This year all art classes are worked on projects related to Human Rights. We looked at issues that affect children - everything from the right to protection from being hurt or mistreated, to the right to the best health care possible, to the right to an identity.
Although these topics were challenging, the reality is that many children in Canada and abroad are in situations where their rights are being violated. It is important that we know about these issues and understand them, in order to move toward social change. After a few days of teacher-led introduction about various human rights issues affecting children, each of my students chose an area of Human Rights that was personally meaningful to them, and through the inquiry process, explored it in more detail. Their final project was to create a personal visual response, depicting what human rights mean to them.
Their work was created on an 8 X 10 panel, which became part of the Pembina Trails School Division Human Rights Project - a giant mosaic in the shape of the international symbol for Human Rights - which was revealed on May 21st at Investors Group Stadium - home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. This project is the first of its kind in the world - not only because of its size, but because over 13,000 young people (from Kindergarten to Grade 12) were able to have their voices 'heard' through their art, in a giant public installation. The Artist's Voice...Linked below are some videos students made about their Human Rights Projects - you can listen to each young artist talk about their ideas.
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WATCH THE AMAZING VIDEO: CLICK HERE
GLOBAL NEWS 1: CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT THE AMAZING PROJECT! GLOBAL NEWS 2: AND HERE IS ANOTHER ONE! CBC NEWS: AND ANOTHER ONE! |