Muslim National School, Dublin, and 2nd Class pupils from St Etchen’s National School, Kinnegad, Westmeath, were today named Senior and Junior National Winners of this year’s National Disability Authority Someone Like Me Art Competition.
The announcement was made at an awards ceremony held at Dublin City Hall, where teachers and pupils from 52 primary schools across Ireland gathered to celebrate achieving County Winner status and hear which of the schools would be named overall winners. Speakers at the event included James Casserly, a young disability advocate, with the national awards presented by the Minister of State attending Cabinet with responsibility for Disability, Emer Higgins T.D.
Celebrating its tenth year, the competition, which is organised and funded by the National Disability Authority, allows Ireland’s young people to learn about inclusivity and diversity and express this through the medium of art.
An inspiring project which invites us all to see the world through another’s eyes, and asks us to walk with empathy, understanding, and kindness, earned Muslim National School the Senior Winner’s Award. Created by the whole school, led by teacher Farah Mansour, this project reflects the fact that the school’s pupils come from many different journeys – from Gaza and Ukraine, from refugee experiences and from families building new beginnings here in Ireland. Many of its pupils have both visible and invisible disabilities, and others face challenges that can’t always be seen.
To highlight this, the school’s pupils decorated shoes as a way of telling stories, allowing us a glimpse into someone’s hopes, strengths and dreams. Together, the collection of shoes celebrates resilience and reminds us that though our paths may be different, every child’s step matters. It reminds us that we are all walking the same road to acceptance, belonging and understanding.
The overall Junior award was made to 2nd Class pupils from St Etchen’s National School, Kinnegad, Co. Westmeath. Their submission comprised a large 3D model of an accessible playpark. The students carried out research with their schoolmates with autism to inform the design and development of their playpark.
Director of the National Disability Authority, Dr Aideen Hartney, said that she was impressed by the number and high quality of this year’s entries.
I would like to congratulate the pupils and teachers at Muslim National School and St Etchen’s National School on their success today. Both entries were exceptionally creative, both in terms of their artwork, but also in their thought-provoking messages of inclusivity for all and especially those with both visible and invisible disabilities.
Someone Like Me is an important part of the National Disability Authority’s annual programme of work to help develop positive mindsets, a culture of inclusivity and a sense of belonging and connectedness, allowing each and every person in Ireland to feel a valued member of society.
Minister of State attending Cabinet with responsibility for Disability, Emer Higgins T.D., also commended the winning schools.
Congratulations to all the pupils and teachers at Muslim National School and 2nd class St Etchen’s National School on their wonderful achievements today. Initiatives like this are so important in helping young people learn about disability, start positive conversations, and see inclusion as something that matters in everyday life.
This Government is committed to building a better and more inclusive Ireland for people with disabilities, and that work starts by fostering understanding and positive attitudes from a young age. The creativity and imagination shown throughout this competition is a wonderful reminder of how early understanding begins. By encouraging curiosity, kindness and empathy at a young age, initiatives like this help shape how children see the world, and how they see one another.
In the ten years of its operation, almost 30,000 children have taken part in the Someone Like Me Art Competition. Schools are provided with special curriculum-linked lesson plans and activities designed to help pupils develop an awareness and understanding of visible and non-visible disabilities, drawing on their own personal experiences of disability, with a vision of creating a more inclusive society.
The judges also singled out the entry from Katie Dillon, a pupil at Spa National School, Tralee, for a Highly Commended Award, for her colourful entry which centres on the question Is there Someone Like Me? Showcasing a spiders-web of activities, this thought-provoking artwork celebrates the similarities Katie shares with her classmates.
More than 1,700 entries were received from individual pupils, class groups and whole schools right across Ireland. Entries ranged from posters and collages to large sculptural installations and multi-media pieces.