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OVEP Poland OVEP Poland
TARGET AUDIENCES

Primary school pupils (10-13 years old) and secondary school pupils (13-16 years old)

ACTIVITIES

Literature competition

HIGHLIGHTS

Each year, the winning texts of this national literary competition are brought together and published in a book ( since 2001)

Summary

This literary competition has been jointly organised by the Polish Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Education from 1989 to 2008. We have co-operated with the Ministry of Sport and Tourism since 2009. The participants write fictional works or stories based on real events on subjects linked to sport.

Objectives
  • To encourage young people to practise sport
  • To popularise the Olympic ideals
  • To show the risks of doping
  • To show behaviours of fair play
Approach

The competition is held every year. The participants write and submit texts on the themes of sport, fair play and the sporting spirit. The works can be fiction or real experiences.

In December, the rules of the competition are published, and a call to participate launched. The pupils can register in two categories: primary degree (10-13 years old) and secondary degree (10-16 years old).

The deadline for handing in the works is 1 April. In May, 80 finalists are selected. The jury then nominates eight winners per category. There are also three winning teachers per category.

In June, the winners (pupils and teachers) receive their prizes at the Olympic Centre, during a ceremony which is followed by an excursion and a party meal.

Since 2001, the competition has been able to count on the support of a media sponsor, which publishes one of the winning stories every month. Each year, the winning texts are also collected and published in a book.

Results

Each year, the jury receives about 800 texts; some 800 pupils and 400 teachers take part in the competition (about 1380 stories in 2004)

Practical Advice

1. The methods to reach schools :

  • Cooperation with Regional Boards of Education; Polish NOC sends a letter to the Ministry of Education with the request to encourage schools to participate in the contest. The letter includes the description of the contest and its regulations, as well as the link to website;
  • The regulations are published in monthly magazine for boys and girls – pupils of elementary and secondary schools – “Plomyczek” (“The Flame”) which has been published since 1917 (when Poland even didn’t exist on the map of Europe). We have had the cooperation with this magazine since 2001.

2. Selection of works and laureates :

  • The first selection is done by the appointed teacher of Polish language who reads all the stories and selects 40 works in each category (altogether 80 stories). The selected works are given to NOC of Poland together with short reviews and marks ranging from 1 to 10 points ;
  • The second selection is done by 4-person-jury. Every juror reads all 80 stories and give them marks from 1 to 10 points. Finally each story gets two marks.
  • The sum of the points received from the five jurors is the basis to select 8-9 laureates (those who receive the biggest number of points). Then we cancel the best and the worst mark and count the average mark that makes the ranking.
  • The group of laureates consists of the best 8-9 pupils and 3 teachers of the best three pupils in each category.

3. The prize-giving ceremony:

  • Organized in the Olympic Centre in Warsaw, always in June before the end of the school year ;
  • The ceremony begins with the visit in the Museum of Sports and Tourism ;
  • The selected stories are read by the professional actor or actress of Polish scenes ;
  • Prizes for pupils and diplomas for teachers are prepared by NOC of Poland ;
  • Financial prizes for the teachers were given by the Ministry of National Education and since 2009 by the Ministry of Sports and Tourism ;
  • All laureates, teachers and invited guests get books with the winning stories from the previous year (the books have been published every year since 2001). All the editions include photos and CVs of the laureates (written by themselves) ;
  • The laureates are life interviewed by the journalist of Polish Radio ;
  • After the official ceremony the laureates have chance to visit by the Old Town Train the most interesting parts of Warsaw (since 2005 sponsored by the owner of the train). The train takes the group from the Olympic Centre and after sightseeing takes them to lunch funded by the partner restaurant (since 1991).

4. Publication of results :

  • POC website immediately after the end of the prize-giving ceremony; it is possible to listen to the selected stories read by the actors ; we include also the names of 80 pupils who passed through the first selection ;
  • Monthly magazine “Plomyczek”; since 2001 the magazine has published one story of the contest laureates in each edition;
  • NOC of Poland publication “Olympic Magazine”

5. Others :

  • Every laureate receives CD with photos from the ceremony ;
  • Special thanks for cooperation and books with stories are given to :
    • 80 pupils who passed through the first selection, their teachers and schools ;
    • the Ministry of National Education;
    • Regional Boards of Education;
    • Jurors;
    • Private sponsors ;
    • Other books are used as prizes for children on the occasion of different events.
Downloads and useful links

www.olimpijski.pl

Download Poland history :
Poland - Across the track
Poland - Poznan Express
Poland - The sparkle of hope

Copyright :
National Olympic Committee Poland

PROJECT INFORMATION

Country: Poland
Organisation: Polish NOC
Contact: Magdalena Rejf, Cultural Affairs Specialist, Secretary of the Commission for Culture and Olympic Education

Address:
Wybrzeze Gdynskie 4
01-531 Warsaw
Poland

Phone: +48 22 560 3700
Fax: +48 22 560 3735
Email: mrejf@pkol.pl
Website: http://www.pkol.pl

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