Joanna Pytel

Current occupation

Project Coordinator I Youth Worker I Manager I Facilitator I Trainer I

Work experience

Current Occupation
Project Coordinator | Youth Worker | Manager | Facilitator | Trainer

Work Experience
Project Manager | Youth Worker | Manager | Facilitator | Trainer
Center for Youth Cooperation and Mobility – Full-time
Coordinating projects under the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programs. Facilitating training sessions and workshops for youth, volunteers, NGOs, and institutions. Engaging and activating youth. Building networks and co-creating local and international partnerships. Supporting youth in implementing Solidarity Projects.

Implementation of individual and group volunteering projects in Gdynia as part of the European Solidarity Corps program. Each year, 24 volunteers are engaged in 12 hosting organizations. Coordination of 2-3 group volunteering projects annually (including in the Emigration Museum, Dogtor Foundation, Youth Cooperation Center, and St. Nicholas Association). Coordination of local volunteering within the Along the Road of the YouSCE K2 project.

"Along the Road of the YouSCE" is a two-year project that empowers young people, especially those from less privileged backgrounds, by engaging them in volunteering. Participants have the opportunity for personal and professional development through non-formal education, acquiring new skills, and taking part in international experiences. The project also helps foster a sense of belonging to a shared European identity and solidarity.

The project emphasizes youth integration by promoting social inclusion, active citizenship, and strengthening intercultural ties. It provides the opportunity to work in an international team, allowing participants to exchange experiences with peers from other EU countries. Through this collaboration, young people feel part of a broader European community while contributing to the development of local communities.

Therapist
Centrum Terapeutyczne Sięgam PoMoc, Joanna Buraczek – Contract/Freelance
Sep 2021 – Present (3 years, 6 months)
Therapist specializing in Solution-Focused Therapy. Offering individual and group sessions. I work with children, adolescents, and adults, leading developmental workshops and support groups within the TSR (Therapeutic Social Work) convention.

Social Animator
Foundation Regional Information and Support Center for Non-Governmental Organizations – Commissioned Contract/Freelance
Oct 2021 – Feb 2022 (5 months)
Establishing and maintaining cooperation with local communities. Networking with local partners in the Wrzeszcz and Aniołki districts. Animating local communities by increasing accessibility and tailoring the offerings of the Neighborhood House to community needs. Co-conducting workshops and mapping neighborhoods for animation activities.

Chief Specialist Animator in the Department of Social Spaces
Social Innovation Lab – Full-time
Feb 2017 – Nov 2021 (4 years, 10 months)
Supporting Gdynia residents in developing their passions and interests. Coordinating social activities within the Network of Neighborhood Houses “Przystań” and managing the Neighborhood Fund “Gdynia OdNowa.” Implementing the Municipal Revitalization Program. Coordinating the European Solidarity Corps project at LIS.

Main Tasks:
- Coordinating the Neighborhood House at Przystań Śmidowicza 49
- Coordinating the European Solidarity Corps project
- Supervising internships and placements in the Department of Social Spaces
- Animating the Neighborhood Fund “Gdynia Renewal”
- Implementing tasks under the Municipal Revitalization Program
- Supporting the activities of the Exchange House – Youth Center for Social Innovation and Design
- Preparing projects, budgeting, and managing funds
- Collaborating with NGOs, public institutions, municipal entities, and the business world
- Supporting and networking innovators, activists, and residents of Gdynia in their activities
- Organizing events, workshops, and training sessions
- Conducting workshops and training sessions
- Feb 2017 – June 2020: Animator in the EU social project “Development of Social Services in Gdynia”
- Supporting other LIS activities (e.g., Civic Budget, Gdynia OdNowa)