Poetry/Rap Challenge 2024

This is an exciting new challenge for 5th and 6th class primary school students!

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and Schools of Sanctuary* are inviting students to write a short poem, or rap, to celebrate Refugee Week (June 17th – 23rd).   

The theme for the challenge is ‘Home’ and you can submit your entry in English or Irish. 

We want students to write about the importance of home, and how they would feel if they were forced to leave home without getting to say goodbye. We know that in some classrooms in Ireland there are young people who have had to do just that.  

*Schools of Sanctuary Ireland supports and recognises a schools good practice in fostering a culture of welcome, belonging and solidarity for those seeking safety.

Why Should Our Class Take Part? 

This is a great opportunity to encourage young people learn about refugees and help them understand why some people are forced to leave their homes to seek safety in another country.  

The winning entries will be announced on RTE’s News2Day programme during Refugee Week, and a student from the winning class will be invited to read their poem live on the show!  

Prizes for the winning classes include vouchers for sports equipment, books and arts and crafts (1 voucher of €200 for the winning class, and a voucher for €150 for each of the two runners up). 

Are there any rules? 

Not many!  

• Poems or raps should be 300 words max.  

• Only one entry per student, though classes can opt to enter a single poem or rap on behalf of the entire class. This can be a collaborative piece, or a poem written by one student.  

• Prizes will be awarded to classrooms and not individual students.  

• The judges’ decisions on the winning entries are final.  

• The deadline for entries is May 17th, 2024.  

All information and updates will be available here, submit your entries in English or Irish here.