Dorota Dziamska: Why the diversity of paper-folding techniques has become a foundation for creating our program?

The program was not established along with the registration of the society or even during first few years of its activity. Promoting origami art as a support to development of youth and children was a spontaneous initiative of the founding group. We knew intuitively that utilizing origami in pastimes and didactic classes could be beneficial and so our goal became to make the society work for the development of both children and ourselves as class masters, pedagogues and educators.  »

Grażyna Karasińska-Kraszkiewicz: Rae Cooker

Rae Cooker was born in a small mining town of Iron River on the Michigan peninsula. She was a statistician by education. Her friends from the economics school in Milwaukee shortened her name Ramona to Rae. This is also where she met her husband. After graduation, they spent a lot of time traveling and eventually came back to a little industrial town by the name of Midland, Michigan. »

Dorota Dziamska: The interdisciplinary aspect of paper-folding art

Whenever folding paper, I always remember that active silence and holistic cognition is released inside of me. For origami is an art of order, harmony, beauty and simplicity that our world needs as much as a little human being needs useful mathematics, the most beautiful way, which leads to discovering philosophy.

For each person, who came across concrete origami models in their life, the mathematical facet of this art originates as early as the first thought. The origami plane is a square sheet of paper, being folded at the initial stages of form creation, in the first place, by taking advantage of its geometry. »

Aleksandra Sojka, Dorota Dziamska: Omi the Duckling in Holland

In connection with an origami meeting organized by Origami Sociëteit Nederland, we decided to go for a trip to Holland. Our objective was not only to participate in the origami convention itself but also to have a close-up view of how children’s classes proceed in one of the Dutch schools. We were staying in Gouda at the home of Mariette Kok – a warm-hearted teacher whom we met four years ago during our first visit to a meeting of origami lovers in Holland. Mariette introduced us to a local group of OSN members, which she is the head of. Everyone was enthusiastic to have a little talk with us and we were also encouraged to do some folding. We shared the roles. Ola, the photographer practiced taking shots with her new camera. Dorota showed how to make a recent model from circular paper – a 3D lantern. At the end of the meeting we presented our hosts with a diagram of a little Omi duckling as a keepsake. It has captivated one and all ever since. »

Izabela Wiencławska: Origami and children with blindness and visual impairment

Beginning my work in an origami circle of the Education Center for Children with Blindness and Visual Impairment in Bydgoszcz, I was apprehensive and concerned. I knew that substantial preparation was absolutely necessary for me to be able to show the beauty of creating paper forms the best way possible and to instill the need of creation into children. So for each class I would make a template of a given work, i.e. neatly arranged scheme showing the construction method, sequence of folds made, etc. It turned out – to my great surprise and satisfaction – that during subsequent meetings children had no problems in telling the difference between basic rules and fold patterns, made them easily and almost without help. But how proud of my work I was when children creating flower models asked me: ‘Can I make a fold here too so my flower is different?’ It seemed that I not only aroused their interest in origami but also managed to help them find the need of creation and searching for new, individual solutions. It may be a small step but still it shows the whole range of origami seen as a method of supporting and stimulating children’s development. A method that is conducive to creative activity, so beneficial in life.  »