Robert Breebaart receiving his ICA certificate, with members of the Department of Geography, his parents, his art teacher and the Headmaster of Wierdapark Laerskool
On 8 July 2011, Robert Breebaart, an 11-year old school boy from Wierdapark Primary School in Centurion, Pretoria, made history when he was awarded a First Prize in Paris, France, for his entry in the ICA’s 2011 Petchenik World Map Competition for Children.
This year the Petchenik Map Competition for Children this year took place from 3-8 July 2011, during the 25thCartographic Conference of the ICA (International Cartographic Association) in Paris, France. Held bi-annually, this competition was instigated by the ICA in 1992 in memory of Dr Barbara Bartz Petchenik, an eminent US cartographer who died in 1992 whilst she was an ICA Vice-President. During her lifetime, Dr Petchenik made an enormous contribution to cartography and was a tireless advocate for the increased use and understanding of maps and spatial data by all peoples.
The Petchenik Competition is open to children from ICA member nations and requires a child to submit a map-like drawing of A3-size depicting a specific theme. This year’s theme was “Living in a Global World”. The aims of the competition are to promote children’s creative representation of the world, to enhance their cartographic awareness, and to make them more conscious of their environment. Participating member countries appoint a National Coordinator who collects the entries out of three age groups, namely children under 9 years; 9-12 years, and 12-15 years. The thousands of entries which are received are judged by an international panel which awards a 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize in each age group.
Since 2008, participation in the Petchenik Competition has been organized and coordinated by the Department of Geography at Unisa (University of South Africa) in Pretoria. Until 2000 this Department was headed by Prof Elri Liebenberg who is the national coordinator of the Competition. The current Chair of Department, Melanie Nicolau, is an ardent map enthusiast and encourages map-use in all the department’s courses.
Children My Home (Bojanala District) receiving art material from the Department of Geography and the Greater Rustenburg Community Foundation (GRCF)
Since January 2008 Unisa has been doing its utmost to encourage children under the age of 15 years, and from all population groups and cultural backgrounds, to participate in the Competition. Schools were visited throughout the country to liaise with teachers and children and to explain the competition theme. National prizes such as Laptops, MP3 players, mini-globes, atlases and books on the environment were also made available, and groups of children were invited on a regular basis to visit the Department where they were given the time and opportunity to draw a map. During these visits, all equipment (paper, paint, crayons, etc.) were provided. Each child was also interviewed by the Chair of Department, Melanie Nicolau, who filled in a basic questionnaire on the child’s map literacy skills and his/her understanding of the global world he/she lives in.
For the 2011 competition, Unisa’s Department of Geography organized two regional competitions, one in the Northwest Province and one in Gauteng. The competition in the Northwest Province was coordinated by the Greater Rustenburg Community Foundation (GRCF), and entries were received from a number of schools in the rural areas. The maps received for the North West Province were exhibited at the Waterfall Mall in Rustenburg, and were judged by the local communities, including a local artist from Ledig. The regional competition in Gauteng was judged by Geographers in the Department of Geography, and were exhibited Entries were also received from the other provinces, and in May 2011 the competition entered its final round with an exhibition of selected drawings on show at Unisa’s main campus in Muckleneuk, Pretoria. Almost 6 000 entries were submitted and a panel of judges was appointed to undertake the formidable task of selecting the nine best entries (three per age group) to be sent to Paris. The nine national winners all received prizes sponsored by Unisa.
The announcement of the overall winner in the age group 9 to 12 years, at 25thCartographic Conference of the ICA (International Cartographic Association) in Paris, France
Although South Africa has participated in the Petchenik Competition since 1995, the country has never produced an overall winner in any one of the age-groups. On 8 July 2011 Robert Breebaart broke this winning drought when he was awarded First Prize in the 9-12 age group for his striking drawing of a human heart entitled “Global Heartbeat”. The Department of Geography visited the school on 11 November 2011 to congratulate Robert for his achievement and to present him with his prize and certificate from the ICA.
The participation in the international map competition of this nature, provides crucial information regarding out communities, by collecting information from the children’s drawings, we are able to assess how children position themselves in the world, and how they perceive the world around them. The competition also provides the opportunity to assess the younger generations’ responsibility and awareness towards the environment, which is crucial, within the contemporary drive to sustainable living and futures. With this in mind the Department of Geography will be organizing the competition again in 2013, and will start approaching schools as early as the beginning of 2012.
