Leisure time centers at the General Educational establishments in Riga

1. Leisure time centers at the General Educational establishments in Riga

3. Riga

4. A bit about Riga Riga, the capital of Latvia: • The area of Riga covers 307.17 km2 • There are 747,2 thousand inhabitants residing in Riga. • In Riga there are 100 000 school-aged children • Riga is divided into six administrative districts: Centra, Kurzeme, Ziemeļu, Latgale, Vidzeme and Zemgale districts

5. The Education, Youth and Sports Department of the Riga Council • a supervising body of the local government: • Implements the pre-school and general education policy, • conducts work in the field of sports and associations by interests, • supports youth initiatives and promotes further education of teachers.

6. The priorities in working with young people in Riga are the following: • establishing a system to support youth initiatives • promoting the participation of young people in decision making processes • activating student self-government

7. History of Leisure time centers • In year 2003 the children and youth centers were involved in Riga – Norcheping (Sweden) project „Children’s leisure time” • In year 2003 inspired by this Project another pilot-project was implemented – it was „Leisure time centers at the General educational establishments in Riga” • The first center started its activities in autumn of 2003 and was followed by other centers.

8. The reasons for establishment The fact that parents are very busy nowadays and children having no place to spend their leisure time tend to do many negative things: • Roaming; • Solitude; • Visiting the internet clubs in evening; • Drug use; • Alcoholism; • Negative thinks • Crime

9. Aim • The aim of centers are to create the ability for the children and teenagers of the particular school and distric to spend their leisure time in organised and freechoise activities.

10. Target group School aged youth

11. Teachers • Talented and warm-hearted teachers with higher pedagogical education. • In the biggest centers there are social workers, • teachers of sports • and music.

12. At the moment there are 14 leisure time centres. • The centers are formed in housingestates where there are • no sports centers, • no youth centers • no any other centers of the kind for the children to spend their leisure time nearby. Thus the centers are placed uneven in the territory of Riga.

13. In Riga there are 100 000 school-aged children. These centers are approximately visited by 30 – 40 pupils every day. • Leisure time centres are open every working day in the afternoons, on Saturdays and during children’s holidays. • Depending on the abilities and needs of the school each of the centre isdifferent.

14. Biggest center

15. Main financing sources • Riga Council • General education establishment • Sometimes parents • Sponsors

16. Free choice activitiesin Leisure timecenters Brain and cognition games and activities for intellectual and self-control development Games and activities for development of creativity and positive Self perception Games and activities to express emotions and learn to find positive relations Sports games and activities • Lego • Break-dance • Hip – hop • Movies • Lecture room • Theatre of cinema • Listening to music • Table • tennis • Novuss • Floor-ball • Basketball • Badminton • Table • football • Table • hockey • Darts • Chess • Draughts • Domino • Puzzles • „300 games • „Latvia” • „Alias” • Bingo • Memory game • „Memori” • „Monopoly” • Tower „Jenga” • Library and • Reading room • Finger dolls • Karaoke

17. Intelectual development games

18. Physical development games

19. Social development

20. Table sports

21. Events Traditional festivities Competitions Shows and parties Youth meetings Concerts Camps

22. The most succesful projectsin leisure center The summer day camps Project of charity action of Riga Cristian secondary school “From a friend to friend”

23. Summer day camps In summers are actual problems for young people – how to spend the time during summer holidays? Our centres offer summer day camps. 20 days in summer. There is a program being worked out in the camps with various activities

25. “From a friend to a friend” • Project of charity action of Riga Christian secondary school

26. On27th January 2007.-2009. • To involve popular musicians and musical groups to organize a high quality concert with donations. • Aim - To develop in children, in teenagers the feelings of brotherly love, the ability to hear and help their peers in their grieves, pain and difficulties.Target group – • School aged youth. • The children from Children clinical hospital, 20th department of blood cancer.

27. And jokes – of course

28. Contact information • Guntis Svabadnieks, Education of Self-government, Department of Youth and Sport – leader of Youth: e- mail –guntis.svabadnieks@ijsd.riga.lv, tel. +37167333053 Egija Laganovska, Leisure time center “Ligzda” E-mail: egucio@inbox.lv