The winners of Irena Sendler ”Repairing the World” award

KJ, 16 November 2016
The winners of this years Irena Sendler ”Repairing the World” contest have been announced. The winner was Małgorzata Rusiłowicz, a Białystok Elementary School teacher. An Honorary Mention was made to animator, Bożena Szroeder from the ”Pogranicze Centre of Art and Culture” in Sejny.

Over the past six years, the Irena Sendler Award has been presented to elementary school and kindergarten teachers who embody a spirit of tolerance and the value of others in their teaching. They also need to be taking an active role in their school and their community. The Award was the initiative Children of the Holocaust Association togther with the American Life in a Jar Foundation. The contest is organised by  the Centre for Citizenship Education.

The ceremony announcing this year’s winner took place on 28th August at the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw. Among guests present were representatives of the President of the Republic of Poland and the Children of the Holocaust Association.

This year’s winner, Małgorzata Rusiłowicz,is a  Polish language teacher at the Wspólnota Polska Elementary School in Białystok. During his classes, including those designed for the youngest students, she touches on the subject of the Holocaustand the Jewish heritage of the Podlasie Region. She conducts and supports a variety of educational projects aimed at restoring memory of the multicultural character of that region. Ms Rusiłowicz works with students, teachers and cultural animators.

Bożena Shroeder,is a cultural animator who, for many years, works with children on a variety of artistic, educational projects, which include multi-cultural themes connected with the Roma and gypsy communities.

A listing of those nominated for the Award, as well as a listing of Award Committee members, can be found on the Centre for Citizenship Education website.