Gwynne Park gets creative with the annual Help a Child Grow Competition

Gwynne Park Educational Support Centre children get creative with their new entries to the Help a Child Grow Art Competition as they once again hope to feature in Therapy Focus' flip book which promotes acceptance of children with special needs.

Therapy Focus' annual Art Competition aims to help children understand disability, including the needs and differences of children with disabilities, whilst emphasising the importance of fundamental similarities.

Each year West Australian Primary schools are invited to illustrate the pages of a narrative story, which helps to teach children about disability and highlight the unique qualities and talents of every individual.

Over 100 schools participated in last year's Art Competition, with 30 winning artworks selected to feature in a published flipbook encompassing the two titles, Sunny the Sunflower's Journey / Jessica's Dazzling Do-a-thon.

Gwynne Park Education Support Centre student, Eric Bamford, was delighted to be selected as a winner in last year's competition. Eric has a mild intellectual disability and receives services from Therapy Focus.

"We were thrilled last year when Eric was a winner in the Help a Child Grow competition, felt very proud at the presentation at Karrinyup and very impressed that Therapy Focus visited his family. His winning entry is framed and on the Principal's wall", Patricia Webb Principal of Gwynne Park Education Support said.

"The competition involves all our students and most of our staff and everyone enjoyed reading Sunny the Sunflower's Journey. We are hard at work on this year's competition entries."

33 winning artworks will be selected to feature as the illustrations in this year's storybook, which will be published as a flipbook comprising the two titles; I Am Special for lower primary students, and Jarrah's Jigsaw for upper primary students.

The I Am Special / Jarrah's Jigsaw storybook will be launched at an official Book launch function at Karrinyup Shopping Centre on Friday 26th August where winners will be acknowledged with a fantastic prize pack and a framed copy of their artwork.

An exhibition of the winning artworks will also be on display at Karrinyup Shopping Centre from Monday 22nd to Saturday 27th of August, to coincide with National Children's Book Week. Copies of the 2011 storybooks will also be available for purchase, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the Help a Child Grow Fund – providing vital equipment and resources to children with a disability.

Every participating school will receive a complimentary copy of the published story book for their school library, and a certificate of participation for each student who submitted an entry.

Click here to find out more about our Help a Child Grow Art Competition.