Grade 6 student Sloane Cameron wins 2025 Every Child Matters T-shirt design contest, honoring Indigenous children ahead of Sept. 30.
Young Artist’s Design Captures Every Child Matters Spirit
Ahead of this year’s National Day for Truth & Reconciliation on September 30, a remarkable young artist has made her mark. Sloane Cameron, a Grade 6 student from Innisfail, Alberta, has won the 2025 Every Child Matters T-shirt design contest, celebrated nationwide for its powerful message.
Her design is now featured on T-shirts and other merchandise available at orangeshirtday.org, inspiring people across Canada to reflect on the importance of supporting Indigenous children.
A Tree, a Heart, and Children: Symbols with Meaning
Sloane’s winning design features a tree, a heart, and children. “The tree represents nature, and the heart symbolizes that every child matters and is equally important,” explains the contest post.
The children in her artwork hold feathers, a nod to Indigenous culture. Interestingly, Sloane drew the children without faces. This intentional choice allows the figures to represent every child, regardless of background.
Orange Shirt Day: Remembering Phyllis and Honoring Every Child
Orange Shirt Day is rooted in the story of Phyllis Webstad, an Indigenous child whose new orange shirt was taken away at residential school, and her hair cut to erase her identity. “Orange Shirt Day supports Indigenous children and reminds others that all children matter,” the contest post states. “By wearing an orange shirt, you commit to the enduring truth that EVERY CHILD MATTERS, every day and everywhere.”
A Nationwide Celebration
The contest, open to students from kindergarten through Grade 12 across Turtle Island, closed on February 28, 2025. The Orange Shirt Society, founded in Williams Lake, organizes the initiative to promote recognition and reconciliation activities nationwide.
Sloane’s design not only won the contest but also serves as a vivid reminder of compassion, inclusion, and the ongoing journey toward reconciliation.
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