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Childhood bullying can be really ugly and discouraging to the child who is being picked on by a bully. It can affect them for the rest of their lives. Every child is unique, they all have different talents and desires. Some want to grow up and be an astronaut and others may want to be an artist. Even Picasso the famous abstract artist said that all children are artists, the problem is how to remain an artist when he grows up. Our school systems for children are designed to teach children to set standards and is very rigid. It often fails the highly creative child.
Yes—math and English are important, but so is art in its many forms of creativity. When we see a child creating art, we can encourage them because whether or not they become an artist in the future, creativity can evolve in every job position. It can raise profits in companies and it can also create collaborations with others. Let’s not squelch children’s artistic efforts. Let’s encourage and them and inspire their imaginations to soar!
One person made a huge difference by standing up for her fourth-grade student who was bullied in his Altamonte Elementary school in Florida. It was College Colors Day and one of the fourth-grade males did not have a University of Tennessee (UT) shirt to wear on this occasion. Laura Snyder, his teacher told him that he could wear an orange shirt to represent the “spirit” of his favorite team.
So, he created his own version of the UT logo on a piece of paper and pinned it to his orange T-shirt. Laura Snyder exclaimed that he was excited to show her his shirt on College Colors Day, but a group of girls laughed at his T-shirt, which saddened the fourth-grader to tears. These young girls did not participate in the special day, but they bullied the fourth-grader for his creativity. His teacher, Laura Snyder posted a Facebook post shared the story of him being bullied.
This prompted Snyder to want to purchase a UT shirt out of her own pocket and wondered if anyone from the University of Tennessee community could connect with them as well. This prompted UT leaders to send all kinds of UT swag overnight to the Altamonte Elementary School. The bullied fourth-grader became a hero after all kinds of UT booty arrived at the school. Ms. Snyder’s Facebook post went viral and UT responded by using his logo on T-shirts and selling them online. The fourth-grader became an instant hero in his elementary school.
UT leadership decided to donate the money proceeds to an organization that addresses childhood bullying. Up to now, over $120,000 has been raised for Stomp Out Bullying Organization, which is the leading national nonprofit dedicated to reducing and preventing childhood bullying. They are known for educating against homophobia, LGBTQ discrimination, hatred, racism, and violence across the country.
This week, my local neighborhood artists who are six and eight years old, brought over their artwork in hopes that I would buy some of it. Their father is rebuilding their garage and these little entrepreneurs had collected unique scraps of wood and had painted them in different colors. When I saw them, a big smile came across my face. I asked them were they raising money for and how much money did they need to earn. The children excitedly told me they needed five dollars to buy some Pokémon cards. I asked them to give me five dollars’ worth of their artwork and it is proudly displayed in my living room, today. Children need someone to believe in them and stoke their innate abilities. They are our future and we all want a brighter tomorrow.
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This post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock