Taylor the Turtle has safe message
Taylor the Turtle has safe message
A cute little turtle brought to animated life by three Assumption College students will soon be used as a gentle way to talk to preschoolers about their rights.
The cartoon short, called My Body Belongs to Me, features Taylor the Turtle, who talks to children about their rights to feel safe at school, in the community, and in their homes.
Etta, a five-year-old city girl, gives Taylor its sweet voice.
"The sooner you start talking about this to children and letting them know there are safe people to talk to, the better it is for prevention," said Carrie Sinkowski, in charge of community education and outreach at the Sexual Assault Centre of Brant.
Sinkowski's artist father, John, and sister, Katie, a graphic designer, created the Taylor character and the script was written by Sinkowski and Marc Laferriere, a clinical social worker with Woodview Children's Mental Health and Autism Services.
Laferriere connected with Assumption teacher Mike Olech, who saw the video project as a great educational opportunity for his communication and technology students.
"We've done community projects in the past," said Olech. "It's a win-win situation for everyone. The students really get to showcase their skills."
Assumption Grade 12 students Carley Gallant, Andy Johnston and Henry Hammond worked more than 20 hours, often after school, to put the video together. They created more than 1,000 drawings for the 70-second cartoon.
"The idea of giving back to the community and raise awareness about a really terrible problem is rewarding," said Hammond.
Sinkowski said the Taylor the Turtle video will shown to children aged two to five. Partners in the project include Victim Services of Brant, Nova Vita, Woodview, the sexual assault centre, city police, and the Grand Erie District School Board.
Joanna Brant, executive director of the sexual assault centre, said the video -which she jokingly describes as "pre-school indie" -will lead to conversations with young children about their feelings in a language they can understand.
Written By Michelle Ruby - Expositor Staff
