After delaying the handover to accommodate preparations for end of year exams, the Bloom Foundation for Education recently held the finals for their 2012 Child Month Poster Competition.

The competition was open to students at the Danny Williams Primary School for the Deaf (DWS) and the Lister Mair Gilby High School for the Deaf (LMG) under the themes 'When I Grow Up' and "Hear Mi Out' respectively.

At the primary level, students where to use their poster to show various life goals including what they hope to accomplish, who they want to meet and where they want to go. While at the secondary level, students were to use the opportunity to advocate for something that they want the wider society to listen to them about.

We saw big dreamers at the primary level and as one would imagine, the posters at the secondary level were focused on how the students want the Deaf community to be accepted and appreciated within the wider Jamaican society.

Gathered at the Facey Hall of the Danny Williams Primary School for the Deaf, the posters were put on display for students to select their favourite at each level and for the judges to select the best piece.

Selecting the winners were Miss Deaf International Cassandra Whyte, representatives from Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited who sponsored the first place prize and the Creative Director of the Bloom Foundation for Education. The judges moved from piece to piece considering the intricate details of each poster and giving their scores based on the representation of theme, use of materials and overall composition.

In the end the top three in the primary competition were Jordon Martin, Saneita McKenzie and Shamar Walford; and in the secondary competition it was Amanda Anderson, Ewan Longmore and Shawn Jonas. Voted by their peers, the people's choice winners were Desmond Senior (DWS) and Amanda Anderson (LMG). First place winners, Jordon and Amanda won book grants courtesy of Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited valued at the JA$5,000 and JA$10,000 respectively; and second and third place winners recieved gift baskets courtesy of T Geddes Grant Limited.

For more highlights of the event and to find out more about the Bloom Foundation for Educaiton you can find them on Facebook at facebook.com/bloomfoundation