Promotion award winners: why were they honored?

On February 21, 2013, a gala ceremony for the presentation of the Mayor’s Awards for the Promotion of the City 2012 was held in the auditorium of the “Forum” cinema at the Bolesławiec Cultural Center – International Ceramics Center. Awards for the promotion of Bolesławiec are presented in the following fields: science, culture, social activity, sport and honorary awards.

At this year’s gala, the mayor Piotr Roman presented 24 awards in four categories, six honorary awards and three distinctions. Awards are granted for outstanding achievements in artistic creation, the dissemination and protection of culture, the development of science, outstanding results in sport and social initiatives that contribute to the promotion of the city.

The first awards for the promotion of the city were presented in 1997. The award is commemorated with a statuette. Award winners also receive a financial prize. The awards are presented by the Mayor of Bolesławiec at the request of authorized entities, after consulting the Education, Culture and Sport Committee of the Bolesławiec City Council.

Winners of the 2012 Bolesławiec promotion award

Honorary awards:

• Association of Former Soldiers of the 62nd Special Company “COMMANDO” – the association was established in 2002 and has cooperated continuously since then with the local government, educational institutions and non-governmental organizations, carrying out its statutory tasks. “Commando” organizes and co-organizes numerous local events as well as sports, recreational and integration activities. The association was one of five non-governmental organizations recognized by the Minister of National Defence for activities supporting national defense
• Bolesławiec Cultural Center – International Ceramics Center – the activities of the Forum cinema were recognized last year with nominations for the Awards of the Polish Film Institute in the CINEMA and FILM DISCUSSION CLUB categories during the 37th Gdynia Film Festival. DKF-BOK, which was recognized as the best Film Discussion Club in Poland, has operated for six years, promoting ambitious cinema and screening films by creators who go against the fashions and tastes of the mass audience. Forum cinema is not only about organizing commercial screenings, but also implementing an educational program as part of the nationwide New Horizons Film Education program
• Ceramics Museum – it is currently implementing the “VIA FABRILIS – a route of craft traditions” project, co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund. The project aims to create a new integrated tourism product of regional scope, covering the western part of the Sudetes Foreland and Foothills and the Karkonosze Mountains on both the Polish and Czech sides. The project received an award in the Ministry of Regional Development’s “Poland is Beautiful – 7 Wonders of European Funds” competition. During a meeting of the Monitoring Committee in Liberec, a decision was made to grant the Ceramics Museum funding for the implementation of the next stage of the project
• Production, Services and Trade Company “ELEKTROS” Ltd. – it is a family business that has operated continuously in Bolesławiec for 28 years in the electrical engineering sector. In April 2012, a new facility of the “Elektros” company was opened in the Bolesławiec subzone of the Wałbrzych Special Economic Zone “Invest Park”. Ultimately, the company is expected to employ approximately 50 people
• General and Vocational Schools Complex named after Major Henryk Sucharski – the school’s students actively participate in local social life, including by taking part in the “Save the Grave of Our Great-Grandfather from Oblivion” project under the patronage of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Office in Wrocław, as well as collecting candles for the Lychakiv Cemetery and the Cemetery of the Lviv Eaglets. The school cooperates with the Society of Lovers of Lviv and the Southeastern Borderlands
• Municipal Lower Secondary School No. 2 named after Poles Deported to Siberia – promotes the city by participating in regional, voivodeship and nationwide science and art competitions. The school’s team took second place in the voivodeship competition “The Fate of Poles in the East, 1939–1956,” organized by the Lower Silesian Education Superintendent; sixth place in the nationwide history competition “In the Kaleidoscope of a Pole’s Memory”; and competed in “Poles in the Years 1939–1989,” organized by the Institute of National Remembrance.

Awards in sport:

• Katarzyna Selwent – a member of the national senior junior golf team. She represented Poland at the Women’s World Team Championship during the Espirito Santo Trophy – World Team Amateur Championships in Turkey and won the bronze medal at the 2012 Polish Ladies Amateur Open Championships. Katarzyna Selwent represents UKS “Bolesławiecki Klub Golfowy”
• Mirosław Szapiel – during 25 years of coaching at Bolesławiecki Klub Sportowy, he won the Jelenia Góra district championship twice in the senior junior and younger junior categories. From 2002 to 2012, in the “Orlik” category, he won the Jelenia Góra district championship seven times and was runner-up twice. In 2012, he took fifth place in the Lower Silesian Marshal’s Cup competition. As a player and coach, Mirosław Szapie has been associated with Bolesławiecki Klub Sportowy for more than 43 years
• Klaudia Petters – a swimmer in the TOP Bolesławiec Sports Club section. In 2012, she won, among other achievements: first place in the 800-meter freestyle at the open Championships of the Lower Silesian and Lubusz Voivodeships; first place in the same distance at an international swimming competition in Drzonków; first place in the 50-meter freestyle at the 12th open swimming competition for the Jelenia Góra Mayor’s Cup; and second place in the 100-meter butterfly at an international competition in the Czech Republic
• Wiktoria Knapczyk – a member of the national cadet taekwondo team in the 41 kg category. The only medalist from Bolesławiec at the Polish Junior Championships in the younger junior age category. This young athlete’s most important successes last year included: first place at the International Taekwondo Tournament in Bautzen, third place at the Bydgoszcz Cup International Tournament, second place at the National Youth Olympics in summer sports and third place at the Polish Open Ranking Tournament in Warsaw. Wiktoria Knapczyk represents LMKS Gladius, and her coach is Mariusz Sulma
• Kamil Serafin – a member of Poland’s junior taekwondo team in the 68 kg category. According to the ranking of the Polish Taekwondo Association, he was one of the best athletes in his category in 2012. A multiple Polish Championship medalist. Last year, Kamil Serafin recorded many successes, including first place in the Polish Junior Championship qualifiers in Jarocin, first place at the Belgian Open International Championships, second place at the Bydgoszcz Cup International Tournament, second place at the Polish Junior Championships and second place at the Polish Open International Championships in Warsaw. Kamil Serafin represents LMKS Gladius, and his coach is Mariusz Sulma
• Paulina Stojanowska – a member of Poland’s junior taekwondo team in the 46 kg category. A multiple Polish Championship medalist. Her most important achievements in 2012 were: first place in the Polish Junior Championship qualifiers in Jarocin, third place at the Belgian Open International Championships, third place at the Polish Junior Championships and fifth place at the Polish Open International Championships. Paulina Stojanowska represents LMKS Gladius, and her coach is Mariusz Sulma
• Kacper Olszewski – an athlete from the “Bolesłavia” Inter-School Sports Club. He has trained in athletics for three years and specializes in throwing events. He holds the second sports class. In 2012, he recorded many successes, including a gold medal in the javelin throw and a bronze medal in the discus throw at the Polish Championships in Słubice; the Lower Silesian and Lubusz Macroregion championship in shot put and javelin throw; and the Lower Silesian championship in discus throw and shot put. The athlete is included in the Lower Silesian junior team training program, and his coach is Tomasz Markowski
• Jakub Różycki – a motorsport competitor specializing in races for radio-controlled car models. He has participated in model car races for more than five years, taking leading places in Polish, European and world championship-level competitions. In September 2012, at the Lostallo track in Switzerland, he won the International Final of the Kyosho World Cup model car racing series and is the current world champion. In addition, last year he took first and third place, respectively, in Polish Championship qualifying competitions at the tracks in Ścinawka and Kobierzyce. Jakub Różycki is a student at Municipal School Complex No. 1.

Awards in social activity:

• Wiesława Olczyk – initiator, co-founder and organizer of the University of the Third Age in Bolesławiec. The university received a Self-Accreditation Certificate from the Foundation for the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. In recognition of her comprehensive and systematic work for the development of lifelong learning in Lower Silesia, the European Commission’s regional representation in Wrocław invited the University of the Third Age leader to Brussels
• Eugenia Wolska – chair of the Senior Citizens’ Council operating under the Mayor of Bolesławiec and president of the “Carpe Diem” Social Teachers’ Club Association. Her experience in social work has enabled her to effectively resolve issues affecting the senior community. As part of a policy of small steps, projects concerning intergenerational bonds were carried out thanks to Ms. Eugenia Wolska’s initiative. Because of her experience, she was invited to cooperate in the field of senior activation by Senator of the Republic of Poland Mieczysław Augustyn – chair of the Senate Committee on Older People – and by Commissioner for Human Rights Irena Lipowicz
• “Ziemia Bolesławiecka” Association – as a public-benefit organization, it raises funds from the allocation of 1% of income tax. Between 2004 and 2012, the association allocated more than PLN 323,000 to assist institutions and organizations from Bolesławiec. This included co-financing the “Bolesławiec Yearbook” and the catalog for the exhibition “Bolesławiec Ceramics from Reinhold’s Factory.” The financial support of the “Ziemia Bolesławiecka” Association contributes to the implementation of many activities promoting Bolesławiec
• Istotne.pl Portal – Istotne Information, Krzysztof Gwizdała – thanks to the four cameras operated by the Istotne.pl portal, broadcasting live images of the Bolesławiec viaduct, Market Square and the interior of the basilica, residents can admire the city’s most beautiful places and watch all events and ceremonies live. Images from the cameras are available on the Istotne.pl website and on global portals featuring this type of image. Every day, views of Bolesławiec’s Market Square, viaduct and basilica are watched by more than 1,000 people
• Bolesławiec Center for Local Initiatives VIA SUDETICA Association – a local non-governmental organization established in 2003. It was on the association’s initiative that a monument to German poet Martin Opitz was erected in Bolesławiec, for which the association received official congratulations from the Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Last year, association members initiated an action for enthusiasts of the worldwide geocaching movement. The world map of enthusiasts of this interactive outdoor game came to include, among other places, the railway viaduct, Jenny Tower, Kutuzov Cemetery, the railway station and Mikołajska Gate. One of the Via Sudetica association’s best-known activities is the annual Parade of Clay People.

Awards in culture:

• Noemi Broszko – she is 10 years old, but despite her young age, the artist has already received many awards and distinctions. The most important was winning The International Best award at the 13th International Art Competition in Japan. Among the 15,000 works submitted to the competition, Noemi is the only recognized participant from Poland. In the “My Favorite Tree” competition, Noemi Broszko won first prize in the “Primary schools, grades IV–VI” category
• Mateusz Grobelny – Mateusz Grobelny’s ceramic art is known around the world. His skills and achievements in pottery led to an invitation last year to South Korea for the International Festival in MunGyeong. Every year, during the Bolesławiec Ceramics Festival, the artist builds spectacular ceramic kilns that attract tourists from across the country. In 2012, Mateusz Grobelny built a kiln called “Basilica of Fire” especially to commemorate Bolesławiec’s Sanctuary receiving the title of Minor Basilica. As a designer of kilns for firing ceramics, he became known for creating a mobile ceramic kiln, which resulted in invitations for the artist to participate in ceramic symposiums
• Sylwia Popławska – a graduate of the first-level State Music School in Bolesławiec and the second-level Ryszard Bukowski State Music School in Wrocław. She is currently studying violin at the Music Academy in Poznań. Winner of first place at the “Citta di Barletta” International Competition in Italy and the Primo Premio Assoluto award at an international competition in Italy in the string-instrument category. For five years, she was concertmaster of the EUROPERA International Symphony Orchestra and also a member of the orchestra of the TRANSATLANTYK International Film and Music Festival. She is currently a scholarship holder at the Music Academy in Poznań for her high academic results and artistic achievements
• Film Education Workshop of the Bolesławiec Cultural Center – International Ceramics Center – an exceptional place that combines theoretical classes with practice, where young people learn the secrets of film production, create their own screenplays and make original feature films. The workshop’s greatest achievements include first place at the Nationwide Film Festival in Poznań, second place at the Nationwide Youth Film Festival in Jaworzno, participation in the Plus Camerimage Festival in Bydgoszcz, as well as three original film productions—“Kasa,” “III Zasada” and “Negatyw”—which premiered at Bolesławiec’s Forum cinema. The instructor of the BOK-MCC Film Education Workshop is Michał Szwed.

Awards in science:

• Daniel Piotr Popek – last year he was honored as the Best Graduate of Municipal Lower Secondary School No. 4. As a student at the First General Secondary School, he took part in a team Oxford debate entitled “Around ACTA – New Alexandria or Orwell’s World?”, held as part of the Lower Silesian Science Festival, defeating high school students from Wrocław. A winner and finalist of district- and voivodeship-level competitions in various fields of science
• Katarzyna Reguła – a German teacher at Municipal Lower Secondary School No. 4. Since 2010, her original pedagogical innovation program has received a positive assessment from the Education Superintendent’s Office and approval from the governing body for financing the project. The program has resulted in expanding students’ language knowledge and skills through modern multimedia techniques, establishing international cooperation and systematically increasing knowledge with a very high standard of teaching
• Teresa Prokowska – a teacher at Municipal School Complex No. 2 who has achieved significant success for years in competitions and educational projects at the voivodeship, national and international levels. Within four years, she completed 12 international educational projects under the European eTwinning program. The last three projects developed and coordinated by Teresa Prokowska received the National and European Quality Labels
• Student company “SWAT” (School Bond of Artistic Talents) – a group of approximately 15 students from the First General Secondary School operating under the supervision of teachers Anna Tarnachowicz and Katarzyna Żak. “SWAT” promotes student and youth culture as part of the “InterKulturManagment – Culture Management in Saxon and Lower Silesian Schools” project. Together with partners from Poland and Germany, the student company organizes meetings and workshops aimed at cooperation in education and culture between student companies and cultural activists in the border region
• Parents’ Council at Municipal Public Preschool No. 1 – last year, the preschool, together with the Parents’ Council, achieved many educational and child-development successes, the most important being receipt of the “Kubuś’s Friends of Nature” and “Children’s Land in Europe – bis” certificates. The Parents’ Council received distinctions from the Lower Silesian Education Superintendent, as well as a Certificate of Recognition for active participation in the “All of Poland Reads to Children” social campaign. The Parents’ Council was a finalist in the nationwide “I’m 6 Years Old” competition, initiated by the Minister of National Education
• Municipal Public Preschool No. 7 with Integrated Classes – in 2012, the preschool completed the “Cross-Border Preschoolers Play and Learn Together” project, whose partner was a Czech preschool from Lázně Libverda. In November 2012, Municipal Public Preschool No. 7 joined the Nationwide Program for Preschools entitled “Children’s Land in Europe – bis.” In the past year, the preschool participated in many competitions and programs, including the 1st Lower Silesian Review of ART WITHOUT BARRIERS – GALERION 2012, the “Rainbow Food Pyramid” competition and the 7th Nationwide Safety Competition “I Learn to Live Safely”
• Primary School No. 3 – conducts international cooperation and student exchanges with a school in Lázně Libverda, with which it implemented the “The Sun Is Everywhere – Cross-Border School Cooperation” project in 2012. As part of Polish-German Youth Cooperation, it implemented three projects: “Music Opens Borders,” “60 Hours About Germany” and “Polish-German Friendship.” Students and teachers of Primary School No. 3 achieved numerous successes in voivodeship- and nationwide-level competitions, including the nationwide “Olimpus” subject olympiad in Polish and natural science, the Nationwide Polish Language Competition “With Correct Polish Every Day” and the 4th Nationwide Mythology Competition.

Distinctions – certificates:

• Helena Kowal – initiator, founder and manager of the “Club of the Curious About the World” Social Society in Bolesławiec. For 22 years, under the motto “you can see a lot for little money,” she has organized annual trips to learn about the customs and culture of different nations. In 2006, on Helena Kowal’s initiative, the Opera Lovers’ Circle was established in Bolesławiec, followed by the Theater Lovers’ Circle in 2009. Helena Kowal promotes not only culture but also ensures that younger generations do not forget Poland’s history. She is often invited to meet with school students, for whom she is a living history lesson, giving talks about Katyń and Siberia. Helena Kowal was awarded the “Meritorious for Polish Culture” badge. The badge is awarded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage to people distinguished by their creation, dissemination and protection of culture
• Anna Makielska and Katarzyna Graczyk – authors of the “Forest Closer to Us” environmental education program prepared for second-grade primary school students. Katarzyna Graczyk is head of the Municipal Environmental Education Center, while Anna Makielska is a Forest Service specialist at the Bolesławiec Forest District. Thanks to cooperation with the Bolesławiec Forest District, the program has been implemented at the Forest Nursery in Osieczów since 2008. Its main goal is to learn about the natural world using the senses. During classes, children learn to identify encountered species of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants using sight, touch and smell. The environmental education activities planned by Katarzyna Graczyk in 2012 were implemented as part of the “Bolesławiec Acts Ecologically” project, 75% of which was financed by the Wrocław Voivodeship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management and 25% by the city budget.

Congratulations to all the award winners.

Photo author: Rafał Tur

(commissioned information)