Description of activities
In Lithuania, 5 schools took part in this initiative. At Kuršėnai Laurynas Ivinskis Gymnasium, teachers introduced students to the works of Lithuanian poets such as Kazys Binkis, Algis Mačiukas, Janina Degutytė, and Justinas Marcinkevičius. After selecting poems and designing them as postcards, the students visited the NGO “Day Centre for the Intellectually Impaired” and the Kuršėnai Family Home Care Centre, where they recited the poems and gifted the postcards to the residents. Students from the VMU Classical Education School also gifted their hand-made postcards with selected poems to individuals with disabilities (fromt the Employment Centre for People with Disabilities “Korys” and the Care Community for Intellectually Impaired People “Pakruojo viltis”). At Jonava Raimundas Samulevičius Gymnasium, students presented poetry in an especially creative way: they engraved poems by Vytautas Mačernis onto wooden coasters and gifted them to residents at the Jonava Care Home. The heartfelt visit sparked a desire for continued connection, and the students arranged to return in a month to take part in art therapy sessions with the residents. Recognizing the initiative’s suitability for younger students, Gargždai “Krantas” Progymnasium included fifth-graders in the project. The students searched for spring-themed poems in books and online, analyzed and discussed them during class, and then rewrote and decorated them to create personalized postcards. On March 21, they presented their creations to students and teachers from the school’s special education classes. Third-graders from Vilnius Waldorf Green School brought their favorite poetry books from home. In class, each student chose a poem they wanted to share, carefully copied it and added their own illustrations. Some even wrote original poems, discovering a newfound passion for poetry. Their creations were displayed in a shared school space, allowing the entire community to enjoy them. Many students dedicated their poems to family members, friends, classmates, and teachers. Families shared how deeply engaged the children were with poetry at home, and several students were inspired to invite their loved ones to poetry-writing workshops. “Give a Poem” is a beautiful initiative that fosters creativity and brings people together!
Schools involved
- Jonava Raimundas Samulevičius progymansium,
- Gargždai “Krantas” progymnasium,
- Kuršėnai Laurynas Ivinskis gymnasium,
- Vilnius Waldorf Green school,
- Vytautas Magnus University Classic Education School.
