Wyjście z klasą is a government initiative that subsidizes one-day student visits to cultural and scientific institutions. In practice this means a school can arrange a valuable visit to a theatre, museum, science centre or educational-cultural workshop, and a substantial part of the costs will be covered by a grant.
The maximum subsidy per participant is no more than 300 PLN. Deadlines and the call for applications were announced on October 27 of this year.
The program is aimed at primary and secondary schools — both public and non-public — as well as selected educational establishments. The county or a city with county rights submits the application on behalf of all eligible schools. This lets a single local authority coordinate actions and settlements while schools focus on preparing the educational content of the trip.
The program’s goal is to enrich teaching through direct contact with culture, heritage and science, not merely to tick off another class outing. The idea is simple — children and young people should see, experience and understand how a theatre works, how to read an exhibition and how science explains the world. This practice strengthens social and cultural competencies.
The program sets upper financing limits, which makes budget planning easier at the school and local authority level. Limits per applicant and per participant discipline cost estimates and encourage thoughtful choices about attractions, transport and catering.
If students are meeting a major cultural institution for the first time, Krakow is a natural destination. In one city you will find world-class museums, memorial sites, theatres, the philharmonic and lively education laboratories that fit the program’s aims perfectly.
The grant application is submitted by the county or a city with county rights, covering all eligible schools in its area. Schools report needs and the applicant consolidates them into a single application and then signs the grant agreement.
The funding limit for a single applicant is an amount that allows many outings across several schools. Additionally, there is a per-participant cap — for pupils or supervisors — which acts as a safe budget ceiling per person.
The grant can primarily cover five categories of costs that make up a well-planned outing: admission tickets, participation in educational-cultural workshops, transport, meals and insurance. These categories align with the program’s purpose and schools’ experience in planning trips.
Indirect costs — administrative, accounting or bank operations — are strictly limited and cannot dominate the budget. That way most funds go directly to the student’s educational experience rather than to formal overhead.
There is also a catalogue of excluded costs, such as the purchase of fixed assets, fines and interest or construction investments. The program finances concrete outings and real student participation in culture and science, not permanent equipment purchases from the grant budget.
The call for applications is announced centrally, and handling is done in the SIO system after logging into the Employee Zone. This is where the county adds schools, enters the planned number of participants and requested amounts, then sends everything for approval.
After signing the agreement, funds are transferred to the applicant to the indicated account within the statutory deadline. Schools plan trips so that all payments fit the program schedule and settlements are closed by the end of the year.
Project implementation is limited to a cutoff date in the given budget year. Equally important is the deadline for the final report — this document collects data on the number of participants, venues, use of the grant and the average cost per pupil.
In the final report schools and the county report cost breakdowns for tickets, workshops, travel, meals and insurance. Any allowed indirect costs are also shown, within the ceiling set by the agreement. Failure to submit a report or formal errors may lead to requests for supplements or contractual consequences.
It’s worth preparing a complete documentation folder from the start — invoices made out to the applicant, a description of the expense required by the agreement, participant lists, payment confirmations, insurance policies and the visit programme. Good document hygiene saves time during settlement.
Scenario 1 - primary school grades 4–6: a morning guided tour of Wawel, a museum workshop with hands-on work with an exhibit, a walk along the Royal Route, a break for a hot meal and a short tour of the Main Market Square including the traditional trumpet call (hejnał). Such a day usually fits the per-person limit if transport and tickets are chosen carefully.
Scenario 2 - primary school grades 7–8: heritage and memory. Touring Kazimierz with emphasis on history and culture, visiting a museum with workshops on multiculturalism, and finishing with a short reflective outdoor activity. This theme connects history, civic education and the arts.
Scenario 3 - high school: learning in practice. A morning visit to a scientific institution or education centre, followed in the afternoon by the theatre or philharmonic. Students receive a teaching pack and a project task they can finish at school. This arrangement fits the curriculum well and develops soft skills.
Basic calculation: with a group of 45 students and 4 supervisors, well-chosen tickets, activities, city or coach transport, a meal and insurance can usually be kept within the per-person limit. The key is group booking in advance, choosing one substantial workshop instead of several short ones and avoiding fragmentation of expenses.
Organisational recommendation: pick a single meeting point, stick to a clear timetable and communicate rules plainly. Krakow offers a huge choice, but a coherent scenario determines whether the outing is educationally valuable and comfortable for supervisors.
Does the program include participant insurance: yes, insurance is among the eligible cost categories. In practice the school provides a group policy appropriate to the outing and the cost is settled from the grant.
What is the minimum supervisor-to-student ratio: the program rules do not prescribe one specific number, but schools follow standards from education law and internal regulations. For safety, adopt a conservative level of supervision, especially with younger classes or when visiting theatres and philharmonic halls.
Can a student with a disability participate: yes, it’s worth checking venue accessibility in advance and reporting needs to the workshop organiser and guide. In Krakow most key cultural institutions have accessibility solutions, but booking and routing should take them into account.
Can the school buy equipment or souvenirs with the grant: no, purchasing fixed assets and expenses unrelated to the outing’s purpose are excluded. The program finances student participation in culture and science, not material purchases.
What documentation is provided to parents: the school collects consents, informs about the schedule and safety rules, provides an emergency contact and lists required items. This reassures parents and keeps the outing organised.
Step 1 - prepare needs: schools give the county the planned number of participants, preliminary routes and costs. It’s wise to include time buffers and check group pricing at cultural institutions.
Step 2 - application in SIO: the applicant adds schools, enters participant numbers and amounts, ensuring the per-person cost doesn’t exceed the limit and the total for the applicant stays within the program cap. Missing fields will block submission, so complete data is crucial.
Step 3 - agreement: after a positive assessment the application moves to a grant agreement. The document specifies eligible expenses, deadlines for incurring costs, rules for funding acknowledgement and requirements for accounting documents and their descriptions.
Step 4 - implementation and acknowledgement: during outings the applicant notes funding from the state budget and uses the appropriate logos. The school keeps attendance lists, collects proof of purchase and follows the expense descriptions required by the agreement.
Step 5 - final report: after completion prepare the report with participant numbers, venues and a cost breakdown. Unused funds and interest are returned according to the agreement. A complete report closes the grant settlement.
Krakow is full of places students can merely pass through or truly understand. The difference is made by substantive guiding and the ability to work with a school group.
If you are planning a Wyjście z klasą visit to Krakow, get in touch with us — Małgorzata Kasprowicz’s phone number is listed on ZwiedzanieKrakowa.com. We will arrange the date, route and budget to meet program requirements and give students a day they will remember.
