Grand final of 2015 edition of the contest took place on 28 May 2015 in Warsaw. The awards included three certificates of the Jagiellonian University allowing winners to be accepted without entrance examinations.
More than 3,000 students took part in the preliminaries of the XVI All-Polish and IX Polish-Lithuanian Geological-Environmental Contest “Our Earth – natural environment yesterday, today and tomorrow”. This year the theme was "Winged experiment of the Earth". After months of competition, 24 middle and high school students who successfully passed regional qualifications and semi-finals in Poland and Lithuania came to Warsaw for the finals.
The contest is organized by the Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute (PGI-NRI) and Geological Survey of Lithuania (LGT). The 2015 edition took place under the patronage of Mr. Sławomir Brodziński, Under Secretary of State in Ministry of Environment and Chief National Geologist, and HE Šarunas Adomavičius, Lithuania's Ambassador to Poland.
The Final Round took place in the Geological Museum of the PGI-NRI on 28 May. The stakes were high. This was especially in the case of the high school category, in which certificates of the Jagiellonian University allowing winners to be accepted without entrance examination in the Department of Earth Sciences were waiting for the top 3 participants. This competition was won by Józef Sędziak of the Tadeusz Kościuszko Secondary School, Toruń. In this way, a first-year student in high school got the rights to study at this famous university.
“Family photo” of the finalists and organizers of the contest in the Main Hall of the PGI-NRI Geological Museum
"It wasn't easy” – said Józef after the finals. – “The biggest difficulty was to find source material in which I could find information necessary to get well prepared for the competition”. The competition was tough, which made it hard to indicate the eventual winner almost to the end. Difficult. The student from Toruń took over the lead in the penultimate round of knowledge tests to keep it until the end of the contest. Stress was high but the joy of winning far greater. Józef became interested in geography, biology and chemistry long time ago. As he admitted, then came geology as a discipline connecting all the above listed ones. In the future he would like to become a geophysicist.
Congratulations to Józef Sędziak of the Tadeusz Kościuszko Secondary School, Toruń. The winner of the contest in the high school category
The two other participants awarded by the Jagillonian University with admission without entrance exams were Małgorzata Pajdak from Cracow and Katarzyna Stachoń from Bieruń.
The list of winners of the contest is much longer as participants competed in three categories, that is a knowledge contest for mid school students, won by Bogusz Kulas from Śmigiel, and two art contests – XVI contest for primary school students and IX contest for school students from both Poland and Lithuania. The knowledge contest for mid school students was won by Bogusz Kulas from Śmigiel, who also got a special prize of the Polish Geological Society. The XVI art contest was won by Agnieszka Ossolińska from Chociwel, who also took highly appreciated Audience Award.
Lithuanian winners present their diplomas. Front row (left to right): Astijus Puodžiukas (Utena Krašuona Progimnasium), winner of 1st place, Dalia Puodžiukiene (teacher of Utena Krašuona Progimnasium), Ilona Venckiene (Silale School), Nojus Kononovas (Šilale School), Giedrius Naujokas (Kaunas Juozas Grušas School), 5th place, Stase Didžgalviene (teacher of Kaunas Juozas Grušas School), Eligija Baranovskiene (LGT); back row (from left): Agnieszka Jeżyk (University of Warsaw, translator), Anton Symonovič (LGT), Wojciech Brochwicz-Lewiński (PIB-PIB, former Deputy Minister and Chief National Geologist) and Minijus Samuila (Second Secretary, Embassy of Lithuania in Poland)
The final of art contest for students from Poland and Lithuania turned to be a great success for the Lithuanians. This contest was won by Astijus Puodžiukas from Utena Krašuona Progimnasium, the second place was taken by Gerda Noreikaite from Šilale School, and the fifth – by Giedrius Naujokas from Kaunas Juozas Grušas School.
Lithuanian delegation visits Jurassic Park in Bałtów. Left to right: Eligija Baranovskiene (LGT), Giedrius Naujokas (Kaunas Juozas Grušas School), Stase Didžgalviene (teacher of Kaunas Juozas Grušas School), Tatiana Woroncowa-Marcinowska (PGI-NRI), Astijus Puožiukas (Utena Krašuona Progimnasium), Nojus Kononovas (participant of the competitions), Agnieszka Jeżyk (University of Warsaw, translator) and a Jurassic Park guide
It is also worth to mention that parallel prizes and diplomas were given to the teachers to honor the support provided for the finalists. The Warsaw final should be very well remembered especially by the Lithuanian team also because of additional attractions arranged by the organizers. This time it was an extensive program from sightseeing in Warsaw to visit in the Jurassic Park in Bałtów.
The audiencewas warmand highly supportive. This and sincere thanks and congratulations for the organizers of the final event as well as regional qualifications and semi-finals in Poland and Lithuania are good sign for the next editions of this important initiative.
Awarded works (Art Contest: IX Polish-Lithuanian Final)
Awarded works (Art Contest: XVI All-Polish Final)
Text: Andrzej Rudnicki and Wojciech Brochwicz-Lewiński
Photos: Andrzej Szymkowiak and Indre Virbickiene
Translation: Wojciech Brochwicz-Lewiński
LIST OF FINALISTS
ALL-POLISH KNOWLEDGE CONTEST
- HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL
I – Józef Sędziak - 4th Tadeusz Kościuszko Secondary School, Toruń
II – Małgorzata Pajdak - 2nd Secondary School, Cracow
III – Katarzyna Stachoń - Secondary School in Bieruń
IV – Mikołaj Gajowski - Upper-Secondary School Complex in Chojno
V – Martyna Przychodna - 9th Secondary School, Wrocław
VI – Wojciech Kalinowski - Maria Sadzewiczowa Secondary School in Łochów
VII – Paweł Piotrowski - 8th Technical High School for Chemistry, Kielce
-
MID SCHOOL LEVEL
I – Bogusz Kulus – Middle School in Śmigiel
II – Kacper Ścibski – 3rd Middle School in Chruszczobród
III – Kamila Flejterska – Middle School of Public Schools Complex in Ruda Maleniecka
IV – Marek Chudzik – 1st Middle School in Zielona Góra
V – Aleksandra Kęcka – Maria Konopnicka Middle School in Suwałki
VI – Gabriela Płachno – 2nd General Education School Complex in Tarnów
VII – Agata Tuszkowska – Jagiellończyk Middle School in Trąbki Wielkie
ART CONTEST
- IX POLISH-LITHUANIAN FINAL
I – Astijus Puodžiukas
II – Gerda Noreikaite
III – Agnieszka Ossolińska
IV – Aleksandra Watała
V – Giedrius Naujokas
VI – Zuzanna Nowicka
- XVI ALL-POLISH FINAL
I – Agnieszka Ossolińska
II – Zuzanna Nowicka
III – Aleksandra Watała
IV – Jadwiga Leonarczyk
V – Mateusz Walkiewicz
VI – Jagna Rybarczyk
VII – Nikola Lib
AUDIENCE AWARD
Agnieszka Ossolińska
AWARD OF THE POLISH GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Bogusz Kulus