UNIVERSITY OPEN TO SENIORS

Thanks to the unification of the efforts of the staff of the Centre for Lifelong Learning of JDU (PL: UCKU) and dr Wladyslaw Bieganski Collegium Medicum of JDU, Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa was able to expand its offer for Seniors. 

Let us remind you that the project "Live healthy & be active" was implemented as part of the Social Responsibility of Science – Excellent Science programme. The project was selected and positively evaluated by the Minister of Education and Science, and the funds awarded amounted to PLN 153,115.00. It was an international project – Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa cooperated with the University of Žilina (Slovakia).

The project was very popular among people over 60 years of age. Four editions of free lectures and workshops were organised for our Polish participants in the field of: mature skin care, healthy lifestyle and first aid.  Within these four cycles (each cycle - four Saturdays at JDU), 192 people from Częstochowa and the region took part in the event. Together with our Slovak partners, we invited Seniors from Žilina as part of two editions that took place in Slovakia – a total of 48 people from abroad took part in the event. 

The organisation of such a large undertaking required close cooperation of many people. The preparation and substantive development of the project was carried out by: mgr Sylwia Stachurska-Ćwiek, Head of the UCKU , and prof. Magdalena Myga-Nowak, Vice-Dean for Student Affairs of JDU Collegium Medicum. The assistant editor, as well as the person responsible for the organisation and expenditures, was mgr Aleksandra Kozak, chief specialist at UCKU. Accounting matters related to the implementation of the project were undertaken by mgr Jolanta Krotla, accounting specialist. 

Taking into account the diversity of lectures and workshops, twelve lecturers from our University were invited to conduct them: prof. Danuta Kołożyn- Krajewska, dr Magdalena  Myga-Nowak, med. doc. Kamila Ślęzak-Januszko, mgr Sylwia Stachurska-Ćwiek, dr Beata Mikutęa, mgr Anna Radler,  mgr Dorota Goleniewska, mgr Anna Ślusarek, mgr Dorota  Bojanek-Mazur, mgr Agnieszka Surgiel-Gemza, mgr Ewa Starczewska, mgr Karolina Górnik-Horn. Mgr. Agnieszka Migoń supported us during culinary workshops. On behalf of the University of Žilina (Slovakia), nine people participated in the project: Dr. Lucia Hrebeňárová, Ph.D., MUDr. Ivana Baltová, MUDr. Padalová Magdaléna, Ing. Kristína Chaparro, MUDr. Anna Altusová, MUDr. Ľubomíra Tomusová, MUDr. Gabriela Očková, PhDr. Ľubica Mindeková, Ing. Janka Sňahničanová. The lectures and workshops for Slovak seniors were translated by mgr Katarzyna Bielik. 

We are glad that the project was so popular among Polish and Slovak Seniors. It was also attended by current and retired staff of our University and the Częstochowa University of Technology. The added value to theoretical knowledge, as well as practical classes, are the good impressions of Seniors, who repeatedly asked us about the possibility of participating in this type of events in the future. Our guests emphasized many times that taking part in both theoretical and practical classes, as well as the opportunity to regularly meet with lecturers and people of a similar age, had an extremely positive impact on their well-being. 

The project resulted in recordings of lectures, which you can watch on the UCKU YouTube channel

Photos from the closing ceremony of the project can be seen on the website