elementary school in Vancouver in a very
drawing and scheduled for an hour each
week Pro never an event or assembly
interferes with math science or any
other subject then drying is a place for
next time what I’d like you to get one
hour of drawing per month dry makes more
creative more confident improves
learning graduation rates even promotes
global peace but it’s under attack by
budget cuts and short said educators I’m
here to advocate for all Canadian
students a lot of people love drawing
but they don’t get the chance drawing
should be taught one hour per week every
single week until we’re out of high
school my name is Jenny and sometimes
here’s a picture that I drew do you know
yes a couch potato I came to Canada when
I was five years old like 40% of the
kids in my school four out of ten kids
I speak English as an additional
language I receive English language
support e ll students English language
learners learn better if they can draw
pictures help us understand difficult
things like idioms
I drew this picture to help me better
understand what an idiom means an idiom
isn’t the words alone don’t match the
entire meaning couch and potato the
meaning is much bigger than that
no wonder English is so hard to learn
this guy I named him Carl Carl the couch
potato he is like me who likes to be
lazy and watch TV even when it’s sunny
outside his mine and his body are
getting starchy I have another idiom for
you do you know what this is yes we’re
all in the same boat again the words
don’t match the bigger meaning boat and
people the meaning is much bigger than
that that’s why it’s so hard see how the
people are from different religion and
culture and nationalities all around the
overfishing our oceans pouring through
dat water littering inner oceans even
bullets all over the sky we set of bombs
that will harm not only its enemy but
our whole ship is this the kind of world
that you want to live in the boat is
starting to rock everyone feels afraid
and certain is it going to sink but even
at this moment there are people taking
advantage of this people start caring
look at this world now what if we start
working together we start removing the
trash from the oceans we care more about
our wildlife the fish can thrive we
no more bullet fly and when we don’t
make war we make friends
[Applause]
[Music]
we are not afraid the boat is not going
to sink and now instead of caring only
about ourselves and our money we start
caring about others and when we do the
look at this world look boat and people
when you put them together the meaning
is much bigger than that around the
globe humans share situations we
influence each other it’s a complex
topic hard to understand in English do
you see how drawing improves learning
drawing can communicate big and
important ideas drawing helps all
students especially e ll students
understand difficult concepts like
idioms is one reason where drawings
should be taught one hour per week every
single week until we’re out of high
school outside of school I have an art
teacher for an hour each week her name
is Edith Edith has another student like
me except a boy green eyes black crappy
hair ten years old in grade five but he
has been diagnosed with ADHD attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder he just
has to keep moving he can’t sit down if
he jumps runs around fidgets
but here’s the thing he loves
superheroes superheroes especially
Marvel ones like Spider Man Iron Man
Captain America the Hulk I bet you he’s
watch Avengers for at least 100 times so
either starts with what he loves drawing
superheroes during the first lesson he
tries to draw everything in one scribbly
line and tries to get it over with but
it is still comes every single week week
after week after week after six months
of patience and practice boy changes now
rock-hard muscles flexing biceps look
she can even draw six-packs and now see
these broad shoulders the hard jawline
menacing eyes guess what now he can
focus his energy when his mom takes
aways I’ve had he will draw an entire
comic book all by himself all in one
weekend also his handwriting improves he
gets better at sustaining focus which is
really important for learning in school
you see drawing changed him drawing
helps all students especially those with
challenges like ADHD focus this is
another reason why drawing should be
taught one hour per week every single
week until we’re out of high school did
you know there is a study but if you
listen to new information and then turn
it into pictures even doodles your
memory will improve by 30% 30% I hope
you’re taking notes and especially
imagine how much for history and science
you and every BC student can learn if we
learn to draw remember how I said that
DRI makes you more creative more
confident improves learning remember how
it also said that drawing we’re even
painting promotes global peace when you
draw or even paint you look carefully at
the world around you before a break my
teacher asked me to write an essay an
essay can’t believe it
on vacation
I was taking a study break what I
noticed an amazing sunset does inspired
[Applause]
see here I’ve painted the homes and I
started with the sky for you I’ll paint
the clouds looking at the sky I noticed
a deep and dark purple it’s beautiful
here’s something amazing just like the
clouds are different colors people are
different color religion and
nationalities but when the clouds meet
they blend together sometimes even
is not the way how we’re supposed to be
see red bold and brilliant honest own
colors melt together in the end all
turning into brilliant gold the
experience of drawing or painting or
creating art is human when we visit
foreign countries you may look at their
museums their paintings right why is
that things worth painting are things
important to humans people we love
situations life experiences like an
amazing sunset regardless of culture or
native language art is a common language
understanding art is a lot easier than
this is another reason why drawing or
even painting should be taught one hour
per week every single week until we’re
out of high school
I’m here to advocate for all Canadian
students we need our art teachers but I
can do this alone when you leave today I
hope you’ll do the same
speak out speak up talk to your
classroom teachers talk to your school
administrators legislators be a voice
[Music]
Canadian students should be taught
drawing one hour a week every single
week until we’re out of high school
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]