We are delighted to share that Iara, a Level 3 Year 2 Art & Design student at Oaklands College, has been selected for an exciting professional illustration opportunity with Reach Out Education.

Chosen by Director Lucy Owens, Iara will be working on a live professional brief titled Fino the Dino — a new and engaging educational project aimed at Years 3–4 pupils.

Fino the Dino combines music, storytelling and phonics learning, with a particular focus on the phonetic sound “oh”. The initiative is designed to create an interactive and creative learning experience that supports literacy development within primary education.

As part of this opportunity, Iara’s illustrations will be officially published, and she will receive a percentage of sales alongside professional references — a remarkable achievement at this stage of her creative career. The project will also serve as a significant addition to her professional portfolio.

Iara recently attended her first online meeting with Lucy and the Reach Out Education team, where she discussed the project brief and next steps. The team were highly impressed with her maturity, professionalism and understanding of the brief, as well as the thoughtful questions she asked. She represented both the Art & Design department and Oaklands College exceptionally well, demonstrating the high standard of creative talent within our student community.

Opportunities like this highlight the value of live briefs and industry engagement in helping students gain real-world experience while still studying.

Congratulations to Iara on this well-deserved achievement. We look forward to seeing Fino the Dino come to life through her illustrations.