Stowarzyszenie VESUVIO is a cultural-educational non-profit NGO located in Rzeszów, south-east of Poland and operated in a deprived area where employment opportunities are scarce or non-existent, and that socio-economic disadvantage translates into lower-than-average income households. The lack of cultural, educational and vocational centers and early retirement causes stagnancy, regress and both intellectual and physical inactivity. The unemployment in Podkarpackie  Province is high 14,4 %   November 2014 ( recourse: Statistic  data of Provincial   Labor  Office in Rzeszów).  Besides, many families in Podkarapcke  Province  suffer  of poverty ( 43,6 % of them comes from  the unemployed, EU 46 %), people without education PL 28,2%, EU 24 %, single parents  PL 29,8%, in  EU 34,5%, large families  PL 38,6% in EU 32,3% ( recourse , Poverty-GUS – General Statistic Office in Poland , June 2014, Eurostat 2014).

VESUVIO provides non-formal and informal learning, training activities and cultural initiatives directed to young and adult people in various area of learning according to strategic framework for European cooperation including the correspondence with learners ‘needs shown by the local society and  labour market. Its  general aim is to  develop the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality in international dimension by  organizing  European educational collaboration. NGO  promotes  development of key competences including  basic skills, as  well entrepreneurship  in education, foreign languages, digital skills for active citizenship, employability and business creation.

VESUVIO completed with a success a few international partnership projects under LLP program in Grundtvig and Leonardo da Vinci Partnership sub-programs that developed mentioned above objectives, being the project creator and manager. Organized courses, workshops, debates, educational visits, local and  international meetings, conferences and other activities  in different topics  eg.(handicrafts, tourism, jewelery, horticulture and flora , culture and traditions ) allowed to portrait VESUVIO as a responsible partner and learning provider on European and local arena. One of the partnership project LDV ”Cultural Treasure Hunt” received the status  of “star project” and is placed in the official website of Polish National Agency.

International experiences and educational exchanges developed among our  staff and learners high tolerance to different cultures, religion what fully prepared the organization to further international collaboration in new program Erasmus+.