The Power of Publishing
Not long ago we received a stock of freshly printed Visions of the Future books. It’s the moment that the opinions and creativity of young people around the world is officially published and available in print.
Being published means that the work from young people is now available for others to read. It means they can be heard and shared. It gives legitimacy and permanency to what they say.
The arrival of the books is a special day. It’s a reminder of our mission to not only encourage young people to believe in their opinions but to give them a platform to shout from. We couldn’t be more proud of every single young person in the book. And we know that we’re not the only ones.
Dr Dorit Radnai-Griffin, Director of the UD Lab School in the USA, said, “...We were excited to find our children’s drawings in the book and share them with our community. We are honoured to support this great mission.”
Eric F, a parent of contributors from Israel, said, 'My kids saw their work in the book and are very very excited. It's amazing - well done! This project is super super important and there are a lot of good emotions having contributed to it. Thanks a million to everyone involved.'
We’ve also heard from teachers and parents about how simply having a reason to get creative has built new confidence, pride and self-esteem amongst the young people they work with.
When young people get creative they’re able to express their unique selves, and this can help boost their confidence and self-esteem (1,2,3). Not only that, but it has the potential to help children build stronger relationships with others (1,2). When you put these factors together, creativity can help build resilience in young people (2).
Getting stuck into painting, a piece of writing or music exercises our imagination and allows us all to dream bigger.
The young people who shared their hopes for the future are now seeing them being read by many people, all across the world. Their voices are being heard and it’s a powerful thing. More than that, they’re putting their dreams into words or pictures. Into something tangible. The day the books arrive is a special day - for all of us.