PABLO — As a child, pinwheels were fun toys to play with and were appropriate symbols of a carefree attitude, spinning effortlessly in the breeze. Now, through a nationwide program, the pinwheel represents hope, health and happiness.

On Thursday, April 19, about 100 pinwheels were planted in the shape of a peace symbol on the SKC campus as part of Pinwheels for Prevention, a campaign to bring awareness to child abuse and neglect.

While it’s the first time Pinwheels for Prevention has been brought to SKC, it’s hardly new. About 88 pinwheel gardens have been put up throughout the state and roughly 900,000 can be found in the United States.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, part of the reason Mary Rudolph, early childhood education instructor at SKC, wanted to bring the pinwheel garden to SKC.

“If you think about child abuse and neglect and think about child development, it all ties together,” Rudolph said. “If children are being abused and neglected, they’re not thriving and not developing when they need to be. We also believe in supporting families along with the children.”

Prevent Child Abuse Montana contacted Rudolph’s boss Cindy O’Dell, who passed the word onto Rudolph.

“She said, ‘Mary, this looks like something you’d want to do’ and it was,” Rudolph said.

The program aims to bring the issue of child abuse awareness to the forefront, something Rudolph believes is being accomplished.

“As far as awareness, it’s been successful,” Rudolph said. “At least we’re getting the word out. The fact there are 88 pinwheel gardens in Montana and 900,000 nationwide says something about people being interested.”

According to the program’s site, pinwheels represent the efforts of Prevent Child Abuse America to change the way our nation thinks about prevention through community activities and public policies.

Rudolph believes the key to the effort is to take an active stand in the battle against child abuse and neglect.

“We want to be leaders in our community, we went our students to be leaders in their community and one of the ways to be a leader is to support children and families,” Rudolph said.

The pinwheel garden is set up next to the Michel Building, near the lunch room, in an effort to maximize the visibility of the garden and will remain there for the rest of the month.