Students of Savremena Gimnazija Volunteer at the Zvezdara Children's Shelter

Students of Savremena Gimnazija continue their tradition of social responsibility by volunteering in various communities and organisations. One of their latest projects involves collaboration with the Zvezdara Children's Shelter, which provides support to children without adequate parental care or those facing crisis situations.

Volunteering at the Shelter: Developing Empathy and Understanding

Volunteering at the shelter holds special significance for both the students and the children staying there. The aim of this engagement is not only to offer help and support to children in need but also to foster empathy, responsibility, and social awareness among young people. Students have the opportunity to experience firsthand the challenges faced by the children in the shelter and to actively participate in daily activities – from helping to prepare meals and organising the space to playing and communicating with the children.

A First-Hand Account: Lazar Virijević’s Experience

Lazar Virijević, a Year 12 student at Savremena Gimnazija who volunteers at the shelter, shared his impressions of the experience:
"I just want to share my impressions of my first day volunteering at what was, until recently, an unfamiliar place for me – the Zvezdara Children's Shelter. I don’t know if you’ve ever visited this shelter, but it’s tucked away in a small neighbourhood, next to the Social Welfare Centre for Zvezdara Municipality. It’s a small space but has a yard as well. What truly matters, however, are the children and the people who work there.

The children welcomed me with open arms, greeting me warmly and making me feel at home. The caregivers, Jelena and Emir, were also thrilled that I chose their shelter. They immediately invited me to join them for breakfast, which I happily accepted. After that, we watched a TV show together, then made a shopping list for goulash, went grocery shopping, and eventually prepared the meal.

I couldn’t believe how responsible, resourceful, intelligent, and, to some extent, independent these children are. They prepare meals themselves, clean up afterwards, and wash the dishes. There were about thirteen children there during my visit, and a young chef, Elko (I believe that’s his name), helped us with the cooking. In any case, I was deeply impressed by how kind and welcoming everyone was."

Building a Better Society Through Volunteering: Plans for the Future

This experience, in addition to benefiting the children at the shelter, has had a profound impact on the students of Savremena Gimnazija. It has allowed them to gain a deeper understanding of the lives and challenges their peers face while contributing to society in a meaningful way.

The students plan to continue volunteering as part of various initiatives, believing that social responsibility is a key element of education and growing up in today’s world.

I am extremely pleased and proud to be the parent of a Savremena student. During my first encounter with the school management, when I asked about my child’s potential enrolment, I saw how much love, enthusiasm and professionalism you put in your work. I was impressed by your approach, ideas and methods. I couldn’t believe something like this existed in our country! It doesn’t take long to realise that this is a school you would recommend to everyone. Creativity, modern technology, top-quality education, and most of all, the humaneness that can be seen throughout the school, make it truly different and worthy of its name – Savremena Gimnazija. With such an approach, the success of this school and, consequently, our children’s success, is unavoidable. Congratulations! Jelena Đorđević, Andrija’s mum
Contemporary in any sense of the word, our school offers functional knowledge and quality preparation for tertiary education in Serbia and abroad. Implementing modern and creative teaching in the classroom, where the teachers’ pedagogy and students’ performance are aligned with the highest academic standards for the high-school finals, our school develops linguistic, mathematical, scientific, artistic, cultural, technical and ICT competence, which is a prerequisite for further education and professional development. Teaching is supported by the interactive whiteboards and educational software, whereas practice exercises research and critical thinking.