Education through volunteering

Abstract

Volunteering is an important social, personal and educational challenge, both in learning and teaching as well as upbringing. If we understand upbringing according to John Paul II’s teaching i.e. as a process of reciprocal offering of humanity, then volunteering can be seen as a school of humanity through an encounter of a volunteer and a person receiving help, good deeds and values such as personal, moral, social, and religious commitment as well as unconditional and selfless charity. In terms of education, volunteering is conducive to the volunteer’s learning - through experience or preparation for volunteer work - as well as inspires teaching through the involvement of teachers and specialists, so that a volunteer can effectively and with understanding help others. A volunteer can gain or deepen his or her knowledge and skills in many areas. Volunteering offers a kind of existential education, an education through action, work and professional help that a volunteer is able to provide for others, thanks to the knowledge and skills, gained either on their own or with the assistance of teachers. In the new education system, volunteering is offered to students in all types of schools and included in school statutes. A complete development of a volunteer program at school and its implementation requires the competence and involvement of teachers, especially religion teachers, who can offer children and young people a privileged, full human and Christian development by engaging them in this form of pro-social activity.