What inspired you to work for Schola Empirica?
The way they are trying to spread good educational practices using evaluation methodologies. I like how they try to work with existing methodologies and try to apply and evaluate them in the Czech environment. I definitely also see it as a great positive that they also function as a debating body where, for example, teachers and parents can connect with each other and share their experiences and tips for teaching.
Describe a typical day at work.
I work from home so from the start of my work day, I advise candidates for Prague Summer Schools, communicate with applicants and deal with them on information, documentation and Visa requirements. Of course, I try to get information about our school to interested students through various channels like social networks and platforms.
Why do you do what you do?
I'm passionate about education and I enjoy interacting with people, organizing events and at the same time what I love about my job is the mixing of cultures and nationalities, it's very enriching. In addition, our summer school takes place in Prague and being in this city is simply wonderful. I have a degree in sociology, so I am close to the topics, the programs. Like education, ecology, sustainability, globalization.
Travel GB! These views are hard to beat. I loved taking my time to explore this area.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Communicating with people and fighting prejudice and xenophobia by meeting new people from different countries. I also have the opportunity to attend lectures together with students from my position and although it is not always my field, it is always interesting to look under the hood of other fields and current topics and issues.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
Being in charge of about 80+ students from different countries gives me a lot of responsibility. At the same time, you get to test not only your foreign language skills, but also your leadership, support, listening and communication skills. The fact that I have the opportunity to meet a very heterogeneous group of people also gives me the opportunity to think differently about certain topics.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
Perhaps the biggest test is speaking to the whole group. It's not on a daily basis to give a presentation in front of so many people, but I'm getting better at it and I'm not as nervous. At the same time, dealing with the various problems that can come up and one has to be prepared to deal with them day and night.
What are some current projects you are working on?
At Schola Empirica I am mainly involved in organizing Prague Summer Schools and the International Be Child program, which helps develop socio-emotional skills in children. At the same time I do various research and help with the organization of conferences. In the near future I want to get involved in education research, which is my passion.
This is me taking a professional photo in front of a wall.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Don't worry so much. The leaders are generally good. Rely on your team to support you, and the students won't bite, so enjoy the icebreaking activities with them.
What makes Schola Empirica special?
As I mentioned in previous questions, it is mainly their expertise in the field. Schola has not only a large network of professional collaborating teachers but also their research methods, such as evaluation, which is also commissioned from them by other organizations or state agencies. At the same time, it connects people with a similar interest not only in education but also in research.
Why should someone choose Schola Empirica over competitors?
What I see as a great advantage of our summer school is the 20 years of experience of very professional professors from various renowned universities. At the same time, the summer school is held in Prague and if someone is tempted to study in Prague or Europe, such a 7-day program is ideal to try it out - the city, the culture, the teaching.
What hopes do you have for the future for Schola Empirica?
In the future, I hope that our summer program will continuously improve and grow. After each year, we ask students to give us an evaluation of their summer school experience. We evaluate everything and apply it to future years. At the same time, I hope to continue to work with similar professors as before, because a passionate and engaged educator can pass on their passion to the students, and I see that as a terribly important part of it all.
Are there any developments with Schola Empirica that you would like to share with us?
Our organization (probably like a lot of other NGOs) tries to cooperate with the state apparatus and recently the Czech Ministry of Education has expressed interest in cooperating with our projects. I see this as very important. Connecting with the state apparatus and sharing good practice is an important element for improving the quality of education.
What makes Schola Empirica easy to market to potential participants?
As a non-profit organization, I think we have a limited amount of resources just for marketing, although it's a crucial element in getting new students and applicants. We make the most use of social media and web platforms to reach potential applicants to our programs. At the same time, the location itself is a big draw. And I don't just mean Prague as such, but directly the area where the students will be, which is one of the most beautiful and desirable parts of Prague.
This was our coordination team for the Prague Summer School program in 2022.
What is Schola Empirica's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Schola Empirica promotes an independent platform for the exchange of opinions and experiences between local and international experts in different fields of applied social sciences. The organization is active in research on the current social issues, definition and transfer of the best practices in policy design and implementation to the Czech environment.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
Academic capital, social capital, contacts to a network of people with the same study focus, and connection with cultures. There's nothing better to get rid of preconceptions than to understand and experience a culture and country through the eyes of the locals.
The opportunity to network with people in the industry. Discuss current issues and have the opportunity to look at different topics through the lens of different perspectives of various industry professionals. Make friends, perhaps for life.
How do you help support participants?
As soon as students sign up with us, we try to be on hand at all times in case they need our help. This is mainly about the possibility of paying for the program, support in obtaining visas, but also providing other information about the programs and the stay in Prague as such. During the actual stay in Prague we act as guides and advisors.
If you could participate in one of Schola Empirica's programs, where would you go and what would you do?
That's a pretty tough question. I'm tempted by more than one program, but I think I'd go for the Prague Summer Schools on Education - The Future of School. It is related to my personal interest in education and this program is also the reason why I am now working at Schole Empirice. During my stay I would definitely take advantage of the opportunities for international debate and try to gather as much information as possible.
What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?
For example, “when is the application deadline?” The early bird deadline is February 10, 2023. Students who apply by this date will be entitled to a reduced program fee. The final deadline is May 1, 2023.
Although there are application deadlines, students are accepted on a rolling basis. Early bird applicants will receive preference in admission decisions. Late applicants run the risk of finding the program of their choice full.
In this photo, you can see me in action during the Prague Summer School in 2023.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
It is certainly important to find out as much information as possible about the country you are visiting. Not only for tourists (what to watch out for, what to see, what to taste, etc.). At the same time I think it is important to try to learn the basic phrases. Hello, thank you, please, goodbye, this shows interest and learning about the founding history of the country.
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
Being able to use another language can help give you more opportunities to learn about a nation and its culture. Showing some knowledge of the language will open the door to the hearts of the natives and how they live in Czech: "How many languages you know is how many times you are human." And I think there is great wisdom in that.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
For me, this means not only visiting interesting places during my travels, but also trying to connect with the native people. At the same time, I see it as a great privilege to visit a foreign country and know someone there who can introduce and show you their culture. It will enrich you much more. At the same time, I try to learn basic phrases to show my interest in their culture as a whole.