The wrap-up of the "Drive the Change" (Nakręcaj zmiany) contest and project has successfully concluded. The initiative was carried out as part of a partnership between the Municipal Social Welfare Center (MOPS) and the University of Zielona Góra (UZ). Students gathered at the University Library to meet with representatives from the Office for Addiction Prevention and Education in Zielona Góra, where the contest winners were announced and expert lectures were delivered.
The project aimed to raise awareness among young people regarding the global issue of addiction and to promote positive, healthy attitudes. It also gave students a platform to showcase their creativity. As explained by Monika Kaczmarczyk, PhD, from the UZ Faculty of Social Sciences and advisor to the "PROJEKT UZ" Student Research Circle:
"In addition to attending several expert lectures focusing on addiction, students had the opportunity to enter a contest by filming a short video clip or designing a poster centered around addiction prevention. Together, we watched the winning films."
The students demonstrated great creativity, reflecting their own perspectives on the challenges of addiction. The contest winner focused on compulsive buying (oniomania) as a prominent modern issue:
"I believe shopaholism is an addiction that heavily impacts young people today, alongside substances like alcohol or drugs. It feels like a topic that is somewhat swept under the rug. Many people do not realize they might have a shopping problem in such a fast-paced, rapidly changing world," explained Gabriela Pietruszyńska, a student of Pre-school and Early Childhood Pedagogy. Winning the contest provides motivation for further educational initiatives, as she confirmed: "Given my field of study, I will certainly continue to raise awareness among children. It is vital to educate them from an early age that addictions can happen and teach them how to cope."
An impactful perspective was presented in the video by Krzysztof Harbaruk, a Rehabilitation with Criminology student, who won second prize:
"I approached this topic with a desire to challenge myself and show others that prevention truly matters, especially regarding substance abuse. I wanted to focus on the consequences of poor choices and attitudes, as I felt that would resonate most with people. My video followed two different students living out their day in entirely contrasting ways. I played a sober student, while my friend Wiktoria played an intoxicated student. In the story, the intoxicated student gets behind the wheel and hits the sober student. I wanted to demonstrate that when using substances, the risks we take do not just affect us—they impact others as well."
Students also showed strong engagement in the expert lectures, choosing the thematic focus themselves during the previous year. The concluding session addressed the issue of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The lecture was divided into two parts: first, students watched an educational film illustrating the consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure; second, representatives from the Office for Addiction Prevention and Education in Zielona Góra provided a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of the risks associated with these irresponsible choices and the true scale of the problem.
Assoc. Prof. Barbara Literska, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Education Quality, emphasized that although addiction can sometimes be a sensitive or stigmatized topic, it must be addressed openly—and the University of Zielona Góra stands ready to help:
"Addiction is a serious issue that eventually spills over into life challenges, including academic performance. As the University of Zielona Góra, it is our duty to support our students. Beyond initiatives like 'Drive the Change,' we offer support through the UZ Center for Equality, Accessibility, and Support. The university functions as a single organism; we keep communication channels open and reassure students that they can approach us in any situation to ask for help."
The campaign will continue with further initiatives, providing young people with a space to promote healthy lifestyles, inspire one another, and make a conscious, positive impact on society.
