The Ministry of National Defence, together with its partners, announces the start of the “Flag for the School” competition and invites schools to submit applications by November 6 of this year. Each year, on Lithuanian Flag Day, before a new tricolour is raised on the Gediminas Castle Tower, the flag that has flown there for the past year is ceremoniously handed over to one Lithuanian school for safekeeping. Since 2005, this cherished tradition has encouraged school communities to strengthen their connection with the nation’s history and the Lithuanian Armed Forces, as well as to nurture civic-mindedness.

“The flag flying atop Gediminas Tower is more than just a flag – it is an invitation for every young person to be civic-minded, courageous, and creative as a child of Lithuania. We invite schools to take part actively and strive for the honour of receiving the flag – to show what light your community carries,” said Vice Minister of National Defence Tomas Godliauskas.

Civic education in schools is one of the key factors in shaping responsible, active, and conscious young citizens. The school environment is where children acquire not only knowledge but also values and an understanding of their role in the state and in continuing its history. The “Flag for the School” initiative encourages communities to explore history and contribute to it daily, while also fostering information resilience, media literacy, and community spirit.

“The transfer of the Gediminas Tower flag to a school is not only an honour – it is recognition that the school is purposefully and consistently educating the young generation to be responsible, critical thinkers and active citizens. Civic education is the foundation of our society, and the opportunity to become the flag’s guardians encourages students to engage more deeply with the nation’s history, understand their role, and contribute to building Lithuania through their everyday actions. I invite all schools to take up this challenge and demonstrate the strength of their communities,” said Vice Minister of Education, Science and Sport Rolandas Zuoza.

This year, the selection rules for the winning school are changing. The winner will be chosen not only by a commission but also by the public through open voting on a news portal.

“Every year, when the Gediminas Tower flag is passed to the winning school, it also passes on a special feeling – that the students are part of this state and its future. This unites communities and generations, reminding everyone that Lithuania’s history and future are a shared responsibility,” said Director of the National Museum of Lithuania, Dr. Rūta Kačkutė.

Schools will compete for the honour of receiving the Gediminas Tower flag by completing creative tasks. The final score will be determined by combining the commission’s evaluation (70%) and public voting (30%).

The public voting will take place on a news portal in two stages:

November 6–19 – voting for all submitted creative works.

November 20–27 – voting for the top 10 entries with the highest number of votes.

In the second stage, the work receiving the most votes will receive the full 30% of the public score, while the others will receive proportionally less. The commission will include representatives from the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, and the National Museum of Lithuania.

This year’s new creative task invites schools to design their own flag of civic-mindedness. The flag can take any creative form that symbolically reflects the ideas of civic spirit, community, and the Lithuanian state.

Along with the application to participate in the “Flag for the School” competition, schools must submit at least one photo of the created work and a brief description of the idea (up to 200 words).

All schools meeting the competition’s requirements are invited to participate, except those that have already received the Lithuanian state flag from the Gediminas Castle Tower since 2005.

Applications are open until November 6. For more information and the competition guidelines: click here.