The Animals Only Voice

A group of young art students were surprised to discover that British Columbia does not have endangered species legislation! Proudly claiming the title of, "Beautiful BC" and, "The Best Place on Earth," it seems ironic that British Columbia is failing to protect the over 1600 species at risk! From the grizzly bears to the great blue herons to the rattle snakes; BC is the most biologically diverse province in the country. These artworks represent the students initiative to take action; to recognize the species that make British Columbia so diverse.

The compelling artworks bring attention to both the beauty and the plight of many vulnerable animals in BC.  To make their images authentic, the students researched their animals on the internet.  They found information on habitat, behaviours, threatened ecosystems, and population declines.  The students looked at the problems facing these animals and considered some possible solutions. 

After gathering the necessary information, students needed to compose their images to convey this information; to grab the  viewers attention and force them to think. Some artists included words or symbols to strengthen their message, while others considered colour combinations and  watercolour techniques to further enhance their images. The result is a richly varied impression of some of the beautiful species currently endangered or at risk in British Columbia.

We hope these paintings speak to you.
"We are the animals only voice!"
 

Colours of Pollution

The animal that is featured in my watercolour painting is a Red-necked Phalarope.  The Phalarope are soon to be endangered in British Columbia. In my painting, the chosen colours represent the pollution in our waterways that is caused by cities and agricultural run-off. Pollution is the main reason why these animals are threatened. The buildings in the background are so dark and bold to represent how industry and agriculture have such a harsh impact on these beautiful birds. I feel that the Red-necked Phalarope needs more recognition, along with all other endangered species. I hope that our future generation has the chance to embrace the beauty of this bird.

Danya, Grade 10

No Place to Live

I did this painting to show how our growing cities are destroying what is left of the homes of many animals. When we cut down forests we are destroying their homes and, for some species such as the Northern Saw-Whet Owl, we are destroying their breeding grounds. The Northern Saw-Whet Owl is the smallest species of owl in B.C., they also need trees to give birth to their young. If the cities continue to grow, many species will either die or leave B.C.. Do you want beautiful B.C. to turn into devastated B.C.?

Harry, Grade 10

Almost Gone

A Barn Owls' perfect living environments are open lowlands that include plantations, various forest types and farmlands. The two main reasons why so many Barn Owls are endangered is one, traffic; and two shelter.  Without being able to rely on a barn for shelter, Barn Owls cannot survive our painful winters. We could save many by setting up nests to protect them from the cold, and to provide a safe environment.

Monika, Grade.9

The Glow of Extinction

My painting "The Glow of Extinction" represents the anger and fear the humans have toward the Grey Wolf. The glow from the Earth shows that we are no longer welcoming our wildlife, we're slowly leaving them in the dark. Our earth is on fire and the population, habitat loss, and lack of responsibility is definitely not putting it out.  The Grey Wolf, also known as the Timber Wolf, is a beautiful creature. It prefers the open tundra and forests of British Columbia. This animal is very social and mates for life. The average of seven pups are born. Even though it should have a great population, the Grey Wolf is gaining risk of endangerment. Humans fear, superstition, and out right hatred to this animal is leading to aggressive hunting. This decreased its population drastically and dropped it from 50% of its former range. Changes need to be made such as, more awareness of this animal and understanding of its risks and rights. Not only for this animal but every single one has a right. Our wildlife of beautiful British Columbia deserves a life and our future children deserve to see it. We need to stand up for the many creatures that don't have a voice.

Nicola, Grade 10

The Rockin' Blue Tail

The animal that I chose to paint is a Western BC Skink. The Skink is a small lizard like animal that lives in between rocks and in shrubs. The reason that Skinks are threatened is because of habitat destruction from residential construction. Skinks are beautiful creatures that deserve to live a long happy life. As humans we need to take into consideration that they built their homes there first.

Emily, Grade 10

A Rare Beauty

I picked the Western Painted turtles because they are cool and colourful. The painted turtles live in habitats such as ponds, marshes, small lakes, ditches and sluggish streams that usually have muddy bottoms and lots of aquatic plants. These turtles usually live in areas from southern BC to Nova Scotia, and all the way south to Kansas, Louisiana and Georgia. The risks to these endangered species are that they require- wetlands and ponds for hiding and foraging. This habitat is found in very few places within their range because of construction. Deterioration and destruction of their habitat, through pollution, waterway interference and urbanization, is their major threat. The habitats for the Western Painted turtles are usually modified to fit human needs and not theirs. I don't want to see these turtles disappear from the earth forever because of us. Changes we can make are protecting where they live. Taking their homes away from them, prevents the turtles from reproducing. We also need to avoid disturbing them or their habitats. We need to restore their habitats and remove their predators from these areas. I learned that Western Painted turtles are cool by going to a bible camp called SYC and kayaking in the Gardom Lake with my friends. We found turtles swimming in the lake; it was so much fun! I LOVE WESTERN PAINTED TURTLES! There are only 49 different painted turtle species and only 800 to 900 painted turtles estimated left.

Savannah, Grade 9

Sticker Book

In my painting I'm trying to show people how fragile the present is, and how our actions now can effect the future to an extreme. The hand and the sticker page are meant to represent the future and that children may not be able to experience the animals that we have today. My art is based on the Mountain Caribou, the Mountain Caribou is a critically endangered species. Within the last decade their population has dropped about 25%, from approximately 2200 in the late 1990's to approximately 1900 today. This species is linked to many other endangered species and if the caribou were to go extinct it may lead to the disappearance of 21 other species. The Mountain Caribou is globally unique to South eastern British Columbia so if we don't protect it, who will? The main threats to the caribou are habitat loss and fragmentation. Logging and back country recreation are the main causes of both of these. People need to take action and help support these unique animals.

Katie, Grade 9
For more information on the Mountain Caribou go to  www.mountaincaribou.ca/

Dangerous? Who?

My artwork is of a Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, surrounded by large bootprints. That symbolizes how helpless many animals are in comparison to people and our machines. The Northern Pacific Rattlesnake has subspecies around BC and some places in the United States . It's not endangered yet, but it will be if we continue to destroy their homes. Entire populations of snakes can be wiped out by destroying a single home; a hibernaculum. Many are also killed by misinformation and fear. People see snakes as a danger, rather than an animal at risk of being endangered.

Kelton
Grade 9

I Am a KIller Whale

The animal that I chose to paint is a Killer Whale. This mammal is endangered because of humans. Our sewage and toxins drain into the oceans where they live, along with air pollutants coming over from Asia. These risks make their prey extinct too.
In my painting, the flowing parts through the water highlight the powerful words written in them. The words are suposed to be from the whales opinion and how it feels. There is only one whale in my painting because it shows how alone the mammal is, swimming through the dark ocean water.  The Killer Whale needs our help to stay protected, which means we need to give it a clean ecosystem.

Maddy, Grade 10

The Canada Warbler

I painted a picture of three Canada Warblers flying around the world because, it represents that with all of the forests being cut down they will have no place to live. It also represents that they are flying around the world night and day looking for a new place to live, but can't find it. I made the Warblers big because even though they are not a very well known species they still have a large impact on BC.There are under 100 Canada warblers left in BC (wikipedia). The Warbler needs a place to live, they breed generally in dense secondary growth forests, red maple swamps, or high elevation alpine forests.

Amy, Grade 10

Their Lives Are In Our Hands

For my painting I have chosen to do a Canada Warbler. Warblers live in secondary growth forest, in swamps, or high elevation alpine forests. Due to the loss of habitat they have recently been assessed as threatened. In my painting I have shown the Warbler in the hands of a human being to show that their lives are in our hands and it is our job to protect and make sure that they have suitable habitat to live in.

Megan, Grade 9

Bears

My picture represents the poaching of bears for sport and the risks to them from urbanization. Many grizzlies are shot and killed either for fun, or for wandering into urban areas. With human civilization expanding, the habitat of these animals are being diminished at uncontrollable rates, thus leaving them no choice, but to head into our towns and cities.  Everyday many of these bears are killed and no one seems to give a second thought of it. When a starving bear is caught in peoples garbage looking for food, just to stay alive, it is considered a threat and must be dealt with. The concept for my art was to show the double standards between humans and animals; by switching their roles and showing people what our actions are like from the other end of the barrel.

Sarah, Grade 9

The Amazing American Avocet

I felt really sad when I found out that B.C. doesn't have an endangered species law, because I love animals! So that's why I created this painting of the American Avocet. The American Avocet lives in shallow fresh and salt water wetlands, mainly in B.C. and a few places in the United States. This bird is threatened because of human activity and limited nesting space. In my painting, you see the bird on the left is sad because the environment is dirty and dark. And that is starting to happen now and will get worse if we don't fix it. In the middle, the bird is flying into a better world - away from BC. On the right, the bird is happy because its surroundings are clean, healthy and bright, the way they should be. There are over 1900 species in B.C. that are at risk! I hope that my artwork will inspire people and make them aware of this too.

Katrina, Grade 9

One Flame

My animal is the Flammulated Owl; a small bird that weighs roughly  55 to 65 grams. This bird is at risk from our lumber industries, as well as pesticides and poisons. This art work shows an Owl in a world were everything is fading away and blending into nothing. It symbolizes the Flammulatd Owl's loss of home and their depravity of life. Us humans might realize, one day, that we could have stopped and changed our ways of dealing with these animals, but by then it will be too late.

Taylor, Grade 9

Endangered Swift Fox

My painting is of a young, endangered Swift Fox. It is looking at buildings that took over its habitat in Canada. Swift Foxes live in deserts or short grass prairies, but due to farmers' long crops and housing, along with manufacturing, the Swift Fox lost its ability to stalk his prey or have a home. In the past, there were animal control programs to kill coyotes, ground squirrels and wolves, but they got the Swift Fox instead, which led to their expiration from Canada in the early 1900s. People realized their actions upon such a beautiful animal and so it got better. But, Swift Foxes are still accidentally being shot, trapped and poisoned. If things changed, the numbers of the Swift Fox would grow. I made this piece of art to open peoples eyes and make a change.

Brooklyn, Grade 9.

If I Could Talk

My painting is of a Great Blue Heron. It is called "If I could talk" because, if this heron could talk, it would be screaming out all the words in the speech bubble. The Great Blue Heron needs our help, because they can't verbally express the sadness and worries they feel. There are buildings in the background to reflect the growth in urbanization which is causing the heron's numbers to diminish. Sometimes people even build right over top of their nesting areas, which are near swamps and wetlands. I wanted my painting to have an impact, and make people feel like they want to make a change. Animals are important to British Columbia. Without them, this province wouldn't be "The Best Place on Earth." An endangered species law must be introduced to BC before the Great Blue Heron, along with over 1900 other endangered species, become extinct.

Emily, Grade 10

Just Think

The animal that I chose is a Barn Owl. The barn owl in BC is in grave danger. Its food supply is being killed off by pesticides and its home is being destroyed (www.protectbiodiversity.ca). Many people say that the eyes are the doorway to the soul. This is why I made the eyes on my owl powerful. I want people to realize what this animal has experience - has a soul. In my art, I made some words more prominent than others: "think", "life", "food", "home", and "saved". These words outline what is most important to the barn owl and they are intended to make us think. "Saved" is my favourite word. It means there is a chance, not only for the Barn Owl to survive, but for other endangered species too. I can only hope that in the future this beautiful species will be all around us. Just think about how we will be affected when our native species are no longer with us.

Gabie, Grade 10

Spirit Bear Facing Extinction

In my artwork, the spirit bear depicted has its four paws submerged in oil. The spirit bears are greatly threatened by a proposal to make a pipeline across their coast. Behind the spirit bear are several tall buildings, this is to show that we are taking over their home and logging their habitat for our own selfish reasons. I hope people understand that these beautiful bears and other mystical animals must be protected and we must take action or we may never see these creatures again. Spirit bears live solely on the coast of British Columbia and are known for their unique white coat. If we continue to pillage and log this coast, we will wipe out the salmon, the spirit bears source of food, and will be taking their ideal hibernating and denning habitat. This animal faces extinction if we do not stop logging this coast or using it for our selfish wants. Legislation could improve their situation by making laws to protect this coast and the small population (200) of spirit bears left in the world. I would like to see the endangered animals of BC living in harmony with us. We need to respect and care for these animals, not rob them of their lives. I have learnt from this process that we can take action and we must do something to save these fast dying numbers of endangered species.

Heather, Grade 9

Surrounded

In my painting, you see a bird flying, and in the background, there are blotches of colour. The colour represents all the pollution that the bird can't ever fly away from. I chose to paint the Red Knot because it is one of the species that isn't super extravagant or attention demanding. The species that are more in the background are the ones that are more likely to go extinct because no one is overly concerned about them. I think we need to raise awareness about endangered species in BC, because whatever humans do will affect the lives of those animals.

Jillian, Grade 10

Art Changes People. People Change the World!

High School Art Students at South Kamloops Secondary really put their hearts into their recent class project. Starting with the belief: “Art changes people. People change the world,” a dedicated group of girls set their sights on women in poverty. After thoughtful research and dynamic class discussions, these junior art students believed they could create artworks to reflect, not just the problems girls and women face, but their belief in the strength of women and how they can be the catalysts of change. 

Students were encouraged to look at different regions around the world and research some of the specific hardships girls and women endure. Next, students looked at the positive actions taken by humanitarian groups/organizations, empowering women through education and financial aid. The students quickly recognized that A LOT of people are actively involved; empowering, supporting and inspiring women.

The next step was image development and the question of how to arrange images and colours to create a compelling message; how to reveal hardships and yet suggest hope. In the end, this project engaged the students to think creatively and to think with empathy. For the students, the more they believed in the message, the more they challenged themselves to improve their technical skills and understanding of the principles of art. They really believed in the images they created, and in the potential to communicate something bigger than themselves. For me, it was inspiring to see this; to listen to their dialogue and watch as they created twenty five, diverse and uniquely compelling artworks!


In January, the students committed to posting one artwork a day to our blog, Make Art For Change. They worked through the challenging process of titling and writing artist statements to support their artwork. Then, using facebook and twitter we tackled getting the message “out there”. As a classroom teacher it is often my goal to get artwork viewed beyond the classroom walls, but getting it out to the world through the Internet was really exciting. Thank you to everyone who has viewed it so far and helped to share our message of Hope.

Girls are Valuable

My art piece is focused on Egyptian women helping the world with its difficulties. It shows that one person can take the effort to try and get the message out there; that women everywhere don't have enough rights.  Or, that women are getting them taken away by governments controlled by men  -  "but forget about it and don't change anything." But we can make changes.  So I made this to remind everyone that this world can be a better place.


Genessa, Grade 9

Make A Change

My art shows that First Nations people stick together no matter what. Wherever life takes you, stand up for your self. Don't lay low and just wish it would just go away. Make a change and use your voice.

Jill, Grade 9

Release Freedom

My artwork focuses on women in Afghanistan who have no identity.  The Taliban have striped women of the their basic human rights.  Women are forced to wear burqas, long robes that cover them from head to toe.  Most women are unable to have a job or attend most schools, and their opinions are oppressed.  Women can be publicly beat or killed for violating Taliban restrictions.  Only 1-2% of Afghan women have identity cards.  My picture shows how women in Afghanistan have no identity or way to be different.  The woman in yellow at the back is standing and releasing a bird into the sky, symbolizing her freedom and strength.  The women close to her are glowing yellow, showing the effects of empowerment she has on them, and how they can change.

- Christina, Grade 10

We Can Change the World

My artwork is an acrylic painting. I decided to use acrylic because it's a bold look - and women are bold! The woman in my artwork is Rosie the Riveter. Rosie is one of the women who took the responsibility of the workforce during World War II. The widespread male enlistment left, leaving many industrial labour forces with little or no employees. Between 1940 and 1945, women in the U.S workforce increased from 27 percent to 37, and by 1945 nearly one out of four married women were out of the house doing a "man's" job.
The original image stated, "We Can Do It;" however, I altered it in my image to state "We Can Change the World," because if, "We Do It," we can change the world for the better!
We need to come together as a group and become leaders. We, as women, need to stand up for our rights and for every women that has life circumstances preventing her from succeeding, being happy, and being an independent woman. This is an issue and it needs to be seen! It needs to be fixed!

Nicola, Grade 10

The Power of a Dragon.

I chose Chinese culture for my project because millions of families resort to abortion and infanticide to make sure their child is a boy (world news msnbc.com). The traditional thinking is best described in the ancient book of songs 1000-700 b.c. 'When a son is born, Let him sleep on the bed, Clothe him with fine clothes, And give him jade to play...When a daughter is born, Let her sleep on the ground, Wrap her in common wrappings, And give broken tiles to play.' So, for my artwork, I painted a dragon with a girl holding it up. I drew this because the symbolism in my artwork is that "one girl can have the power of a dragon."

- Laura, Grade 9

The Power To Take Over

In China, 190 girls are abducted each day. These girls are getting stolen for the use of sexual servitude, for a forced marriage and many other tragic things. In my artwork, I have a young girl being protected by the sun, the sun is protecting her from all the horrifying monsters so that she has the chance to have an education, find happiness and love; instead of living in a world you could never imagine surviving in. In my artwork, I also want people to understand that art CAN change people and people CAN change the world and hopefully this makes a difference in the near future.

Rylea, Grade 9

The Unknown Pain

My picture is done in watercolour and ink. I organized my picture according to the rule of thirds. It represents a woman being empowered by her country. I chose Russia as my region because its problems don't get as much attention as third world countries. The main issue I chose to focus on was violence against women. In 1993 14,000 women in Russia were murdered by their husbands or lovers. I was inspired by the bold colours of St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square. The Cathedral symbolizes Russia's proud history, and the woman symbolizes all of the abused women in Russia that don't have the power to leave. She has the power to walk away because she is inspired by the strength of her country.  Empowering and educating women is so important because women who are educated are less likely to be abused.

Delaney, Grade 10

Walking In Style?

My painting is a representation of mother earth, the empowerment of women, and the sacrifice women face in their everyday lives. In my painting I have a young single mother holding her pregnant stomach as the world, and a stiletto shoe. The stiletto shoe I put in to make the statement "Try Walking In Her Shoes". This statement to me means a lot because there is so many people in this world who are careless or oblivious to what woman go through in lives of poverty. One of the things I want people to realize is that woman and single mothers all over the world are a leading movement, they are the driving force in the economy. Women suffer everyday trying to provide for their children, keep a household, and provide food...but still can't afford a pair of shoes. In the meantime, the more fortunate are just sacrificing there feet to pull off a pair of fancy shoes. Look at the difference, open your eyes, and make a change. Next time your looking at a pair of over expensive shoes that you cant afford, think of the single mothers all over the world who are in need. We can make a difference.

- Makayla, Grade 9

Helping Hands

My artwork is about how one person can make a difference and escape poverty. My artwork represents a woman leading young children out of the grey, horrible life they live and into one filled with education and jobs of their choice, and many other things. In this process I learned some of the horrible things people do to women in different regions of the world. I think Art Can Change People. People Change the World is true, because some people just listen and don't do anything to help, but with art it may help people to visualize what actually goes on and get a clear perspective on these types of issues women struggle with in our everyday life. It may persuade people to do something about it. People need to know about some of the issues women struggle with.

The Tunnel of Power

In my artwork, a lonely girl is staring through her "destiny", which is symbolized as a dangerous, windy path surrounded by murky water. At the end, there's the darkest point or the hardest point that leads to the light. The tunnel symbolizes the hardest part of her life, which ends in peace. The globe of yellow represents power and strength and the women surrounding it are gathering the power. The ghostly woman below is clearly holding up the whole system with one finger. I arranged it so that you look at the bright red dress, your eyes slowly move up the tunnel and up to the top were the light is. I made it so that the painting is darker and gloomier down below, but is bright and cheery higher up. The hand on the globe symbolizes power, which is also connected to the girl in the red dresses hand. I want people to understand from my painting that no matter how rough or hopeless a woman in poverty may feel, that if she carries on, there can be light at the end of the tunnel. It surprised me the most that even in the 21st century, women are still treated with so much disrespect. I also will continue to contribute to our website. I really  hope that it will make a difference because that's what art does.

The Path to Success

My picture shows a girl that has been given the chance to walk down the path of education. It shows that education can open doors for young girls to have a chance at a happy life. Two thirds of all uneducated people are women. Girls who are uneducated are likely to  be discriminated against and continue to live in poverty. "For every year a girl spends in school, she raises her family income by up to 20%" (care.ca). My picture does not represent a certain country because I believe all girls need to be educated. Education opens doors to all sorts of other opportunities. Having an education empowers a woman to do things that she might have never even dreamt of before. I think that we have been presented with a chance to help people, and we are doing our best to show all that with our art.

- Jenny, Grade 10

I Have A Voice

For my project I decided to focus on the oppression of women, not by physical violence, but when they are oppressed by being denied the right to speak up. On the face of the girl in my painting is the phrase 'I have a voice' in forty different languages because I wanted to try to incorporate as many different nationalities into my art work as possible. I chose to represent Rwanda in particular though by using typical racial markers for Rwandan people as guide lines for painting the girl. Rwanda is one of the countries that has come the farthest in terms of feminism in the past decade or so with 56% of the MP's on their parliment being women. That is a higher percentage than any other country (yes even in the West) ever! In that time, issues of domestic violence, equal pay rights, and human trafficking have been brought to attention. Rape has also been made a serious crime that is punishable by life sentence in jail. This just shows that when women are given a voice in their communities they can make a positive change in our world.

Maia, Grade 9

Proper Education

134 million children between the ages of 7-18 have never been to school.  Girls are more likely to go without schooling than boys. In the Middle East and North Africa, girls are much more likely than boys to be denied access.  My artwork represents girls who deserve a chance at education. I painted an open book with women holding hands in the background. Listed on the book is some of the countries in poverty. I believe if girls were given more of a chance to go to school they could help change the world and inspire more girls to get a good education.

- Dakota, Grade 9

Sharbat Gula

Many people may recognize this iconic girl portrayed in my artwork; “The Afghan Girl”. This portrait was photographed by Steve McCurry in 1984 and was seen across the globe as readers of the National Geographic magazine were mesmerised by the haunted look in her eyes. Sharbat Gula was a refugee of the Soviet invasion (1979 to 1989), whose bombing murdered her parents. With nothing but war in Afganistan, she fled to Pakistan. Later in the decade, during a lull in the in the attack, Sharbat was able to return to her village. But in 1989 alone there were 200,000 refugees fleeing the country. Currently there are 3 million Afghan refugees throughout the world who need support. Sharbat's story is as powerful as  her eyes, which exude the perseverance and determination to survive. She is a fighter, she is strong and she is an inspiration to all. 

- Helena, grade 10

Girls Help Hold Up The World

My artwork focuses on girls in India that are unable to go to school. I chose India because there are a lot of unprivileged girls there. More than 50 per cent of girls fail to enrol in school because they have to stay home and work and also because of gender discrimination and poverty. Those that do go to school, are likely to drop out by the age of 12 (america.cry.org). My art shows how girls help to hold up the world. I believe if more girls had the chance to go to school it would be a better world because they would have new ideas that they could contribute to making the world a better place.  I hope my artwork inspires everyone to stand up and make a difference in the world!

- Anisha, Grade 9

Brighter Life

My artwork represents how educated women can help lead other women out of poverty into brighter futures. In many countries, women are often oppressed, uneducated, or sold into prostitution, but if even a few women are empowered, they can change these conditions for others. The region which I was trying to represent is Nepal. I did this by incorporating the mountainous landscape. From this project, I learnt that in a survey of Nepalese women ages twenty to forty-nine, sixty percent were married as children. These early marriages are a contributing factor to the lack of education for girls in Nepal. However, education could break the cycle of poverty, early marriages, and lack of education. The colours represent the difference education can make in women's lives, and how important their education really is.

- Megan, Grade 10

Escaping Poverty

My artwork is about having a hand in helping woman around the world out of poverty. I painted three hands  of different skin colours holding a key that unlocks the door of poverty. The handle of the door is a world. Women only own 1% of the world's land! The women's hands that I painted are from Africa, Asia, and South America. In Africa, girls carry buckets of water on their heads all day for their family, instead of going to school. In Asia, baby girls are aborted before birth because they aren't boys! And in South America, a girl's parents can sell her off for money.
From this process I've learnt that in Canada, woman/girls are very fortunate. I've learnt that anyone, of any age, can lend a hand in helping out woman in the world out of poverty. Also, I believe that this issue is more important than most things we see in the media and people should know about the problems women face each day.

- Taylor, Grade 9

Tigers At Heart

In my artwork, I chose to represent Somalia. I did this by incorporating tigers, an African border, and people wearing African war masks. I used water colour and ink to mix together bright patterns.  My painting is supposed to show how fiercely woman can fight to break through poverty if they are given the chance. Every day, terrible things happen to over 1 000 women in Somalia. Only 24% of woman are literate and 1 in 10 woman risk dying during pregnancy. Many woman are forced into prostitution to help support their families, and 97% of female prostitutes start before the age of 14.  Even though many woman are never given a chance to be great, they still shine on the inside, and the hand of a man will never be able to force down that power.

- Jaymee, Grade 10

Making a Difference

If one woman can change her life and make a difference in the lives of others, imagine what 3.3 million strong and capable women can do.... My painting is meant to replicate this idea. The woman in my painting is strong and holding a tool of power- the hammer. With the hammer she strikes a glass ball. The ball is a symbol of poverty, and everything women must fight to be free and independent. The tip of the hammer is immersed in blue flames. These flames are a literal and figurative representation of the force women can make. Overall my painting is demonstration of the impact women can make as individuals and as a group.

-Morgan, Grade 10

Souls of Women

Women all around the world don't get a chance to have an education. Women at a young age are forced to get married and to raise a family. What most people don't know is that women can change the world. For my art project, I chose to show how education can light up the souls of women. Hopefully my art work will change the minds of others to take a stand for women, and to let women marry at a proper age and to have children when they want.

- Dominique, Grade 9





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