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About Us
European Centre of Youth Cooperation is a foundation situated in Torun, at St. Catherine Square since 1993. Being a non-governmental charitable organization, all the money is donated to the conduct of statutory activities, which include international cooperation and business development.

By 2014, ECYC implemented more than 100 programs and projects, helping more than 50 thousand people, including:

• Since 1997, we coordinate Polish-American Educational Exchange Program „Au Pair”, which has enabled over 1,000 young girls go to the U.S., and during that time to combine education with childcare and to stay in the American family.

• Since 1998, we coordinate Summer Abroad Program, through which young Americans stay in Polish families, learn about the culture, customs, interesting places, learn Polish language and try Polish food.

• For several years we have been helping and supporting the Circle of Parents with Disabled Children in preschool and school age, which objectives include the integration of children with disabilities and the integration in school or preschool.

• We organize Regional Training Centre for European Social Fund, which among regional institutions promotes awareness about the opportunities associated with the activities of the ESF.

• Over 500 people participated in the International Youth Forum, held twice in 1999-2000, during which speakers from Poland and from abroad raised the problems of young people in Europe and worldwide.

• For four years, the newspaper called „the Centre” was created by ECYC. The newspaper was connected with cultural and social development of young people.

Currently we are engaged in:

• active promotion and support of academic entrepreneurship by conducting Enterprise Incubators. Their mission is to enable young entrepreneurs to develop their business based on innovations, as well as assistance in actions by creating favorable conditions for work and providing professional support, sharing of premises and office supplies,

• promoting healthy and active lifestyle among school children,

• supporting the future beneficiaries of the European Social Fund through providing those, who are interested in the use of European Funds, with information and advice,

• promoting education of enterprises and institutions’ personnel through trainings in the field of Modern Quality Management Systems,

• organization of consulting, trainings and conferences for students and doctoral students from the kujawsko-pomorskie, created to promote the idea of spin-off companies and academic entrepreneurship, as well as to support people, who are interested in establishing their own business,

• conducting practical trainings in the field of quality management, redesigning of jobs and their environment, improving the efficiency of working time, ergonomics and safety. The trainings are designed to allow completing or enhancing qualifications and skills of the workers (Lean Management),

• promotion of social economy and employment in the sector of social economy organizations through professional trainings,

• promoting the Continuing Education among the citizens of kujawsko-pomorskie voivodeship, by presenting the idea of „lifelong learning” as an effective method of improving professional qualifications and at the same time as a significant factor determining our attractiveness in the work market,

• integration of people all over the world, and organizing international exchanges to enable learning about new cultures and traditions.

We are an organization for youth. We want young people to acquire knowledge by participating in programs carried out by foundation. We want them to gain skills and attitudes and to develop in a way that will help them to become active and mature individuals ready to face the challenges of the constantly changing world. Our initiatives promote international cooperation and build mutual understanding between people of different races, cultures and nationalities. We oorganize projects for international and educational exchange and the transfer of experience between different groups. We help to improve the skills and knowledge about the world today. We also support a number of local initiatives aimed at young people in Torun – the communities from which they derive. We are a non-governmental organization that is not acting for profit. Our activity is financed from funds obtained from the authorities cooperating with us, foundations, donations from businesses and individuals.

Let’s cooperate!