The PGNiG Ignacy Łukasiewicz Foundation was established in November 2004. After the PGNiG Group was merged with ORLEN S.A. on November 2nd 2022, it joined the array of corporate foundations run by ORLEN. The Foundation’s mission is to be an instrumental force in supporting and preserving national heritage and culture, while promoting science, education and sports. Other goals pursued by the Foundation are to support historical education, foster national identity and cultivate the memory of Polish heroes.
Knowledge through experience
The PGNiG Ignacy Łukasiewicz Foundation has a long track record of implementing numerous educational and scholarship programmes, which have earned it recognition among wide audiences.
Its youngest beneficiaries are preschoolers, with a dedicated initiative called Big Little Discoverers, engaging the youngest minds through experiments, encouraging their curiosity in science and nurturing a desire to explore the world around them. Another example is Be Like Ignacy – a year-round programme for primary school students in grades one to three and four to eight, seeking to promote learning through experience. Inspired by scenarios prepared by the Foundation, pupils delve into activities that showcase the achievements of prominent Polish scientists and inventors.
High school students are invited to participate in the Engineers of the Future programme, where they have the opportunity to design and execute their own experiments and research projects.
The Foundation organises tours around Poland, featuring its Be Like Ignacy science bus, which serves as a mobile laboratory. This dynamic, educational, scientific and exhibition-oriented zone visits schools and local events, enlightening children and young people about the intricacies of oil and natural gas, from extraction to utilisation.
The Foundation is also engaged in scholarship programmes: a programme for children of tragically deceased employees of former PGNiG Group companies, a programme for the most talented students in grades three and four of secondary technical schools run jointly with PGNiG TERMIKA, and For Eagles dedicated to gifted children of the ORLEN Group’s employees, run by the ORLEN Foundation.
Warsaw Gasworks Museum
Since mid-October 2022, the Foundation has run and managed the Warsaw Gasworks Museum, a captivating historical space that provides visitors with a unique journey through the industrial heritage of the gas industry. The museum showcases artifacts dating back up to 120 years, including ammonia scrubbers, compressors and Europe’s largest gas meter. This curated space offers a glimpse into the appearance and operation of the former gasworks. Complementing the exhibits is a state-of-the-art interactive system that educates visitors on the process of producing gas from coal, as once conducted at the gasworks. The interactive display also explores the diverse applications of gas in the economy and industry. The museum boasts a diverse collection of gas appliances. The visitor experience includes both guided tours and an opportunity to explore the space at one’s own pace.
The museum extends its educational mission through a variety of workshops and educational activities catering to different audiences. On weekdays, the focus is primarily on school classes, providing an enriching learning experience, while during weekends family workshops are offered.