Irena Sendler Award has been awarded since 2006 by the Center for Citizenship Education Foundation and the Children of the Holocaust to honor teachers who not only impart knowledge but also develop sensitivity of their students and willingness to involve in social activity. Teachers who show with their openness and attitude that solidarity and dialogue can link people. The first winners were selected personally by Irena Sendler herself, and next the finalists and winners have been selected by the Award Committee.

In this round, the award of PLN 15,000 went to Anita Rucioch-Gołek, a Polish teacher at Arkady Fiedler Elementary School in Zbąszyń, and a PAFF Leader. The winner told the participants of the ceremony how important promotion of  dialogue and diversity is to her: “Zbąszyń has always been a border town. That experience, wandering religious dissenters and diversity inspire me in my everyday work. I teach my students that their otherness is a value, just like diversity of people is.”

“Both Janusz Korczak and Kazimierz Dąbrowski would be happy and satisfied knowing how the idea of positive disintegration is implemented through educational practices and social activism in Zbąszyń, a small town with tradition of multiculturalism. For the last twenty years their author and leader has been (…) teacher with passion and informal education animator Anita Rucioch-Gołek,” Krzysztof Czyżewski, the chairman of Award Committee stated in his laudation read during the award ceremony. 

The event was attended by Andrzej Stefański of the Ombudsman’s Office, Marianna Hajdukiewicz of Polish-American Freedom Foundation and representatives of various organizations and institutions, including Dr. Zofia Sapijaszka and Kamil Wrzos of the Educational Enterprise Foundation, as well as director of Dialogue Center Joanna Podolska who took the ceremony participants on a tour in the Survivor’s Park, which made the unique atmosphere of reflection and remembrance.

The artistic setting of the celebration was secured by the choir of Henryk Sienkiewicz No 1 Senior High School of Kędzierzyn-Koźle who gave the “Stop the War – Lullaby” concert, a young people manifest against the world without empathy, peace and good. The participant of the project was last year’s winner of the Award, Jakub Mączyński.

The competition is supported by the PAFF under the “Learning Schools” program.