Let's face it — it's not easy being a kid. Now imagine being thrown into a new school in a foreign country where you have no friends and don't speak the language. Life can seem downright tough. But it doesn't have to be that way.

A relatively new after-school club in Prague 5 has quickly become a safe haven for expat children looking to fit in and make a few new pals. Called Various World, the club offers once-a-week Czech language and culture lessons. But more importantly, the club gives these children a place to hang out with others adjusting to life in a different part of the world.

The idea for the club stemmed out of concerns expressed by Czech teachers, worried that their non-native students weren't fitting in well at local schools. In an effort to bridge this cultural gap, Prosperita, a local nonprofit dedicated to promoting educational issues, decided to form Various World.

The club, a two-year educational project, has received financial backing from the European Union, the Czech Republic and the City of Prague. There is about another year left before the grant money runs out. Organizers, however, say they haven't decided whether they will apply to keep the funding coming for additional years.

There is "enough time left to decide whether we will go on or not," said Alexandra Zlatníková, Prosperita's project manager.

It took a lot of convincing before some parents let their children participate in the club, Zlatníková recalled, noting that even after a huge marketing campaign, there is still room for eight to 10 more students in both classes.

Prosperita is constantly appealing to local organizations to help spread information about Various World to local neighborhood families. Zlatníková said she hopes the club will be able to attract more students in the remaining year of the program.

Nonetheless, Zlatníková said, the project has been well worth the funding and effort. "I can see improvement. ... [The children] speak better. They like the teachers, and they like the events after school."

Various World, which is currently free to participate in, consists of two classes that are both held on Thursday afternoons. One is geared toward children between the ages of 6 and 12 and the other is for teenagers up to age 15. Each class currently has 10 to 12 students in attendance. The first 45 minutes of each lesson are spent learning Czech, and the last 45 minutes consist of instruction in cultural information, ranging from history and geography to holiday traditions.

"This gets very positive feedback from the children," Zlatníková said. "The teachers are very satisfied also, because the children understand and cooperate better with them."

Another highlight is the speech therapist. The therapist comes in twice a month to assist the children with pronunciations. Like the rest of the activities, this feature is free.

There are no tests given at Various World; rather the teachers wanted to provide a definite, creative separation from everyday school experiences. Hands-on lessons include watching videos, telling stories, and visiting galleries and historical sites.

They have fun, Zlatníková said, "and, this way, they learn."

Every two months, the classes organize a workshop in which Czech children are invited to participate and learn from their new neighbors. Past workshop topics have included cooking traditional Czech treats for Easter and presentations from students about their home countries.

"It's very interesting, because Czech children can go to these workshops with the non-native students, and together they can prepare projects," Zlatníková said.