A Shakespearian style sonnet shaped into a portrait was how Gifted and Talented Ballet student Michelle Aitken from John Curtin College of the Arts voiced her concerns about climate change to the Prime Minister after winning the national Think Climate, Think Change Schools Competition.
From a field of more than 7500 entrants, Michelle (13) won the Category Grades 8-9 and was the only West Australian to win in the competition. She showed her artwork to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong at Parliament House.
Michelle’s winning entry was a sonnet shaped into a portrait. She said she chose that form of artwork as her views and opinions are always written all over her face.
“I don’t have a good poker face so I wrote my sonnet on my face to show how I feel about climate change,” she said.
The national competition was inspired by a steady flow of letters received from school children across Australia asking about what was being done about climate change and sharing their ideas for solutions. The Government received entries in all forms, including paintings, short stories, cartoons and drawings.
Michelle won a trip to Canberra and met with the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Senator Wong and said she was able to talk about what climate change meant to her.
“I really enjoyed meeting Penny Wong as she is actively working towards strategies to approach climate change,” she said.
“Senator Wong was very happy with the widespread interest in the competition and said it showed just how much young people cared about climate change.”
At John Curtin College of the Arts, Michelle is in the Academic Excellence Program and is also President of the Roots & Shoots Club, which is part of a global network run by the Jane Goodall Institute aimed at environmental and humanitarian education inspiring youth to make a difference to their community.
“We were the first school in WA to establish a school based Roots & Shoots club and our members have been involved with recycling mobile phones and corks and have sponsored two orangutans to help rehabilitate them back into the wild,” she said.
Principal of John Curtin College of the Arts, Mitchell Mackay commended Michelle’s entry and said that she was highly gifted both artistically and academically.
“Michelle is a delightful student and this national acknowledgement of her abilities is well deserved,” he said.
Michelle’s entry can be viewed at www.climatechange.gov.au
(Photo courtesy of Auspic)