Things to Do

Listed below are suggested activities for your October celebration.

Community Wide

1. Meet with your local Polish American organizations to discuss a successful, well-coordinated Polish American Heritage Month event.

2. Request local elected officials to present a proclamation or special greetings to the Polish American community.

3. Offer a Mass at your local church for the intention of your area Polish American community and invite everyone to attend. Following the Mass, hold a reception with Polish pastries and refreshments, welcoming all in the spirit of Polish hospitality.

4. Sponsor an event to honor noted men and women of Poland. During October we mark the death of American Revolutionary War Hero General Casimir Pulaski on October 15th. You can conduct a tribute ceremony in front of a portrait of Pulaski. You can also consider honoring people such as Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Fryderyk Chopin, Marie Sklodowska Curie and others.

5. Encourage people to display Polish and American flags and Polish American Heritage Month posters in their homes, organizational headquarters, banks, businesses, etc. Flags, posters and banners help bring attention to the fact that October is National Polish American Heritage Month and that Polonia is celebrating proudly. Sample posters are available from the Heritage Month link on the Museum’s Internet site at: PolishAmericanCenter.com

6. Sponsor a lunch or dinner social with Polish food, music and entertainment.

Youth Activities

1. Organize an essay contest in your local schools. Complete information on sponsoring an essay contest is available from the Museum’s Internet site. You can award prizes during a school assembly or public event to encourage participation from parents and students alike. Ask local businesses and organizations to help sponsor the event and offer prizes. This is also a way to involve local teachers as judges of the essay contest.

2. Sponsor a coloring contest. Art work samples are available upon request from the national committee or you can download coloring forms from the Museum’s Internet site. The coloring contest remains very popular in schools.

Ask local art students to organize and judge the entries. Ask a local printer to reprint the artwork for your committee at no charge with the name of his business at the bottom as an advertisement.

3. Sponsor a children’s music or dance recital to highlight Polish music or dance in a local auditorium, school hall or recreation center. There are children's groups that would appreciate this type of exposure. It’s a great way to get people together for a positive event involving young people. Invite the general public to attend.

4. Sponsor a Polish poster art contest requesting area schools to highlight Polish history and culture through student art. Display their art works and sponsor an award ceremony.

Cultural Displays

1. Organize a display at your local shopping mall or library featuring Polish books, arts and crafts, wycinanki and paintings by Polish American artists. Contact local artists and request them to display their works at the local library, parish hall, organization hall, public or office building lobby.
Media Contact & General Advertising

1. Display Polish American Heritage Month posters. Sample posters are available from the National Committee, or they can be downloaded from the Heritage Month link on the Museum’s Internet site at: PolishAmericanCenter.org. You can reprint these posters and encourage local stores, banks, supermarkets, churches and organizations to display the posters throughout the month of October.

2. Contact your local newspapers, radio and TV stations to tell them about National Polish American Heritage Month and your local activities.

3. Ask local radio programs to mention your area Polish American events during October as part of their community bulletin board or public service announcements. (Every radio station is required to give time for public service announcements.) You can also ask your radio stations to play a few selections written by Polish composers over the centuries and recorded by internationally famous artists. This is a way for them to bring attention to Polish American Heritage Month and highlight Polish composers.

4. Ask local organizations, banks, businesses and elected leaders to place a "POLISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH SALUTE" advertisement in local newspapers or on local radio or TV programs. Placing these salutes each week during the month of October will remind everyone about POLISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH. (The National Committee has an artwork for the newspaper, radio and TV salutes available upon request.)

5. Ask area high school and college students of Polish descent to assist you with press releases, public service announcements and other activities. Often this is a way for younger students to get extra credit for school and will allow them to be part of the Polish American Heritage Month celebration. Possibly there are individuals in your community with children who could be called upon to assist you with publicity and other efforts.

Family & Friends

1. Start your family tree and invite all the members of your family to get involved.

2. Review a map of Poland and learn more about the town or city of your ancestors.

3. Read a book on Polish history and share that information with family and friends.

4. Attend a Polish American event and invite others to attend with you.

5. Display a Polish and American flag, a red and white bow, or a Heritage Month poster in your home or place of business.

6. Learn more about Polish customs and share that information with others.

7. Join a Polish American organization and get involved in some way.