Student Art Contest Creates Unique Orange Shirt Day Shirts

Students at W.A. Day Elementary School in Fort Macleod had a special opportunity to commemorate this year’s Orange Shirt Day. Thelma CrowShoe, the Indigenous Outreach Coordinator at Kids First Family Centre, talked to school staff about a contest to create a unique W.A. Day orange shirt to recognize that every child matters. Excited by the idea, teachers helped their Grade 1 to 5 students create their own artwork for an Orange Shirt Day design contest.

“It was really amazing to see the creativity, talent, and understanding of the cause that our students showed,” says Nick Beer, W.A. Day Elementary School Principal. “It must have been very difficult for the judging panel to choose a winner.”

CrowShoe, along with Blackfoot elders Peter Strikes With A Gun and Genie Provost and other indigenous community members, considered dozens of student art for the t-shirt design. Three winners were chosen. The two runners up—Tate Burbank (Grade 4) and Mariah Burdett (Grade 5)—each had their designs printed on an orange button. The entry from Dowsi Provost (Grade 5) became the winning design of the school’s orange shirt.

Kids First Family Centre had 350 shirts made: enough for every student and staff member of W.A. Day. At a special assembly on September 26, 2025 CrowShow, Strikes With A Gun, and Provost announced the design contest winner. The winning design features three colorful tipis in front of mountains; symbols of a feather, heart, medicine wheel; and the words “Every Pooka Matters”. Pooka is a Blackfoot word for child.

Wearing their new orange shirts, students and staff walked around the school neighbourhood after the assembly as a show of support for “Every Child Matters.” 

“At W.A. Day we believe that every child truly does matter, every child is a leader, and every child can be successful,” says Beer. “We are grateful to our community partner Kids First Family Centre for leading this initiative that aligns with our values and commitment to children.”