”TO(działa)MY!” grant competition for schools successfully completed!
We now know the winners of the nationwide grant competition which is part of the „TO(działa)MY!” („LET’S ACT”!) educational project. The project is run by UNICEF Poland and the Santander Bank Polska Foundation. The 30 most interesting projects submitted by schools will receive grants of PLN 2,000 for the implementation of social projects in the field of environment, health and education.
The „TO(działa)MY!” educational and social project was launched in September 2020 as a joint initiative of UNICEF Poland and the Santander Bank Polska Foundation. Its aim is to motivate and engage students and teachers to undertake society-oriented activities and projects addressed to local schools and the entire community.
Under the guidance of their mentors, young people developed project concepts that would benefit school students and the local community. The participants could choose among three thematic areas: environment, education and entertainment, and health and sports. More than 740 educational institutions from all over Poland applied for participation in the Program. Despite the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning, students and teachers eagerly got involved in the preparation of the projects. Many incredibly interesting and socially valuable projects were created.
Environment selected most frequently
The grant competition was an element of the „TO(działa)MY!” initiative. Each school participating in the program could apply for funds to finance a social project they had prepared. Grants will be provided by the Santander Bank Polska Foundation. The competition committee selected 30 best-scoring works from among the applications received. These institutions will receive grants which will enable them to implement the planned activities.
The choice that the jury had to make was not easy. The submitted project proposals responded to many social problems important for young people. Environmental issues enjoyed the greatest interest among students and teachers alike, and it was in this area that the highest number of submissions was recorded. However, there were also interesting projects in the field of education and health. The full list of the competition winners is available at https://fundacja.santander.pl/2021/03/12/i-edycja-programu-grantowego-to-dzialamy-rozstrzygnieta/
I am happy to observe the growing interest of schools in initiatives which aim at promoting the idea of social participation of children and youth. It is great to see that so many teachers have become involved in the „TO(działa)MY!” program and have supported their students in the preparation of their projects. The competition participants demonstrated considerable social sensitivity and prepared excellent projects dealing with such important issues as improving the quality of life of children with disabilities and the integration of immigrant students, as well as a whole range of activities promoting environment-friendly and healthy lifestyles. Young people have also thought about the representatives of older generations, wanting to better understand the things they care about and planning special events for them. I would like to thank all the teachers and students who got involved in the project. UNICEF Poland is rooting for everyone engaged in the implementation of these fantastic projects.
he Santander Bank Polska Foundation has been implementing grant programmes for many years, but this project is special for us because it focuses on the participation of children and youth in community life. As a foundation supporting young people we want to contribute to the education of children and youth. We have awarded PLN 2,000 to each winning project, and I am extremely curious about the results. I wish to strongly emphasize that I appreciate very much the students' involvement and ingenuity, as well as the teachers' support at the first stage, i.e. during the grant application writing. And we all know that it was not easy… I mean both the time when the grant applications were submitted and the circumstances related to closing of the schools.
In the 2020/2021 school year, the first edition of the „TO(działa)MY!” program took place. Schools that engaged in community projects and applied for a grant will receive a Certificate of an Institution Supporting the Engagement of Children and Youth. The spirit of the program is best reflected by the promotional spot:
