With Save the Children, the largest child aid organisation in the world, as its international partner, STAEDTLER has named May 6 as the date for the inaugural event. The idea was initially conceived to promote the worldwide relaunch of STAEDTLER's coloured pencil range with a new, break-resistant lead. Recognising the crucial importance of colouring in the development of small children in terms of imagination, creativity and manual dexterity, STAEDTLER hopes the concept of an international colouring day will capture the interest of both teachers and parents alike.
While the emphasis is on fun, the creative genius of children and the celebration of colouring as an international language, perhaps the most important dimension of World Kids' Colouring Day is the charity link which it is hoped will benefit some of the world's most deprived children. Artwork created on the day will be sold and the proceeds donated to Save the Children to create a more positive future for these children.
In countries like the United Kingdom, first colouring and then learning how to write are practically taken for granted. However, 72 million children worldwide are denied the opportunity for even the most basic primary education. Approximately half of these children are growing up in countries torn apart by war and armed conflict. Together we want to provide these children with a better future.
All the proceeds from the STAEDTLER World Kids Colouring Day will be donated to Save the Children in support of their campaign ‘Rewrite the Future'. With your help, three million children will have the chance to attend school for the first time in their lives and another five million will receive quality education. The third pledge is that school will take place in safe locations, so that children are able to learn in a protected and peaceful environment.
Conflict blights education. Families split up and survival becomes the most urgent concern. Military action exposes vulnerable children to terrible risks, such as injury, trauma and death. In conflict, children are often forced into exploitative labour or military servitude. Even when the conflict has ended, children's futures are damaged because of the learning time they've lost.
But education rewrites the future. Schools can equip children with the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe and healthy and to survive conflict. Education is integral to building long-term peace and prosperity.
STAEDTLER is delighted to support Save the Children's ‘Rewrite the Future' programme to bring quality education to children in fragile states affected by conflict. With the donations from the World Kids Colouring Day, STAEDTLER will empower Save the Children to develop learning programmes for out of school children and train teachers as well as providing adequate teaching and learning materials. By 2010 ‘Rewrite the Future' will have given 8 million children a brighter future.
Resource packs explaining the aims and mechanics of this exciting new promotion are available online at www.world-kids-colouring-day.co.uk but the basic idea is very simple - May 6 is World Kids Colouring Day, a special promotional day initiated by STAEDTLER that revolves around something children love to do most - colouring. What makes the day even more special is that the children will be colouring for other children in need. And it is so simple to take part.
Non-stop creativity with STAEDTLER
As one of the world's leading producers of blacklead and coloured pencils, STAEDTLER has always been at the forefront of technical innovation in the manufacturing of quality writing and drawing instruments.
Now this international company can claim a unique breakthrough in the manufacturing process and is proud to introduce the only coloured pencil with an integrated Anti-Break-System for uninterrupted colouring and creativity.
As all teachers and parents know only too well, colouring fun can quickly turn into frustration for children. Eager though they are to colour, children do not have full control of either their strength or fine motor skills which can result in pressing down too hard when colouring or even dropping their pencil accidentally. The result is always the same, the fine coloured leads break easily and then sharpening is necessary. It's disruptive for everyone - for children because their creative flow and concentration is interrupted and for teachers and parents because of repeated and frequent demands for assistance with sharpening.
The solution is the STAEDTLER coloured lead with the unique Anti-Break- System, a pencil which stands out not just because of its brilliant, rich colour but also because it can take the sort of punishment young children inflict on their writing instruments. The secret lies in the innovative white protective coating which surrounds the high quality lead. This coating is so hard and robust that it makes the softer coloured lead much stronger, increasing break-resistance by 30%.
The unique protective coating forms a visible white ring around the tip of the lead, giving it extra protection from children's tendency to press too hard when colouring. At the same time, the white ring is an instantly recognisable symbol of the innovative STAEDTLER coloured pencil with ABS coating and sets it apart from other pencils.
This unique new feature is available now across the whole range of STAEDTLER coloured pencils and it is expected that these revolutionary new pencils will play a very important part on World Kids Colouring Day on May 6 when uninterrupted colouring will be the order of the day.
Meanwhile, STAEDTLER will be mounting a nationwide sampling campaign which aims to demonstrate the practical benefits of the enhanced coloured pencil range.
