4 December 2019, Singapore – More than 70 youths participated in an I’mPOSSIBLE Art Competition, organised by the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) and supported by Haw Par Corporation and Agitos Foundation, a development arm of the International Paralympic Committee. Singapore was one of nine countries who organised the inaugural I’mPOSSIBLE Art Competition in celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) which falls on 3 December.
A group of participants, including six winners of the competition, gathered at NEX Mall’s Swensen’s for a lunch party on 30 November 2019. The party featured a magic show, face painting and a meet-and-greet with Paralympian Theresa Goh, who was the guest of honour for the event. Goh was “heartened that the young children displayed a depth of understanding towards the Paralympics.”
The I’mPOSSIBLE Art Competition, which ran from 26 October to 17 November, invited children aged five to 10 to create a 2-D artwork about their favourite para-sport or para-athlete. The 75 submissions were accompanied by a short paragraph stating reasons for the choice of sport or athlete.
“Thank you for the prize. I love sports and I learned about the Paralympic Games,” said Zayn Shaheed, who received a gold medal in the art competition.
The party marked another milestone with the I’mPOSSIBLE education programme celebrating its second anniversary globally. The I’mPOSSIBLE education programme is aimed at challenging and changing the perceptions of how young people perceive people with an impairment. Entering its third year in Singapore, the programme has trained more than 200 local educators through I’mPOSSIBLE teacher training workshops since 2018.
“The I’mPOSSIBLE programme has provided educators in Singapore with tools to spread the Paralympic values. With the I’mPOSSIBLE art competition, we have heard positive feedback from parents and educators alike, and we hope all participants have gained key learnings from this experience.” said Kelly Fan, Executive Director, SDSC.
Selected submissions will be displayed at upcoming I’mPOSSIBLE teacher training workshops and on SDSC’s social media channels. The next run of the I’mPOSSIBLE teacher training workshops will take place in March 2020. Educators are encouraged to register their interest with SDSC.
