A project sparked by curiosity and a desire to help, Sending Rainbows is a picture book created by educational leader Donnalee Collins and early learners at Gosford Pre-School Inc. for their peers at Coraki Preschool in northern NSW.

The book was inspired by conversations between children at Gosford Pre-School Inc. who had seen and heard news at home in early 2022 about the devastating Northern Rivers floods.

Child-led learning

Guided by their interactions about and interest in the flooding event, educators supported children to extend their learning about what was occurring in the Northern Rivers and its impact on the local community.

“The children were shown images of the floods, prompting questions about the natural disaster and concerns about the wellbeing of those affected,” shared Jo Hunter, director of Gosford Pre-School Inc, which is located on NSW’s Central Coast.

These discussions prompted the children and staff to think about how they could help ECEC staff and children in Coraki, a small town in the region that experienced 2 major floods in March 2022. The idea of creating a picture book to support recovery efforts was sparked during this inquiry learning experience.

Encouraging active citizenship

Gosford Pre-school Inc.’s early learners were actively involved throughout the entire project. One of their first tasks was helping Donnalee, who wrote and illustrated Sending Rainbows, come up with key elements of the story.

“Using images from Coraki Preschool's Facebook page, the children helped form the illustrations and characters,” explained Donnalee.

“Upon completion, the book was read to the children, and they created individual rainbow pictures to send along with the books and other gifts we gathered for them.”

The gifts included workbooks and gift vouchers for books and teaching resources, which were purchased using donations from Gosford Pre-school Inc. families. Local businesses also answered the call to support the service’s project, including an electricity company that provided funds for a copy of Sending Rainbows to be printed for each family enrolled at Coraki Preschool at the time.

Promoting empathy and connection

The floods that affected Coraki not only caused extensive physical damage but also had a significant emotional impact on the children, families and staff at Coraki Preschool.

Through Sending Rainbows, the children and staff at Gosford Pre-School Inc. were able to provide comfort and practical support to Coraki Preschool families and staff. The project also enabled the Gosford-based early learners to deepen their understanding and sense of empathy, community and solidarity.

“The children at our service were already talking about the floods, so I wanted to give them an emotional understanding of what was happening at a level they understood,” explained Donnalee.

“For Coraki, I hoped it would help in their healing journey to know others – just like them – were thinking of them, that their struggle and strength were seen, and that they would see brighter days again.”

The impact of Sending Rainbows

When the children of Coraki Preschool returned to the service after the floods, they were greeted with the care package from their friends at Gosford Pre-School Inc. Copies of Sending Rainbows, adorned with beautiful watercolour illustrations and heartfelt messages, were cherished and the book quickly became a favourite at storytime.

“It warms my heart to know that the children and families at Coraki connected with the book and that I was able to in this small way help with their healing,” Donnalee shared.

The project also had a lasting impact on the children at Gosford Pre-School Inc.

“It opened the children’s eyes in understanding that their world is bigger than just home and preschool,” she added.

“And that no matter who you are or how small you are, you can make a difference.”