Lives of WA 10 year olds to be showcased

Year 4 children from all over the state are being invited by the Commissioner for Children and Young People to portray in art and words what it means to be 10 years old and living in WA.

Commissioner Colin Pettit said he hoped to hear from as many children as possible who were born around the same time as the role of Commissioner for Children and Young People was established in December 2007.

“As my office is turning 10 this year, I am asking WA Year 4 students to share what it is like to be turning 10 or being 10 – what is great about their lives and anything they would like to change to help other WA children,” Mr Pettit said.

“Through their school, students will be asked to describe life at 10 in words and pictures and return this to me.

“I’ll be reading these responses to get a snapshot of what children from all over the state think, which will then be displayed both in my office, online and in regional centres,” Mr Pettit said.

The Commissioner will select one submission from each region for special recognition and they will also win a GoPro camera.

All Western Australian primary schools will have received details on how to participate in this project this week.

“I encourage all primary schools to register their Year 4 classes to be a part of this exciting state-wide project,” Mr Pettit said.

The Commissioner for Children and Young People was established by the WA Parliament in December 2007 to hear the views and advocate on behalf of all children in Western Australia, who represent almost a quarter of the entire WA population.

Since that time, Western Australia has had three Commissioners who have involved more than 11,000 WA children in consultations on issues such as mental health, wellbeing, living in out-of-home care and youth justice.

More information about We Are 10, including how to register, is available at ccyp.wa.gov.au