The Premier League is launching the Draw Together Challenge, aimed at empowering children to help and support others who face discrimination.
Primary school pupils across England and Wales are encouraged to draw or paint a picture on the theme of allyship, detailing the positive action they will take to help challenge discriminatory behaviour, wherever they see it.
Free downloadable activity for schools
Draw Together is the latest free downloadable activity created to support the Premier League's No Room For Racism initiative.
It is available through Premier League Primary Stars, the League's curriculum-linked education programme, which uses the appeal of professional football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills.
On the PL Primary Stars site, Premier League players talk about their experiences of racism and how they tackled it.
To help launch the challenge, CBeebies presenter Ben Cajee attended a PL Primary Stars session on discrimination, run by Everton in the Community at Holy Trinity Primary School in Liverpool.
There Cajee discussed personal experiences of racism and held a Q&A with a Year 6 class before pupils began creating artwork for the challenge.
"Having faced discrimination myself when at school, I know first-hand the importance of education on this issue," Cajee said.
"To have videos of Premier League footballers talking about their own experiences of racism and the importance of looking out for each other as part of this challenge is key in showing children how vital it is for us all to support others.
"It's something I would have appreciated at that age.
"I hope that the Premier League Draw Together Challenge has a positive impact on all who take part and I look forward to seeing the great artwork the children create."
Prizes up for grabs
The challenge will run until Friday 11 June 2021. Teachers will be able to submit artwork on behalf of their class at Key Stage 1 (5-7-year-olds) or as individual submissions for Key Stage 2 pupils (7-11-year-olds), via the online teacher form on the Premier League Primary Stars website.
All schools who submit entries ahead of the deadline will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to receive Premier League goodies for their school.
One lucky entrant will see their school receive a special visit from the Premier League Trophy.
The artwork and pledges of 20 pupils will also be selected at random to be displayed in a No Room For Racism gallery on the Premier League and Premier League Primary Stars websites.
All primary schools who enter the challenge will also receive copies of the official PL Writing Stars poetry book "Beautifully Different, Wonderfully the Same" for their libraries.
"We hope this will encourage further discussions with family and friends about the importance of us all playing our part in helping to tackle racism"
"The Premier League Draw Together Challenge will enable children and teachers in classrooms up and down the country to have safe and open conversations about racism and the detrimental impact that discrimination has," said Nick Perchard, Premier League Head of Community.
"We hope this will encourage children to create artwork and pledges that demonstrate their support for others and will lead to further discussions with family members and friends about the importance of us all playing our part in helping to tackle racism.”
The education of fans, children and young people is just one of the ways in which the Premier League is tackling discrimination as part of its No Room For Racism Action Plan.
