"Economy Beyond Borders – Janusz Korczak, a Promoter of Education Through Cooperativism" event included in the celebrations of the International Year of Cooperatives 2025.

The event aims to restore and promote the idea of student cooperativism, rooted in the values of solidarity, responsibility, and collective action from an early age. The inspiration for these activities comes from Janusz Korczak's book ‘Bankruptcy of the Little Jack’, which vividly illustrates a children's cooperative and its significance for education and upbringing in many aspects – including economic education.

The book, published 100 years ago, became an important inspiration for the Polish Senate to establish 2024 as the Year of Economic Education. Thanks to this initiative, we managed to restore the messages, ideas, and the role of cooperativism in shaping social, civic, and entrepreneurial attitudes. The positive reception of these values among many individuals and institutions in Poland inspired us to engage youth in other countries with this message as well. Thus, the project, initially planned as a nationwide initiative, has now begun its journey beyond Poland's borders through Polonia communities.

The event involves a series of actions and initiatives, within which the following are planned:

• A conference on economic education and the important role of cooperativism – on the anniversary of the adoption of the National Financial Education Strategy in Poland,
• Participation and presentation of the idea of developing cooperative education at the National Conference of Cooperative Banking,
• A new edition of Janusz Korczak's book and the delivery of over 200,000 copies to all Polish school libraries,
• Translation of Janusz Korczak's book into at least 10 world languages and its availability in electronic form as part of the educational project "The Adventures of Entrepreneurial Jack",
• Organization of at least 30 Polish Economic Education Days held in schools across Poland and in Polish diaspora schools in at least 10 countries,
• Conducting legislative actions jointly with the Senate of the Republic of Poland aimed at facilitating the functioning and creation of school student cooperatives,
• Organization of at least 4 training sessions and workshops for supervisors of student cooperatives,
• Organization of a global meeting of Polish and Polonia (Polish diaspora) student cooperatives,
• Conducting a special online lesson dedicated to the idea of cooperativism for Polish and Polonia schools,
• Broad dissemination of information about the established International Year of Cooperatives in schools, universities, public institutions, and through the media.

The activities are substantively and thematically interconnected, and their common idea is to serve the realization of a shared goal: promoting the idea of cooperativism through the promotion of student cooperatives based on the message of Janusz Korczak's book ‘Bankruptcy of the Little Jack’. The individual initiatives are planned as mutually complementary elements of an educational and social program that is comprehensive in nature and has the potential to bring about a lasting educational impact and outcome.

We believe that as a series, these activities gain particular value and have a real impact on the positive perception of cooperativism.

We believe our initiative will allow for a new and broader promotion of cooperativism in Poland and worldwide.

In the project's implementation, we leverage the experience of the Warsaw Institute of Banking Foundation, which for several years has been conducting educational activities using Janusz Korczak's book, fostering economic and social knowledge among children and youth through the values derived from literature. ‘Bankruptcy of the Little Jack’ is a required reading in Polish primary schools and serves as an excellent starting point for discussions about cooperation, responsibility, and honesty. Korczak – as an outstanding educator, thinker, and advocate for the idea of sharing – demonstrates that even the youngest children can understand and co-create just social relationships.

Our goal is to restore this idea within a modern school and social context. In carrying out these activities, we will cooperate with many institutions, including cooperative organizations, educational institutions, and the Korczak community. A particularly important role in this initiative will be played by the National Center for Economic Education, coordinated by our Foundation and established on January 14, 2025, as a continuation of the ideas and message of the Year of Economic Education.

Participation in the aforementioned diverse initiatives is free of charge. If registration is required for a given event, it is also free of charge.

About the International Year of Cooperatives 2025

On June 19, 2024, the UN General Assembly declared 2025 the International Year of Cooperatives, underscoring the pivotal role cooperatives play in sustainable development. This year's theme, "Cooperatives Build a Better World," highlights the enduring global impact of cooperatives, positioning them as essential solutions for today's global challenges. It emphasizes their contribution to sustainable development across social, economic, and environmental dimensions, demonstrating how cooperatives are key enablers in achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

This theme also highlights the unique ability of cooperatives to foster inclusive growth and strengthen community resilience. The Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), a multi-stakeholder partnership bringing together UN agencies and the International Cooperative Alliance, serves as the host for the International Year, promoting and supporting people-centered and self-sustaining cooperative enterprises as leaders in sustainable development.