BIC, a world leader in stationery, lighters, and shavers, has launched the second edition of its flagship art Challenge dubbed “The BIC Kids Junior Art Master Challenge” to discover and promote the creativity of children in art. This was at a ceremony in Accra on Wednesday, March 30, 2022.
This year’s theme titled ‘My Environment, My World’ aims to educate children around the importance of building and maintaining a sustainable environment for a prosperous future. It stems from BIC’s commitment to reuse, recycle, or compost 100% of its consumer plastic packaging by the year 2025.
The competition is expected to see the participation of about 8,000 students from 35 selected schools across the country competing for the grand finals scheduled for June 2022.
Brand Manager at BIC West and Central Africa, Joel Kouadio, at the ceremony expounds the impact of the challenge on the kids who participated in the first edition and expressed great optimism of the second edition of the program.
“We are delighted to launch the second edition of the BIC Kids Junior Art Master challenge. The initiative, which drew inspiration from Art Master Africa, was extended to kids due to the impact it has on triggering creativity, innovation, and self-expression. At BIC we believe that education is the most powerful tool to drive societies forward, and the BIC Kids Junior Art Master is one of our key initiatives in Ghana to bring this notion to life,” he noted
A renowned Ghanaian artists, Yaw Safori, who spoke at the launch expressed excitement at the success of the maiden edition of the challenge while endorsing it. He said he is excited to be associated with the challenge and as part of the judge panel because he believes the challenge gives the ordinary Ghanaian child the chance to become great as him.
“Every single kid in this country or wherever they are, should be able to participate in this, because these are the programs that let them find out who they are,” he noted.
Programs Officer at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Vida Kwakye, emphasized the need for children to be concientized about the impact of the various activities on their environment hence the importance of the theme for the Challenge for the year 2022.
She further promised the support of the EPA to the success of the challenge.
“We are very happy to be part, the protection of the environment is the responsibility of all including children, parents, you and I, so we are happy that this challenge will build in them some confidence in the environment, as they have taken the initiative of Environmental protection we believe they are all winners,” she stated.
The competition will comprise of two categories: Junior Category, targeting children from classes 1 to 5; and Senior Category, targeting students from classes 6 to JHS3. Guidelines and qualifications for competition entry need to be followed strictly to avoid any disqualifications.
The BIC Kids Junior Art Master challenge this year will be amplified across various touch points including a kids’ drawing contest to take place across private and public schools in Ghana.
The BIC Kids Junior Art Master challenge was launched in 2021 as an extension of the Art Master Africa campaign. Last year, BIC Kids Junior Art Master saw the participation of 4,125 students from 30 schools across Ghana.
By Derick Botsyoe and Gertrude Edem Amuzu