Earlier this spring, students across the Toronto Catholic District School Board were invited to showcase their creativity through the TCDSB Logo and Theme Song Contests, inspired by the FIFA World Cup.
The contests encouraged students to reflect on the values of faith, teamwork, community, and school spirit while creating original pieces that could help unite schools across the Board for the World Cup.
Following an impressive number of submissions, Mia B., a Grade 10 student from Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School and Regional Arts Centre, was selected as the winner of the FIFA World Cup Logo Contest. Katelyn T. and Daniel W., Grade 10 students from Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School and Regional Arts Centre, were selected as the winners of the Theme Song Contest.
Students shared the inspiration and creative process behind their winning submissions.
World Cup Logo Contest Winner
Mia B.
Grade 10, Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School and Regional Arts Centre
Q: Your logo is fantastic! What inspired your design? Did you look at any other sports logos for inspiration? What was your process?
A: The use of crosses combined with other elements in a multitude of Catholic logos initially inspired my design, as well as sports logos that often incorporate soccer balls. From there, my process began by combining a cross and a soccer ball, with the cross fitting into the curvature of the ball. Along with a few additions, including a heart and some text, the final design came together.
Q: As with many creative projects, there can be challenges along the way. Were there any challenges you faced during the process, and what did you learn from them?
A: The main challenge I faced during this process was figuring out how to combine Catholic symbols and a soccer ball, which are often two very different ideas. What I learned from this challenge is that even ideas that seem inherently different can come together in meaningful and creative ways.
Q: What was your favourite part about working on this logo? Was it the creative process itself, or anticipating what the logo could become for the school community? What are you most excited about regarding the new logo?
A: My favourite part about working on this logo was thinking about what it could become in the future and how it might make a lasting impact on the school community. I was also able to create my logo alongside a friend, which made the process even more enjoyable. What I am most excited about is seeing the logo in public. Seeing something I worked so hard on come to life will give me a strong sense of pride and accomplishment.
World Cup Theme Song Contest Winners
Katelyn T. and Daniel W.
Grade 10, Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School and Regional Arts Centre
Q: Your song is fantastic! What inspired the design, and did you look at any other sports songs for inspiration?
A: Thank you! We were inspired by the idea of the World Cup bringing people together from around the world, so we wanted to model our track and lyrics to reflect that sense of unity. We used Shakira’s “La La La” as a reference point.
Q: Were there any challenges during the songwriting process, and what did you learn from them?
A: There were several challenges during the songwriting process, but the most prominent was creating a World Cup song that felt unique and different from others. We learned that the key to being unique is to be ourselves and to embrace our Catholic faith by incorporating it into our lyrics.
Q: What was your favourite part of creating the song, and what are you most excited about with the new song?
A: Our favourite part of creating the song was sharing ideas and melodies and combining them to develop something new. We are most excited about sharing our song and representing our faith through the world of soccer.
Congratulations to Mia, Katelyn, and Daniel on their outstanding achievements. Their creativity, talent, and dedication have helped shape a unique TCDSB identity for our FIFA World Cup celebrations, and we look forward to seeing and hearing their work across our schools in the months ahead.
