional Centre for Cultural Animation in Toruń.

Want to share your experience? Let us know: magdalena.stremplewska@umk.pl

YUFE Help Desk

This is a network of help desks for citizens. The students, supervised by academic staff, share the knowledge and experience they have gained at the university, answering the questions of local residents and providing free advice and support. There are 11 Help Desks in the network providing support in a range of areas including law, health, psychology, mural design, logistics, patents and intellectual property, and teaching.

You want to join the Help Desk team? Choose a Help Desk and apply:

 

YUFE CIVIC STAR

YUFE Civic Star is a certificate that confirms that you got socially involved, gained social skills (like active listening, conflict resolution or emotion regulation), expanded your knowledge and critical understanding, worked on your attitude, and got a chance to understand better some ideas and values (like human rights, cultural diversity, fairness, empathy, human dignity, and democracy). The total workload required for the YUFE Civic Star is 50 hours and includes:

  1. attending the YUFE Civic Engagement Activities Intro Training for Students. This online training (1.5 h) will introduce you to the YUFE Civic Star programme. You will learn:
    • what YUFE Civic Star is;
    • why universities are interested in civic engagement;
    • how to recognise and make visible the different competences gained through participation in activities for the community; the principles and practical aspects of obtaining a Civic Star.
    Upcoming YUFE Civic Engagement Activities Intro Training for Students:

    15 March 2024 10:00 - 11:30 CET Apply https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/link/course/GLDA2KQfMmgZtg1s
    10 May 2024 13:00 - 14:30 CET Apply https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/link/course/0gpNMDxu0UzpovTp
  2. completing an activity (YUFE Help Desk / Community Volunteering Programme);

  3. working on your YUFE Personal Development Plan.

Check out other YUFE community engagement opportunities: click on https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/home and select Civic Engagement Activities.

Any questions? Ask: magdalena.stremplewska@umk.pl