Description of activities
The great value of holding the Gift a Poem campaign in ASPnet schools lies in the fact that it is a joint celebration of World Poetry Day, established by UNESCO.
The beauty of the initiative is that ASPnet members work together to build positive and meaningful connections between people by reading, writing, listening and offering poetry. These are poems specially chosen for someone else — to bring them joy, move them, or touch their hearts. In doing so, the campaign fosters understanding and peace.
In 2025, 17 Polish schools submitted reports on their participation in the Gift a Poem campaign.
The poems were transcribed during lessons in classrooms, in school libraries, and in various other settings. As in previous years, in preparation for the campaign, many teachers dedicated Polish literature lessons to exploring the works of poet Zbigniew Herbert, but also of other authors — for example, those of school patrons, such as Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, patron of I High School in Bielsko-Biała. Poems by a variety of poets — accessible to both young children and adults — were carefully selected and copied.
As always, the poems were mostly transcribed onto special poem stationery and were often beautifully illustrated, combining the art of language with visual creativity — as seen in the many photographs documenting these activities. In each school the action of selecting and rewriting poems was a shared celebration of poetry.
Each participating institution carries out the campaign in its own way, but in keeping with its spirit. It is always an opportunity to encounter beautiful language, explore the depth of poetry, and share it with someone special. Most often, poems are gifted to relatives, teachers, school staff, and classmates. It is also a moment to reflect on those in need of support, such as residents of care homes, hospital patients or even those in prisons (I High School in Białystok), letting them know through the handwritten poems that they are not forgotten.
Sometimes, students present the poems to people working in their schools or in partner institutions, as a gesture of gratitude and respect. For example, students from the Special Education and Training Centre in Prudnik made a trip to a nearby provincial town to offer poems to representatives of local government and other institutions cooperating with the centre.
Often, these beautifully illustrated poems are gifts from older students to young children in kindergartens (Elementary School i Zielona Góra, II High School i Ciechanow).
In many cases, the Gift a Poem campaign serves as a starting point for school events centered around poetry — including concerts and recitations (I High School in Biała Podlaska, II High School i Ciechanow, Elementary School in Czerwieńsk, American Elementary School in Gdynia, Kindergarten 327 in Warsaw).
The activities of Polish schools extended beyond national borders. Students from the L. Braille Special School and Educational Centre No. 1 in Bydgoszcz presented handwritten poems to pupils in Michjlowka in Ukraine, who had previously visited their school and then returned to a country at war https://www.facebook.com/share/p/166eLR5fB9/?mibextid=wwXIfr. Meanwhile, the American Elementary School in Gdynia reached out to the local Kashubian community by organizing a meeting with senior citizens, while also engaging in collaborative activities with a partner school in Finland:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1122241719653459
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3552760458369573/posts/3884726128506336.
At the High School in Żagan, pupils from Colombia, Peru and Mexico were invited to join the action, receiving translations of Herbert’s poems and reciprocating with poems by poets from their countries.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants, the teachers who led the initiative, and the ASPnet school coordinators for their dedication and hard work. We are pleased that several schools have announced plans to continue the campaign in the coming years.
Schools involved
- J.I Kraszewski High School No. 2 in Biała Podlaska
- Adam Mickiewicz High School No. 1 in Białystok
- L. Braille Special School and Educational Centre No. 1 in Bydgoszcz
- Adam Mickiewicz High School No. 2 in Ciechanów
- Janusz Korczak Primary School in Czerwieńsk
- American Elementary School in Gdynia
- Jan Kasprowicz High School No. I with Bilingual Branches in Inowrocław
- Maria Skłodowska-Curie High School in Lublin No.5
- United Nations School Complex in Polkowice
- Cavaliers of the Order of the Smile Special School and Educational Centre in Prudnik
- Agricultural Vocational Training Centre School Complex in Sochaczew
- Janusz Kusociński Primary School No. 5 in Świdnik
- Prof. Stefan Banach High School No. 10 in Toruń
- Kindergarten 327 „Colourful Land” in Warsaw
- King Bolesław Krzywousty High School No. 8 in Wrocław
- Karol Wojtyła Primary School No. 21 in Educational Complex No. 3 in Zielona Góra
- Prof. Stefan Banach High School No. 21 in Żagań
