(Slovakia). The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians from St John Bosco Province of Slovakia (SLK) collaborate with the Salesians of Don Bosco of Mary Help of Christians Province (SLK) and with a team of lay people linked to Salesian works for the orientation of children in the Primary and Secondary Schools of Banská Bystrica and Bratislava and support to parents and teachers for the education of children and students.
A stable project in the Salesian Center of Sásová in Banská Bystrica since 2017 consists of the Orientation Days: three days full of experiences on the self and on building relationships, offered to the classes of Primary and Secondary Schools (Video). The Project led to the development of a support manual for teachers of the classes who have completed the Orientation Days and wish to carry forward what they have experienced and learned into ordinary school life.
Another project is Rodičko, a workshop aimed at parents, teachers, and educators who want to deal more deeply with the world of adolescents and pre-adolescents, the difficulties and pitfalls they encounter in the growth process, and find support and advice for the education of their children. The online meetings are held in the evening, with the presence of experts in the various areas, prepared on current issues and available to answer questions. The average number of participants in each meeting is 200 people.
The team also offers counseling (Poradňa), aimed at parents, teachers, and educators, in response to more specific educational problems, such as difficulties in class relationships, bullying, exclusion from the group, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, relationship and communication problems, family educational difficulties related to custody or divorce, and other.
The projects, promoted through a web site, are carried out with the financial support of the city of Banská Bystrica, the Autonomous Region of Banská Bystrica, the Fér O2 Foundation, and the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Sports of the Slovak Republic, under the “Programs for young people 2014 – 2021 “, managed by IUVENTA – Slovak Youth Institute.
“To educate a child it takes an entire village” is the African proverb quoted by Pope Francis in the Message for the Launch of the Education Pact, in which he asks educational agencies to get involved and share the commitment to generate a network of open and fraternal human relationships as a condition for educating. Behind these projects there is a team of psychologists, consultants, and coaches who work with ethics and professionalism in a completely voluntary way, passionately putting their time and personal resources at the service of the community for the education of young generations, according to the style and educational pedagogy of Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello.
