"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" – Martin Luther King. Our students get involved in regular charity events that respond to the many needs of local communities and often take the initiative in organising their own events as part of their voluntary service, which has been a big part of our school life for many years.
1) The Noble Gift – a well-known Polish social project made possible by volunteers whose efforts improve the lives of destitute families. Our students can choose to help a given family in ways that meet their particular needs.
2) Kopal’s Got Talent – a cyclical charity concert that takes place in Bielsko Cultural Centre. It is, of course, our talented students, as well as a number of invited guests, who take the stage by storm, performing songs, music, dance, and stand-up – in short, making sure everyone enjoys the show whose ultimate purpose is to lend a helping hand to people in need.
3) A collection for child welfare – students have the opportunity to provide the local child welfare facility with what it needs the most. Each year, we collect school and cleaning supplies, toys, clothes, sweets, and books. Boxes brimming with gifts are then transported to the facility on Lompy street, where they can offer some joy to those for whom happiness is not so readily available as it is for the rest of us.
4) A collection of blankets and food for “Reksio,” the municipal animal shelter in Bielsko-Biała – a St. Nicholas Day gift for the dogs and cats that are looked after at the shelter.
5) Sweet Thursdays – the students brighten up their Thursdays with homemade cakes and pies. Having made them on their own or with a little help from their families, they sell them between lessons, gathering money for various charities. We have aided, among others, a medical mission in Africa, impoverished members of the dissident movement in the People's Republic of Poland, and children in need of costly medical procedures.
6) Penny Mountain – every year, coins are collected in late November and early December so as to help children living in orphan homes and with foster families. “One penny doesn’t mean much, but the Penny Mountain is the biggest in the world.”
Current information regarding all of our initiatives can be found in the News section on our website.