What is the RIDEF 2026 logo? What makes it unique and where does it come from?
We would like to share with you our reflections, inspired by Polish national identity, which are reflected in the RIDEF 2026 logo.
The art competition for the official logo of the International Freinet Educators’ Meeting (RIDEF), entitled “RIDEF 2026 Logo, Poland,” was concluded in July 2024. The competition was organized by the Warsaw Regional Group of the Polish Association of Célestin Freinet Pedagogy Animators.
Anna Kwiatkowska-Rehan, Head of Kindergarten No. 172 named after Danuta Wawiłow in Warsaw, announced:
Children aged 3–6 and pupils from grades 1–3 of primary schools from all over Poland took part in the competition. Following Célestin Freinet’s idea that “we all feel the human need to create,” the jury selected the winning design after lengthy deliberations. The author of the winning logo is Alicja Kotecka, aged 5, from Kindergarten No. 124 in Warsaw. The winning design combined the most important ideas of the RIDEF meeting with local and national context. The main graphic elements of Alicja’s work are the Polish flag and the sun. This symbolism carries a profound meaning. The Polish flag proudly emphasizes the role of our country as the host of this year’s congress and welcomes guests from all over the world. The sun symbolizes warmth, energy, hope and the joy of sharing knowledge, perfectly reflecting the pedagogy of Célestin Freinet.
The graphic design of the entire logo was created by Zuzanna Ziemann, a translation studies student at the University of Gdańsk and former pupil of a Freinet class, who said:
“The logo is based on children’s drawings. They are an inseparable part of RIDEF. This initiative was created with children in mind, and the joined hands symbolize the shared commitment of people from every corner of the world to the development and education of children. To subtly refer to the Polish identity of this year’s congress, the red RIDEF lettering imitates the famous Solidarity logo.”
“All the elements were created by hand,” emphasized the co-author.
The logo is distinguished by its simple, stylized lettering, referring to the peaceful political transformation in Poland between 1980 and 1989. “There is no freedom without Solidarity” was one of the slogans of the 1980 strikes in Gdańsk and throughout Poland. The most recognizable symbol of the Solidarity movement is its distinctive red lettering, resembling a marching crowd. This unique logo was created in August 1980 by the Polish graphic designer Jerzy Janiszewski. The red RIDEF lettering is inspired by the concept behind his iconic design. Solidarity remains an important idea in modern societies, helping people unite for the common good and shared interests.
The colours of the RIDEF logo emphasize equal opportunities, social justice, freedom and solidarity. They are recognized throughout the world. White and blue symbolize FREEDOM, white and red symbolize SOLIDARITY, while in international symbolism the colours of DEMOCRACY are red, white and blue.
The multicoloured letters of the word POLAND express the joyful, untroubled world of childhood. The green colour of the number 36 symbolizes hope and the deeply rooted commitment that, since the foundation of FIMEM, has prepared children and young people to shape the world in the spirit of freedom and democracy. Education based on the values of Célestin Freinet’s pedagogy is a tool for social transformation, and the international gathering of teachers and educators at RIDEF 2026 will highlight the importance of these values.
Prepared by: Regina Chorn
