In Warsaw, Polonia_Camp 2026 – The World Meeting of Young Polonia (July 23–26, SGGW campus) is currently taking place: around 1500 young people of Polish descent from nearly 50 countries are gathering for four days of workshops, panels, sports, and concerts. This is only the second edition of the event, but the scale is growing rapidly – and everything indicates that it will become a permanent fixture in the Polonia calendar. This guide explains what Polonia Camp is, where it came from, who can attend, how much it costs (spoiler: nothing), and how not to miss the recruitment for the next edition.
In short: Polonia Camp is a free four-day gathering for individuals aged 18–30 living outside Poland and identifying with Polish heritage. It is organized by the Association "Polish Community" with funds from the Chancellery of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, under the honorary patronage of the Marshal of the Senate. Registrations for the 2026 edition closed on July 7 – but it is worth following the organizer's channels in anticipation of 2027.
What is Polonia Camp
Contrary to its name, it is not a camping event but a networking festival: meetings with politicians and cultural figures, workshops (Polish language, literature, starting a business, property matters), panels on identity and the future of Polonia, joint sports activities, and concerts. Participants stay on the SGGW campus in Warsaw, and the entire program is conducted in Polish – the organizers expect a communicative knowledge of the language.
The goal is simple: to provide young people from the diaspora – from Canada to Brazil to Kazakhstan – a common space where they can meet each other and connect with "modern Poland," rather than knowing it only from their grandparents' stories.
History: a young event, rapid growth
Polonia Camp does not have a long tradition – and it must be stated frankly. The documented history looks like this:
| Edition | Date | Location | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| I – Polonia Camp 2025 | July 17–20, 2025 | SGGW Campus, Warsaw | over 1000 participants from over 40 countries (according to organizers' reports) |
| II – Polonia Camp 2026 | July 23–26, 2026 | SGGW Campus, Warsaw | approximately 1500 participants from nearly 50 countries |
The first edition (2025) was co-organized by three organizations: the Association "Polish Community", the Foundation "Help for Poles in the East" named after Jan Olszewski, and the Foundation Institute of Public Affairs, and was financed by the Senate competition "Senate – Polonia 2025". The event was announced on gov.pl as "the first meeting of Polish youth abroad in Warsaw." No single "founder" is mentioned in the sources – it is an institutional project. The formal name of the concept is "The World Meeting of Young Polonia."
Financial context: funds to support Polonia have shifted between institutions over the years – in 2019/2020, they were moved from the Senate to the Prime Minister's Chancellery, and in 2024, after several years, some returned to the Senate budget (the "Senate–Polonia" competitions). Polonia Camp is a direct result of this return – hence the patronage and funding from the Chancellery of the Senate.
2026 Edition: What is Happening in Warsaw
- Thursday, July 23: opening with the participation of the Marshal of the Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska (“being Polish is a great reason to be proud” – she told the participants).
- Friday, July 24: meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski; panel “Together for Polonia.”
- The program also includes: meetings with Andrzej Poczobut (activist of the Polish minority in Belarus, former political prisoner) and Bogdan Borusewicz (a legend of the PRL opposition), a lecture by economist Marcin Piątkowski on the Polish economy, volleyball training with Pawel Zagumny, meetings with linguists and cultural figures (including Jerzy Bralczyk, Michał Rusinek), workshops, and concerts.
- Current day-by-day program: poloniacamp.eu (under the “Program” tab).
Who Can Attend and How Much Does It Cost
| Condition | Details |
|---|---|
| Age | 18–30 years |
| Place of residence | Outside Poland |
| Heritage | Identifying with Polish heritage – Polish Card is NOT required (no source mentions it) |
| Language | Communicative Polish (the entire event is in Polish) |
| Cost | Participation is completely free – accommodation and meals are provided |
| Travel | Partial reimbursement of costs – for participants from the USA/Canada in 2026, approximately 2500 PLN (~650 USD, according to the Kościuszko Foundation) |
| Recruitment | Online registration (2026: poloniacamp.pl/poloniacamp.eu, deadline passed on July 7); application does not guarantee acceptance – selection applies |
How Not to Miss the 2027 Edition
Follow the organizer's channels
The website of the Association "Polish Community" (wspolnotapolska.org.pl) and the official website poloniacamp.eu. Contact the organizer: swp@wspolnotapolska.org.pl, +48 22 556 90 02.
Keep an eye on your embassy's website
Recruitments are announced by Polish institutions on gov.pl (in 2026, announcements were published by embassies in Austria, South Africa, and Belarus) and Polish organizations – in the USA, for example, the Kościuszko Foundation (thekf.org).
Watch for the deadline
The previous rhythm: registrations in spring/early summer (in 2026 until July 7), the event in the second half of July. If the rhythm holds, expect recruitment for 2027 from spring – but dates may change, so treat this as a guideline, not a certainty.
Polonia Camp in the Context of Other Programs for Polonia
Polonia Camp fills a gap: until now, most summer programs in Poland targeted children and school youth or athletes. For comparison:
| Program | For whom | Nature |
|---|---|---|
| Polonia Camp | Adults 18–30 | One large gathering in Warsaw: networking, identity, workshops |
| “Summer with Poland” (Polish Community) | Children and school youth of Polish descent | Subsidized educational and integration stays in various regions of Poland; the program has been running for years (the organizer reports several editions) |
| World Summer Games of Polonia | Amateur athletes of all ages | XXII edition: August 25–30, 2026, Ustka – over 1000 competitors from 40+ countries, 24 disciplines |
| Summer Polish Language Schools | Anyone interested (paid/scholarship courses) | Including Polonicum UW, UJ, KUL – intensive Polish language learning |
| ORPEG | Students abroad | Not a camp, but a network of Polish schools at institutions (~80 schools) and distance learning |
Honest note about sources: Polonia Camp is a very young event, and some data (exact participant numbers, countries) comes from organizers' announcements and media reports, not from independent statistics. The hourly program for the 2026 edition is available only on the poloniacamp.eu website (event application). Details of future recruitments may differ from those described – always check the current announcement.
Sources
| Source | Type | Status/Reliability |
|---|---|---|
| gov.pl (Embassy of the Republic of Poland in South Africa): Polonia Camp 2026 | Government | Verified 07.2026 |
| gov.pl (Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Austria): Polonia Camp 2026 – organizer and funding | Government | Verified 07.2026 |
| gov.pl (Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Belarus): registrations for Polonia Camp 2026 | Government | Verified 07.2026 |
| gov.pl: Polonia Camp 2025 – first edition | Government | Verified 07.2026 |
| poloniacamp.eu – official event website | Official site | Verified (JS application – program visible in the browser) |
| Association "Polish Community" – organizer | Organization (organizer) | Verified 07.2026 |
| Kościuszko Foundation: recruitment, conditions, travel cost reimbursement | Polish organization (USA) | Verified 07.2026 |
| Polish Radio (EN service): report from the opening 2026 | Public media | Verified 24.07.2026 |
| ZPB Portal: announcement of Polonia Camp 2026 (1500 people, ~50 countries) | Polish media | Verified 07.2026 |
| ORPEG – Polish education abroad | Government | Verified 07.2026 |
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