The Open Future Center in Prešov Welcomed Its First Graders
The Open Future program is successfully settling at the school on Važecká Street in Prešov. At the end of last year, we opened a new center in this city, and now the time has come to welcome our first teen participants in Prešov. Project Coordinator Martina Vangorová and her colleagues prepared an afternoon full of creativity and fun for the children.
“It’s a big, curious group full of ideas. As of today, they have officially joined the program, where they will develop and discover their strengths, entrepreneurial spirit, and digital skills,” shared Lucia Gregorová, Senior Manager of the Open Future program from the Pontis Foundation, after her first meeting with the children at the Prešov center.
It was a lively meeting that confirmed that the girls and boys in Prešov are full of ideas, creativity, and a desire to learn new things. The introduction to the club began in a circle, where each child defined themselves as a literary genre. Some felt like a long novel, always with something to say. Others compared themselves to a magazine that often changes topics or an essay that sticks to one theme until it’s completely covered.
Even though each participant is like a different book, they all belong to the imaginary library named the Open Future.
Afterwards, the children approached a bowl, each with their favorite pack of sweets. As they poured the sweets in, they shared what they liked.
Later, the children traced their hands and wrote what they were good at into the drawings. At the end, they combined all the hands to create a shared flag.
When Young People Full of Joy and Playfulness Meet
The development of digital, but especially soft skills, is best nurtured in a space where children feel safe. This is exactly the kind of environment that Martina Vangorová, the Open Future coordinator in Prešov, wants to create for them. She connected with her new group right away: “They immediately touched my heart. They are personalities full of joy and playfulness. I was especially impressed by their honesty, spontaneity, and high level of empathy, which allows them to communicate openly and name their feelings. I am grateful that they are the ones who started shaping the Open Future in our newly opened center.”
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What do the children themselves say about this new “after-school” activity? Mimi admitted that she’s been excited to attend since the beginning, especially because of her friends and the inspiring guests: “I like that visitors come to the center. I really like our coordinator, Maťka.” Tobi looks forward to the good atmosphere and all the fun they have together at the Open Future.
Karinka especially enjoys the activities involving virtual reality that the club uses: “I like how the space is set up here. Besides Maťka and my friends, there are also cool games we play together, and we even have VR goggles.”
During the ceremonial welcome at the new Open Future center in Prešov, the boys and girls shared their expectations and plans.
At the Open Future center in Prešov, we welcomed a group of creative kids who want to play, develop, create, and be part of a friendly and supportive community.
