Three weeks ago, a little girl named Ionna sat down with a purple piece of paper, some tape, pipe cleaners, and her imagination. She created a picture that, to anyone but Ionna, looked like a mess of craft supplies stuck haphazardly on purple paper.
Instead of simply telling Ionna that her work was “very nice” and putting her picture in a pile of artwork or into a folder of other work for her to take home, Ionna’s teacher asked her to share the story of her picture. Ionna’s teacher took the time to let to listen to Ionna explain why she created this picture and how it was not a bunch of tape and popsicle sticks, but a story about a baby and her mom.
Ionna’s teacher recorded Ionna talking about this picture and sent it to Hear Me. Her story is now on the Tell-Port where thousands of people can hear her. Ionna’s story is also part of the Month of the Young Child Art Exhibit in the Carlyle Building where hundreds of people saw her art and heard her tell her story. Her art and recording were also taken to Harrisburg to represent the work from young children in Southwestern Pennsylvania as part of PAEYC’s Action Day. In Harrisburg, hundreds more people heard Ionna’s story, including the guest relations staff at the Sheraton, the Head of PennAEYC, lobbyists, educators, and Lieutenant Governor Jim Crawley. Ionna is creating awareness for the importance of early childhood education and being the voice of children everywhere as she shares her story and adults stop to listen.
Be sure to hear Ionna’s story on tell-port at http://www.tell-port.net/stories/2560 , and hear the many stories of other children all over Southwestern Pennsylvania also on Tell-Port.