Implementing partner in Poland

The SOK Foundation (Samodzielność od Kuchni) is a Polish non-profit organisation founded in 2018 that helps children and adolescents develop life skills, independence, and resilience. Originally offering cooking classes for young people in foster care, SOK shifted its focus after the outbreak of war in Ukraine to support refugee minors in Polish schools through language and psychosocial programmes. Its name symbolises both practical self-reliance and the vitality of “juice” (sok in Polish). Guided by a sense of urgency, empathy, and efficiency, the foundation treats each project as an immediate response to children’s needs while also empowering the adults who support them through dedicated training initiatives.

Training team

Piotr Toczyski – Psychologist and sociologist with a strong scientific background in educational science and pedagogy. He obtained his master's degree at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, studying the potential of media in mitigating social conflicts. He complemented his psychology studies with a two-level postgraduate qualification in psychological assistance and crisis intervention granted after a two-year practical training at the Institute of Health Psychology of the Polish Psychological Association (PTP). He is a member of PTP and a certified supervisor of annual internships for psychologists entering the profession, who are working towards obtaining the European EuroPsy certificate, certifying adherence to the standards of the European Federation of Psychological Associations (EFPA). He received his PhD in sociology from the Polish Academy of Sciences and has gained scientific experience through scholarships and research work in Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, and the United States. He has supervised over thirty master’s theses in Internet studies at Collegium Civitas and worked as principal research specialist at a national interactive technologies laboratory.

Joanna Dolińska – A linguist by education, Joanna spent over a decade as a manager responsible for brand communication in international media corporations. Today, as a certified business trainer, she supports organisations and leaders in developing communication skills and psychosocial competencies. She helps build teams that truly listen to one another and communicate effectively despite differences, fostering constructive dialogue. She supports employees in finding balance between performance and well-being and in building a healthy work culture based on trust, dialogue, and authenticity. Joanna delivers workshops and programmes on mindful and empathetic communication, mental resilience, coping with stress, and work–life balance. Her work draws on experience in international corporations, the TROP Group School for Trainers, Nonviolent Communication studies, the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programme, and WHO’s Self-Help Plus mental resilience approach.

Guest speaker

Joanna Krzyżanowska-Zbucka – Head of the Relapse Prevention Ward at the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology. She treats psychotic, affective and anxiety disorders, with special expertise in perinatal mental health.