Volunteering on postage stamps
For the fourth time, the Polish Post Office and the BOŚ Foundation are organizing the "World Through the Eyes of Young People" postage stamp design competition. This year's theme is volunteering. The three best entries will be featured on postage stamps.
The competition is open to children and young people aged 7-19. Young artists can apply through their school or local cultural center. Registration is open until April 8th.
The "World Through the Eyes of the Young" collection has so far seen three issues, each with a circulation of 100,000 pieces. Each issue features three stamps featuring the best works. This fall, the collection will expand with three more philatelic items. So far, the themes covered include healthy eating and physical activity, climate protection methods, and increasing the biodiversity of Poland's natural environment, with an emphasis on preserving old varieties of fruit trees.
Postage stamps aren't just pictures stuck on envelopes or receipts for mailing a letter. They are, above all, works of art. It takes years to develop the skill necessary to design stamps. Many professional graphic designers dream of having their work featured on stamps. This competition offers a unique opportunity for young people to design their own stamps.
"The World Through the Eyes of Young People" is an art competition for a postage stamp design that not only educates children and young people on selected issues but also provides them with opportunities to express themselves and discuss them. Recognizing the importance of the topic, the competition is held under the honorary patronage of the Minister of National Education, the Minister of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, and the Children's Ombudsman.
How to prepare a competition entry?
Entries will be judged in three age categories (under 12, 12-15, and 16-19). Submissions must be received by May 20th.
The competition entry must be an A4 landscape illustration (29.7 cm wide and 21 cm high) that presents volunteering in its various aspects: the ideas it fosters, examples of volunteering activities, and the benefits for both beneficiaries and volunteers. The entry must be handmade, using any non-dimensional technique, such as paint, crayons, markers, pencil, etc.
The competition website www.oczamimlodych.pl contains detailed information on how to prepare your work, as well as tips and tricks that will make it easier to create.
The power of rewards
Three entries will receive the main prizes, one in each age category. This fall, they will be issued as postage stamps in the "World Through the Eyes of Young People" series, with a circulation of 100,000. These stamps will be sold at post offices and in the Poczta Polska online philatelic store. The stamps will feature the names of the authors and their schools or cultural centers. Additionally, 10 honorable mentions will be awarded. The total value of the prizes is PLN 10,000.
Competition entries
The competition is open to schools and cultural centers represented by a designated coordinator. Registration is open on the competition website www.oczamimlodych.pl and closes on April 8, 2020.
The coordinator's responsibilities include organizing the competition at the institution and familiarizing young people with the history and role of the postage stamp, as well as the topic of volunteering. During the internal stage, a maximum of three best entries must be selected from among the entries submitted by children and young people, and scans of these entries must be submitted via the competition website no later than May 20, 2020.
The competition website, www.oczamimlodych.pl, offers numerous materials to help organize the competition and conduct educational activities. These include lesson plans and a compendium of volunteering information.