Polish Culture Profile - training for professionals

Do you work in education and support students or families from the Polish community? This free online cultural intelligence training is designed to help teachers, school staff, safeguarding leads, SEN coordinators, and education support workers gain a deeper understanding of the cultural background, values, and communication styles of one of the largest migrant groups in Birmingham.

Centrala is a migrant-led organisation actively addressing health and wellbeing inequalities among Central and Eastern European communities. We have recently launched a report titled “Central and Eastern European Communities in Birmingham and Mental Health Support,” which highlights significant barriers Polish families face in accessing support—particularly around mental health, education, and trust in public institutions.

This training will explore how cultural differences can affect parent-school communication, engagement with support services, perceptions of authority, and approaches to mental health and behaviour. You’ll gain practical tools to improve communication with Polish students and families, build trust, and create a more inclusive school environment.

The session is ideal for education professionals at all levels who want to strengthen their cultural awareness, improve safeguarding outcomes, and ensure their school or setting is better equipped to support the needs of Polish pupils and their families.

This training will be held online via Zoom. A link to join the session will be sent to all registered participants on the day of the training. Please ensure your email address is correct when registering.

About Facilitator:

Alicja Kaczmarek is the Founder and Director of Centrala Space and the Polish Expats Association, a pioneering non-profit organisation established in 2009 to support the integration of Central and Eastern European (CEE) migrant communities in the UK and to promote CEE arts and culture.

With a background in Sociology from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland, Alicja holds an MA in Social Policy from the University of Birmingham and a Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy from Coventry University. Since relocating to Birmingham in 2004, she has become a leading voice in community development, migrant integration, inclusive project design, and research-led cultural programming.

Alicja brings a wealth of experience in designing and delivering impactful local and international initiatives. Her portfolio includes innovative projects such as Art and Brexit – International Collaborations, In-Between Spaces: Inclusion and Representation of CEE Artists in the UK Creative Economy, and Testimony in Practice: Working with Stories of the Self and Others. Her work is rooted in a deep commitment to equity, representation, and the empowerment of migrant voices through arts, culture, and policy engagement.

Funded by Birmingham City Council Public Health