The Civic Educational Association

Społeczne Towarzystwo Oświatowe (STO), known in English as The Civic Educational Association, is a nationwide Polish non-governmental organisation with public benefit status, operating since 1989. Its statutory mission is to stimulate and support social initiatives that enrich educational and upbringing opportunities for children, young people and adults. The association is the founding body of non-public preschools, primary schools, lower-secondary (gimnazjum) schools and general secondary (liceum) schools across Poland. STO brings together people interested in the condition of Polish education and in creating new or alternative forms of schooling. Its members are primarily parents and teachers. The organisation's chief task is to carry out comprehensive activities to improve educational opportunities for children and youth, to make the Polish education system more community-oriented, and to create the possibility of choosing different paths of education and upbringing. The association is organised into around 70 local circles with more than 4,000 members. It runs over 160 schools and preschools throughout Poland, attended by approximately 10,000 students. Its official website states that STO currently operates almost 100 schools and preschools nationwide, providing optimal development conditions for children and young people, in both large cities and smaller towns. Since 2025, Bartosz Tymiński has served as president of STO. From 1985 STO published the monthly magazine "Edukacja i Dialog". Its first editor-in-chief was Professor Julian Radziewicz, who held the position until June 2007. From 2007 the magazine was led by Witold Kołodziejczyk. The association remains active in advocacy, training and research, including the "Barometr Edukacji Niepublicznej" study and the "Szkołę wybierasz TY" campaign for freedom of school choice.

Społeczne Towarzystwo Oświatowe (STO) was established in 1989 as a nationwide non-governmental organisation with public benefit status. Its founding was rooted in the aspirations of parents and teachers who wanted to create innovative schools placing the needs, interests and aptitudes of pupils first. The association's statutory goal was to stimulate and support social initiatives aimed at enriching educational and upbringing opportunities for children, young people and adults. From its early years, STO acted as the founding body for non-public preschools, primary schools, gimnazjum and liceum schools. It brought together people interested in the condition of Polish education and in creating new or alternative forms of schooling, with members drawn primarily from parents and teachers. The organisation's chief task was to carry out comprehensive activities to improve educational opportunities for children and youth, to make the Polish education system more community-oriented, and to create the possibility of choosing different paths of education and upbringing. In 1985, before the association's formal establishment, STO began publishing the monthly magazine "Edukacja i Dialog". Its first editor-in-chief was Professor Julian Radziewicz, who held the position until June 2007. From 2007 the magazine was led by Witold Kołodziejczyk. The magazine became a platform for debate on education reform and alternative schooling. Over the decades, STO expanded its network of schools and preschools across Poland, in both large cities and smaller towns. The association is organised into around 70 local circles with more than 4,000 members. It runs over 160 schools and preschools throughout Poland, attended by approximately 10,000 students. Its official website states that STO currently operates almost 100 schools and preschools nationwide, providing optimal development conditions for children and young people. STO has also been active in teacher training and professional development, running the ODN STO training centre and organising conferences such as the STO Program Conference. It conducts research through the "Barometr Edukacji Niepublicznej" (Barometer of Non-Public Education), now in its 17th edition, and advocates for freedom of school choice through campaigns such as "Szkołę wybierasz TY" (You Choose the School). Since 2025, Bartosz Tymiński has served as president of STO.

• 2025

  Bartosz Tymiński becomes president of STO.

• 2007

  Witold Kołodziejczyk becomes editor-in-chief of "Edukacja i Dialog", succeeding Julian Radziewicz.

• 1989

  Społeczne Towarzystwo Oświatowe is established as a nationwide non-governmental organisation.

• 1985

  STO begins publishing the monthly magazine "Edukacja i Dialog".

A grassroots, parent- and teacher-led association promoting community-oriented and alternative education in Poland, operating a large network of non-public schools and advocating for freedom of school choice.

• Non-public preschools

  Preschools founded and run by STO across Poland.

• Non-public primary schools

  Primary schools founded and run by STO.

• Non-public gimnazjum schools

  Lower-secondary schools founded and run by STO.

• Non-public liceum schools

  General secondary schools founded and run by STO.

• Edukacja i Dialog

  Monthly magazine published by STO since 1985.

• Barometr Edukacji Niepublicznej

  Research study on non-public education, 17th edition.

• Szkołę wybierasz TY
• Barometr Edukacji Niepublicznej

1. 1Społeczne Towarzystwo Oświatowe (STO) official websitesto.org.pl
2. 2Społeczne Towarzystwo Oświatowe – Wikipedia (Polish)pl.wikipedia.org
3. 3The Civic Educational Association – Wikidatawikidata.org