By Danielle Kutchel
When Mission Australia needed new logos for its Communities for Children program, the organisation knew exactly where to turn: to the children who are so pivotal to its work.
In partnership with the City of Greater Dandenong Children’s Advisory Group, Mission Australia conducted an artwork contest for more than 30 children to come up with new logos that represented the four key priority areas of Communities for Children (CfC).
The activity also aimed to nurture and support the confidence of local children, and assist children to learn key skills to communicate with others.
Mission Australia’s Communities for Children is an early intervention and prevention program aimed at improving the development, health and wellbeing of children aged 12 and under by addressing local needs and encouraging community participation.
The winning entries were decided by the Children’s Advisory Group, a platform for local children to express their ideas and share their experiences.
Since 2017, the group has worked with Mission Australia’s CfC on several projects, such as planning for a children’s forum and providing feedback on the city’s council plans. The group has also contributed to the Community Strategic Plan review and has impacted the program’s direction moving forward.
It followed a similar successful competition in 2017 in which children designed the CfC logo.
And now, Mission Australia’s CfC coordinator Lisa Banfield said, the four individually-designed logos will sit alongside those four priority areas, proudly displayed for all to see.
The creation of the logos was a collaborative process, with Ms Banfield presenting at an advisory group meeting on the work Mission Australia does with children’s voice.
Dandenong South Primary School, where the winning entries came from, had a discussion with its children about the goals of CfC.
And while students were guided by criteria around the size and what tools to draw with, the idea of what they thought that key priority looked like was up to them.
The competition was open to all schools in Greater Dandenong, but it so happened that all four winning entries came from Dandenong South Primary School.
Ms Banfield said she visited the school last year to give the children their prizes, and all entrants received a certificate of participation too.
She added that Mission Australia and the Children’s Advisory Group were blown away by the creativity and quality of the entries.
“We were amazed, the entries were so wonderful,” Ms Banfield said.
“You can see the amount of effort and thought that has gone into them.”
Rona and Simrat, the two youngest winners of the competition, dedicated many sessions of their time – including lunchtimes – to getting their designs just right.
Rona, now in grade two, won for her depiction of the ‘My Happy World’ goal.
“I was interested in drawing so that’s why I decided to ask my teacher, ‘can I be in the art competition’, and she let me,” Rona explained.
Part of her drawing depicted her family, including her little brother.
Rona enjoyed being able to colour and draw with her teacher, Yogita Rai, who she said was “the best teacher in the whole school”.
Meanwhile, Simrat’s drawing focused on the goal to create a world for children to enjoy and do well at school.
“I drew me painting and me and my friend outside, and my teacher doing writing with my class,” the grade three student explained.
She said the most fun part of the competition was being able to draw with her friends.
Neither student expected to win, but both were very happy with the news.
Ms Rai, their teacher, said she was impressed by the ideas that all four of her winning students came up with.
“I didn’t have to give them suggestions, they got it right,” she said.
She had full confidence in her students’ work too, and said she would have chosen them as winners.
The other two winners were in grade six and have since graduated from the school.
Ms Rai said she was glad her students had the opportunity to compete.
“What I like about having art competitions is it makes them feel like their talent also counts.
“I know that in schools the focus is on academics, reading, writing and maths. But other kids have other talents, and when through this competition they shine and bring glory to their parents, themselves and the school, they think, ‘my talent has worth and I can use it in future as a professional and study more about it’,” she explained.
Leonie Fitzgerald, principal at the school, said she was proud of her students for using their talents and showing their creativity, and thanked Ms Rai and Mission Australia for the opportunity.
Tilla Buden, acting director of community services at the City of Greater Dandenong, said the initiative was “a great example of our commitment to ensuring local children have opportunities to share their vision for our local community”.
“We are pleased to work with Mission Australia on this project, and would like to congratulate all of the local primary schools and students on their involvement,” she said.
