September 8, 2021
The Polish School of Eindhoven will be the proud host of two Erasmus+ student interns in the 2021-2022 school year. HLE Network has asked the Polish School to tell us about their internship program so we can inform the community about this exciting new opportunity that they have discovered. Erasmus+ is a European subsidy program that countries besides Poland are able to make use of. The 2021-2022 school year will be the first year that the Polish School of Eindhoven will host intern students from a Polish university. Earlier this year, two students reached out directly to the Polish school saying that they had heard good things about the school and that they would like to explore the possibility of working at the school as a part of their study. Their university study program in Poland includes linguistics, language teaching, and the languages Polish, English, and Dutch. The staff at the Polish School of Eindhoven checked all of the formal requirements and it was possible! Keep in mind that “Erasmus+” is not a regular Erasmus study program. In the case of Erasmus+, a student can apply for an internship to certain types of entities, including Polish schools abroad (though it could not be a diplomatic school associated with an embassy). For the students, the Polish School of Eindhoven developed a description of an internship program, including tasks that they can carry out during the school year. The internship program includes administrative tasks involved with running the school, organizing the performances for the annual national Polish poetry festival and for the Christmas show, and assisting teachers. The students will also help organize new, extra support classes for Polish students who need it. If time permits, the students will also help with the FOHLC Europe conference organized in part by the HLE Network.
More details: Length of internship: The Polish university students will stay two semesters in Eindhoven for the internship, from September 2021 to May 2022. A one-semester internship is also possible via Erasmus+. Compensation: The Polish School of Eindhoven is allowed to pay the interns if they want to, but they do not have the means to do so. The students receive some subsidy via the Erasmus+ program, but it is not enough for them to live off of, so they will likely have to find some additional work when they are here. Ania Kijak, the head of the Polish School of Eindhoven, points out that hosting the students is certainly an obligation and a commitment that they have made with a university in Poland (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań) by signing a contract with them. She has had to develop goals for the students and will have to mentor them. However, Ms. Kijak is confident that both the Polish school and the interns will get something very valuable in return!