Volunteer in Poland
A supported gap year volunteer programme in Poland for 18–30s, with school placements that allow you to support pupils, build confidence, and experience everyday life in Spain.
What kind of placement will you have in Poland?
Our Poland programme focuses on school placements, supporting pupils and classrooms day to day.
Support teachers in local Polish schools, working with pupils in classrooms and school activities while gaining practical experience in an education setting abroad as part of a structured placement.
Why volunteer in Poland?
Volunteering in Poland offers a supported gap year experience, combining cultural exchange with meaningful school placements that help you build confidence while living locally.
No Polish is required. English is used in schools, with opportunities to experience Polish culture and everyday life outside your placement.
Live with a local host family, helping you settle into Polish life while providing structure, support, and cultural insight.
Support pupils and teachers in local schools through placements with real, day-to-day value in classrooms.
Carefully vetted placements, clear guidance, and ongoing support available throughout your time in Poland.
A great option if you want a structured, supported experience abroad while gradually building independence, language skills, and confidence.
What your gap year in Poland looks like
A gap year in Poland combines structured school volunteering with cultural exchange, helping you build confidence while living and contributing within a local community.
Day-to-day life
Settle into a routine in a local Polish school, supporting classroom activities and school life, with time to explore your town and experience Polish culture outside your placement.
Skills and confidence
Gain practical experience, responsibility, and confidence that can support future study, work, or volunteering.
Independence and social life
Live with a host family, experience daily life in Poland, and build friendships with other volunteers and people you meet locally.
Support throughout your placement
You’re never on your own, with guidance before you start and support available throughout your time in Poland.
Meet your Poland Programme Manager
Your safety and wellbeing during your gap year is our priority.
Beata Skokowska
Programme Manager Poland
Beata prepares volunteers for their placement and provides ongoing support throughout their time in Spain. She works closely with the schools and host families to ensure placements are safe, well supported, and genuinely meaningful.
What volunteers say about their time in Poland
Real feedback from volunteers who’ve completed their Poland programme.
10 months in Poland - or how I discovered my love to polish mountains, language and black tea
For the past 10 months, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to live in the beautiful city of Żywiec. Located in the heart of the southern Polish mountains, this town is known not only for its brewery, scenic lake, and delicious highlander cheese, but also for its remarkable high school: Zespół Szkół Mechaniczno-Elektrycznych. If you’re wondering how to pronounce that—congratulations! That’s exactly how I felt before coming here. But after 10 months of practice, not only can I now confidently say the name of my placement but have even reached a communicative level of Polish. Sometimes I still surprise myself by actually understanding the conversations around me.
As a language assistant, I primarily worked in English classes. I helped students prepare for their matura exams, built vocabulary, played games, and—my favorite part—had one-on-one conversations with my students in English.
Thanks to my coordinating teacher Asia and my two wonderful host families, I experienced Polish hospitality at its finest. Celebrating traditions on Christmas Eve, Easter, and national holidays, skiing and hiking in the nearby mountains, and visiting stunning cities and the Polish seaside were definite highlights of my time here. But what truly made this experience unique were the small moments: making silly jokes with my younger host siblings (being the “big sister” was a first for me), walking the dog, or chatting with students in the hallway.
I also really enjoyed meeting up with the two other volunteers who were working in different parts of Poland—sharing stories, laughs, and experiences was always fun.
I’ve learned a lot—about myself, about the power of communication, and about what it feels like to not understand anything at first, which has made me more tolerant and open-minded. But perhaps my most unexpected personal growth? Learning to love black tea. I used to hate it, but during those cold Polish winter days and boredom in the teachers’ room, I slowly got used to it. Now, I have to admit: nothing beats a good, hot cup of czarna herbata.
