Winners of the Student Creative Work Competition Dedicated to the 108th Anniversary of Latvia Identified

In the competition organized by the Chancellery of the President of Latvia for students in grades 5–12, where children and young people were invited to imagine themselves in the role of the President of the Republic and prepare a speech for the people on November 18, 524 student speeches were submitted. For these young people, November 18 is more than just a holiday.

"This year is a record, as 524 students from all over Latvia have responded. It is also pleasing to see the range and scope of topics that resonate with today's youth. And it is not just about family, but also about the idea of young people's place and role today, here and now in Latvian society. How do they envision the future of the country, national security, and how do they value democracy? Of course, we ensured that modern aids such as artificial intelligence were not used, and we tried to select the most original works that the young people themselves have written and thought about society as a whole. The students' speeches will be very interesting to many listeners and viewers," said Mārtiņš Drēģeris, advisor to the President on communication issues, to the Skonto media group.

The competition took place in three subgroups: for students in grades 5–6, grades 7–9, and grades 10–12. The first-place winner of each subgroup will have the opportunity to read their speech at the festive concert dedicated to the 108th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia at the Latvian National Theatre on November 18 this year.

Competition winners:

In the 5–6 grade group: Artjoms Mežeckis, Olaine Primary School, 5th grade; Kyryl Gura, Riga Nordic Gymnasium, 6th grade;

In the 7–9 grade group: Emīlija Siliņa, Pāvilosta Primary School, 8th grade;
In the 10–12 grade group: Elizabete Botore-Tumova, Aglona Secondary School, 12th grade.

"Thank you to all the students who took the initiative and wrote down their thoughts. Sometimes we forget that youth is here and now, not sometime in the future. How wonderful it is that there are 524 young people reminding us of this! I see that they also understand their role in shaping Latvia. Because students can already support each other today, care for their environment today, and keep up with events in society today. Latvia's birthday makes them think about what opportunities freedom opens up for us and what responsibility it imposes. These young people will not wait for 'their time,' because their time is now. And our task is to be with them and listen to their truly valuable opinions now," emphasizes President Edgars Rinkēvičs.