Description of activities
Here are some ideas expressed by each participant in the project :
1. Colegiul Național Tudor Vladimirescu – Târgoviște: The National College “Tudor Vladimirescu”, the only UNESCO associated school in Gorj County, marked this day with an activity dedicated to women from the local community. Thus, the UNESCO volunteers of classes IXA, IXG and XE offered the ladies and young ladies a flower and greeting cards designed by them in which they wrote poems dear to them.
2. Calistrat Hogaș National College, Piatra-Neamț, and Roman Vodă National College, Roman: Gift a Poem was not just a simple activity. It was an emotional journey, a celebration of written, spoken, and gifted poetry. In a simple yet profound gesture, students chose poems from Romanian and world literature, spent hours handwriting them with care and attention, and then offered them with smiles, warm words, and bright gazes. This year, Gift a Poem! went beyond the school gates. The poems were not only offered to classmates, teachers, and friends, but also to people in vulnerable situations.
3. Hermann Oberth International School – Bucharest: For the third year in a row, our students at HermannOberth International School shared handwritten English poems on colorful bookmarks with those they love — classmates, teachers, friends, and family.This beautiful gesture, part of the internationalcampaign Gift a poem, celebrates empathy,gratitude, and creative kindness.Their loved ones were deeply moved and joyful —proof that even a few heartfelt words can make a big impact.
4. SÂNTANA Secondary SCHOOL, Sântana city, Arad county: The Ștefan Aug. Doinaș High School in Caporal Alexa participated in the Gift a Poem Project with a group of 5th grade students to celebrate Poetry Day, on March 21. The students read several poems and chose one, Memento by Ștefan Aug. Doinaș, which they transcribed to be offered to their grandparents as an expression of gratitude, thus practicing fundamentally human values, promoted by UNESCO. We believe that the act of offering someone words from a poem is deeply human, it is a form of friendly support, spiritual support, consolation, as well as a means of supporting hope for a better future.
5. King Michael I Economic College in Buzău: Between March 17-21, the King Michael I Economic College in Buzău celebrated International Poetry Day. The college joined an initiative of the Polish National Commission and, for the second year, is running the Give a Poem campaign. Give a Poem was more than just a one-time gesture. Throughout the week, the school’s students offered poems to teachers, mothers, and grandparents. This celebration of poetry was not just an artistic exercise, but proof that sensitivity and talent always find their way to light, even in the most unexpected places. The teenagers from the King Mihai I Economic College demonstrated that verses can be bridges between souls, that poetry can be a precious gift offered from the heart. Through this initiative, they not only rediscovered the beauty of the word, but also reminded everyone that poetry remains a space of authenticity, pure emotion, and human connection.
6. “Petru Rareș” National College Suceava: Poetry is an art which transcends language and conveys the most beautiful and raw human feelings. With this activity we wished to raise awareness of the importance of poetry and how it can be used to communicate with one another. Last year, a student in our school received some grave news and was hospitalized in Italy. For a few months, she lived away from her friends and peers, following a harsh treatment and fighting to lead a normal life. Thankfully, she has returned home and resumed school, to the joy of her teachers and colleagues alike. In order to show their support and love, students in the 8th grade classrooms, under the guidance of their teachers, wrote down a poem by Romanian author Marin Sorescu about overcoming hardships and ultimately finding happiness. They accompanied the poems with beautifully drawn pictures and gifted them to their classmate, who was very happy and surprised to receive such a meaningful present. This project was an opportunity for our students to explore the power of poetry and also feel closer to one another as individuals.
7. Secondary School 150 – Bucharest: The “Poetry Festival” project was carried out in March 2025 under the aegis of the UNESCO “Gift a Poem” CAMPAIGN, with the aim of promoting poetic art and handwriting among students. This project emphasized the importance of handwriting in the psycho-emotional development of children, stimulating brain activity, improving concentration and hand-eye coordination, and contributing to cognitive and emotional development. It also encouraged creativity and self-expression through poetry, giving students the opportunity to explore emotions, ideas and thoughts in a deep and authentic way. To make the project relevant to each age group and maximize the impact on the community, we adopted a personalized strategy: – Grades I-IV participated in the activity “The Greeting Card That Embraces”, a symbolic way to celebrate poetry in the context of the March holidays. The children created greeting cards with a poetic theme, hand-writing 1-2 stanzas from a representative poem and adding a surprise element: a hug dedicated to the recipient, complemented by a 3D effect when opening the greeting card. – Grades V-VIII were involved in organizing the Poetry Festival, which brought together students, teachers and parents in a celebration dedicated to the artistic word. The event included an artistic session of poetic recitations, accompanied by musical moments and a special exhibition where students displayed their handwritten poems. This initiative demonstrated that poetry and handwriting can become powerful tools for education, emotion, and connection with those around them. It should also be emphasized that there is the possibility of sending the most successful verses in the form of a letter to a nursing home, on occasion of the Easter Holidays, as a gift and a surprise, an action that will be complementary to a volunteer project.
8. Constantin Cantacuzino National Pedagogical College Targoviste: The Constantin Cantacuzino National Pedagogical College of Târgoviște participated with three classes of high school students in the Gift a Poem activity. The students of the 11th grade G (pedagogical-childcare profile), guided by Professor Stancu Aurelia, chose as beneficiaries of the “Gift a Poem” activity the seniors from the Home for the Elderly – The Heroes’ Cathedral Foundation. They selected poetic texts that develop the theme of nature and the theme of family, wrote calligraphy on them and gave them to the seniors.
9. The Sunflower Kindergarten in Reșița: The project included the following activities: – “Poetry through the eyes of a child” – the children represented graphically, through drawings, the lyrics of the poems handwritten by their parents and teachers; – “A lesson for the soul for the little ones and the old” – the children offered the drawn poems to the elderly people in the neighborhood By celebrating this day, the children discovered that a small and simple gesture can bring a smile and a lot of joy to the elderly people in the neighborhood. In turn, the seniors felt that the little ones were attentive to the people around them, thus creating an emotional moment of connection between generations. Through this simple gesture, the children understood that poetry is not only read, but also felt.
10. D.R.Popescu Nojorid Junior School Bihor: We should put a book of poems in the hands of children every day. But we know that doesn’t happen that way. Nevertheless, we had a month of March full of poetry. Every evening, our students received an audio recording of a poem read by a teacher. Then, our students responded enthusiastically – as they did last year – to the call “Choose, copy, gift!” The involvement of our students gave us the satisfaction of seeing them interested in reading poems in order to choose one that they like and with the person who will receive the poem in mind. This is precisely the beauty of this activity – always thinking about the person to whom you will give the poem. You have to read several poems, choose according to some criteria you have established, decorate the sheet of paper according to your taste and skill, hope that the person who will receive it will enjoy and be moved by reading it. This year we chose to give the transcribed poems to the “grandparents” at a nursing home near our town.
11. Radu Negru Technological High School Galați: The students selected poems either from the school library books or from the internet with the theme – gratitude, thanksgiving, respect. The students wrote these poems by hand in class. The students also made a poster of the Gift a Poem activity. These poems were dedicated and offered to the elderly in the Multifunctional Center for the Elderly in Galați. It was a soulful meeting with poetry and flowers, creating a priceless connection between generations.
12. I. C. Brătianu High School Hațeg: On the occasion of World Poetry Day, our 5th grade students participated in a special activity called “Gift a Poem”. Aron Densușianu Middle School joined this initiative promoted by the Polish National Commission for UNESCO, supported by ASPnet International Unit. We encouraged our students to step outside the usual sphere of school and family and do an act of kindness and empathy towards those in more difficult situations. Students were encouraged to handwrite poems on paper to express their creativity, explore the beauty of words and reflect on the importance of human interconnection. After completing their works, the students offered their handwritten poems to people they met on the street. The activity gave each student the opportunity to interact with different people and share the beautiful art of expressing emotions. The activity had a significant impact on the students, who were very happy and impressed by the reactions of those who received their gift, learning not only about poetry, but also about empathy, generosity and the importance of interacting with the community. The children were visibly moved and happy to bring a smile on the faces of those who received their poems. They were delighted that the activity promoted the spirit of solidarity and strengthened interpersonal ties. “Gift a Poem” was a valuable experience for our 5th grade students, giving them the opportunity to contribute to the good of the community through art. This action aligns with the values promoted by CNR-UNESCO and emphasizes the importance of artistic education and social responsibility.
13. My School Theoretical High School: The main objective of the activity was to actively engage in the community, offering a gesture of empathy and solidarity towards people in vulnerable situations. The participants stepped out of the usual school and family sphere, choosing to convey a message of hope and warmth through a handwritten poem. The main goal of the activity was to stimulate social involvement and encourage empathy through a symbolic but meaningful gesture. The students were encouraged to go beyond the usual school and family framework, choosing to offer a ray of light to those in more difficult situations. By manually copying poems and giving them to the elderly, the participants created an emotional bridge and brought a smile to the faces of those in need of support and affection.
14. Voievodul Mircea High School Târgoviște: This is the first time our high school, Voievodul Mircea from Târgoviște, a member of ASPNet, is participating in the Gift a Poem campaign—an initiative by ASPNet Poland, registered as part of UNESCO celebrations, specifically March 21st, International Poetry Day. On this occasion, our students enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to search for poems or compose their own, transcribe them by hand, and create beautiful greeting cards. These were then gifted to the school’s auxiliary staff, including secretaries and cleaning staff, as well as elderly and vulnerable individuals they encountered on the streets. Some students also shared their cards with elderly grandmothers, who were deeply moved by this wonderful initiative. Once again, we realized that poetry unites souls, making them beautiful, warm, and loving, while also fostering gratitude for those around us, especially the elderly and the vulnerable. We love poetry, and thus, we love the beauty in the world!
Schools involved
- Colegiul Național „Tudor Vladimirescu” Târgu Jiu, Gorj County
- Colegiul Economic “Regele Mihai I” Buzău, Buzău County
- Colegiul Național “Calistrat Hogaș” Piatra Neamț, Neamț County
- Colegiul Național Pedagogic “Constantin Cantacuzino” Târgoviște, Dâmbovița County
- Colegiului Național „Petru Rareș” Suceava, Suceava County
- Grădinița cu Program Prelungit „Floarea-Soarelui” Reșița, Hunedoara County
- Liceul Teoretic „I. C. Brătianu” Hațeg, Hunedoara County
- Liceul Teoretic „Școala Mea” București
- Liceul „Voievodul Mircea” Târgoviște, Dâmbovița County
- Liceului Tehnologic „Radu Negru” Galați, Galați County
- Școala Gimnazială nr.150 București
- Școala Gimnazială Sântana, Sântana, Arad County
- Școala Gimnazială „D.R.Popescu” Nojorid, Bihor County
- Școala Gimnazială și Liceul German ”Hermann Oberth”, Voluntari, Ilfov County
