Help a Child Grow Art Competition
Therapy Focus’ annual Help a Child Grow Art Competition is a state-wide school art activity, which aims to better educate children about disability; fostering inclusion, participation and acceptance of children with special needs.
Fostering inclusive and accepting classrooms
The Art Competition aims to help children understand disability, including the needs and differences of children with disabilities, whilst emphasising the importance of fundamental similarities. Targeting primary school children, the project imparts key messages and values at an age when attitudes are shaped for life. While providing a fun, engaging and educational classroom activity, the Art Competition and associated teaching resources encourage children to focus on what peers with disabilities can do, not a perceived lack of ability or skills.
Active throughout West Australian primary schools for the past nine years, the Art Competition has grown significantly from a modest 50 entries in its inaugural year, to thousands in recent years. Schools as far south as Albany and as far north as the Pilbara have embraced the key messages of the Art Competition, submitting colourful and creative artworks.
For the past four years, the Art Competition has invited primary school students to illustrate the pages of supplied storylines, which promote understanding and inclusion of children with a disability. Winning artworks are selected from thousands of entries and feature as the illustrations in published storybooks as part of the Help a Child Grow storybook series. The storybooks are distributed to WA schools, libraries and the community, and sold to raise money for the Help a Child Grow Fund.
The 2011 Help a Child Grow Art Competition & storybook
In 2011, Therapy Focus was proud to host the 9th annual Help a Child Grow Art Competition, inviting WA primary schools students to illustrate the pages of two age-appropriate narrative stories that help educate children about disability and celebrate the unique talents of every individual.
From almost 3,500 entries received, 35 winning artworks were selected to feature as illustrations in the 2011 Help a Child Grow published storybook, entitled I Am Special / Jarrah's Jigsaw.
For the first time in the history of the project, an accompanying DVD providing digital talking book and e-book versions of the stories in English and various other languages, has been produced and will be availbale for purchase. The DVD enhances the educational value of the storybook and makes it more accessible to children and families of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CaLD). Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) formatting and downloads, commonly used by people with disabilities to read texts, has also been included.
A heartfelt thank you to the thousands of Western Australian students and teachers who participated in this year's Art Competition. It is only with your support that we are successful in conveying the key messages of the Art Competition and storybook project to children at an age when attitudes are shaped for life.
Purchase your very own set of storybooks
To purchase your copy of I Am Special / Jarrah's Jigsaw, or any of the storybooks from the Help a Child Grow series, simply visit our Shop.
The storybooks are a great resource for teachers and a colourful addition to any bookshelf or library.
Proceeds from the sale of the storybooks go directly to our Help a Child Grow Fund, which provides specialised equipment and resources to children and families in need.
2011 Major Sponsors
Therapy Focus is very grateful to have the support of a number of generous organisations, who have provided the valuable support and funding required to run this worthwhile activity.
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2011 Prize Sponsors
Thank you to the following organisations who have generously made contributions to the winning children's prize packs for this year's Art Competition.
