Northern Manitoba School Selected for Global Arts Program

A school in northern Manitoba has gained international recognition by being selected for a prestigious global arts program. Wapanohk Community School in Thompson is one of only two Canadian institutions chosen to participate in Crayola Creativity Week, which runs from January 26 to February 1, 2024. This initiative celebrates student art and culture, with a total of 31 schools worldwide included in the program.

The program, initiated by the art supply manufacturer Crayola in 2022, attracted over 1,200 applications from schools globally. In addition to Wapanohk, only Emily Carr Public School from Oakville, Ontario was selected to represent Canada. Participating schools also hail from countries including Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Wapanohk Community School, which serves over 500 students from Kindergarten to Grade 8, is notable for its Cree immersion program. The school’s name translates to “east” in Cree. The application for the program was submitted by Kirsten Svenkeson, a fourth-grade teacher who expressed her excitement at the selection.

“I could apply and we would get some resources sent to us. I didn’t think we would get chosen because I knew that it was worldwide, but they said out of over 1,200 applicants, we were chosen,” Svenkeson said. The significance of this recognition was echoed by Margot Somerville, Crayola’s Director of Product Marketing and Communications: “Both the two schools in Canada that were recognized shared that creativity is super important to them. They specifically stated that they’re very much into showcasing Indigenous artists and art.”

Wapanohk’s application highlighted the various arts programs at the school, aiming to spotlight the creativity of its students. The school hosts numerous artistic initiatives throughout the year, including participation in the local Festival of the Arts, student-created murals, and a Christmas colouring contest that features the winning artwork on the cover of the school’s concert pamphlet.

“I talked about how we have some students who may not be the best at math and reading, but they are amazing artists. I think it’s important that we showcase all student talent, not just those who are academically inclined,” Svenkeson noted.

Throughout the week of Creativity Week, students will interact virtually with an artist, author, or public figure associated with Crayola, who will read stories to them. Following these sessions, the students will create art projects inspired by the readings. The culmination of the week will involve a collaborative art project where each student will produce a self-portrait on different coloured backgrounds. These portraits will be displayed together to form a vibrant rainbow throughout the school.

“This is a good opportunity for the students to see all different ages of artwork and not just from their own class,” Svenkeson explained, emphasizing the importance of community and collaboration.

Somerville added that other schools involved in the program are organizing large viewing events where students can collectively engage with the artwork and stories being shared. “It really just brings together millions of kids across the world, all learning the same thing in their own language,” she said.

Svenkeson highlighted the importance of such programs for northern schools, which often receive less recognition and fewer resources than their southern counterparts. “I feel like it’s a big deal because the north doesn’t get as much recognition as those in the south. The schools are getting more funding, more fun stuff coming to them — we don’t really get that up here,” she remarked.

She hopes that participation in Crayola Creativity Week will empower the students and foster their artistic expression. “I hope that they become more confident in themselves and their ability to create good art,” she said. “It’s still showing their identity and their unique perspectives, and I hope they just feel proud of themselves for doing something that is outside the box, not something we would normally be doing at school.”