Five year eight students from Arorangi School were busy yesterday travelling around the island spreading messages of joy and positivity, through handmade signs that they created as part of ‘The Journey Project’.

The students made five official stops yesterday, accompanied by their teacher Rose Benns and visiting Kiwi artist Jessica Newman.

Among these stops was the Prime Minister Mark Brown’s office where they presented him with a special sign made just for him with words ‘You are appreciated’ written on it.

They met with the Prime Minister in Cabinet where they presented their sign and shared with him the meaning behind what they were doing and the purpose of each of their signs.

“To change people’s lives, to spread joy, to change how people think about themselves, and to help people become a little more positive,” were some of the words that each of the students called out when asked what the purpose of the signs were.

Benns said the signs were like a “pick me up project for the public”.

PM Brown was delighted to be gifted the sign by the children and was happy to speak with them and listen to what they had to say.

When it was time for them to move on to their next stop, he farewelled them and told them to “keep up the good work”.

Jessica Newman, who is the founder of The Journey Project and taking students through an eight-week creative teaching programme, says the sign is also about realising and harnessing the power of words. So far, the students have completed 13 signs at school, some of which they brought with them to hand out on their day out around the island yesterday.

Each week they learn a different art form with different skills, messages and strategies for mental wellness.

While this project has been centered around the power of words regarding other people, their next school project will be centered around bold, positive messages about themselves.

This will come in the form of an art project where the students will create large painted mouths to stick their messages on, and then to hang on a tipani tree at school.