STERNIK has established cooperation with IFE, which has gratuitously provided it with know-how. Parents became engaged in the search for teachers, and for buildings to house a kindergarten and a school. Their efforts have resulted in creating the first teaching staff, and renting interim premises in Falenica (“Strumienie” or “Streams” kindergarten and primary school for girls) and in Międzylesie (“Żagle” or “Sails” primary school for boys). The project was launched at the beginning of the school year 2004/2005.

The project first brought together 85 families, with the total of 77 children in the kindergarten. The primary school for girls began with one class for each of the three grades of integrated education, and the total of 23 girl pupils. The primary school for boys also began with three classes and the total of 26 boys.
“It appeared quite modest, to say the least, compared to the achievements of our partner.   Institució has 12 school complexes in Catalonia, attended by more than 7,000 students from more than 5,000 families”, says Piotr Podgórski, now member of STERNIK’s Management Board. “We believed, however, it was worth trying.”

When the first school year was over, there were already 88 children in the kindergarten, and the next year began with nearly double that number (162 children). In the school year 2008/2009, there are more than 250 children in the kindergarten. The School for girls has grown as well. Today, we already have a reception class (part of the kindergarten), six grades in the primary school, and one grade in the secondary school, with two classes at some grades – all in all, there are 221 girl pupils. In the school for boys, there are 230 pupils attending the reception class, six grades in the primary school and the first grade of the secondary school.

In the fifth year since the launch, the number of families participating in the STERNIK project has increased more than fourfold, and the number of children is more than eight times greater than when the project started. We have witnessed geographical development as well – kindergartens (or daycare centers) have already been opened in Poznań, Szczecin and Krakow, as well as in West-bank Warsaw.