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Coloring Outside the Lines to Teach Kids About COVID-19

Lauryn Hong, Ella Matlock, Sofia Migliazza, and Erin Rogers are the 15-year-old students who took their economics capstone project a step beyond, and it turned it into reality.

Jeff Montooth, who teaches Advanced Placement government and economics classes at the Long Beach Polytechnic High School, typically asks his freshman students to develop a business plan that addresses an environmental problem.

This year, however, given the unique circumstances created by the pandemic, he decided to broaden the topic of the project to include charity businesses as well. The goal was to have his students build a project that was not only relevant but also allowed them to give back to their community.

These four amazing young girls teamed up and developed a business plan to create and publish a COVID-19 themed coloring book to help teach kids about the pandemic in a way that did not overwhelm them.  Thanks to the support of their teachers, the girls’ project did not remain on paper. 

The students used their plan to create Be the Change Coloring Co. to publish their first book “COVID Coloring Book.” 

Erin Rogers, one of the book’s creators, says her group’s newly established business only expected to sell around 25 books mostly to friends and family. To their surprise, their creativity has helped raise more than $18k for various charities and sparked new ideas for more books.

Coloring Outside the Lines

Helping Kids Understand the Pandemic

In an interview with the Washington Post, Hong, who has two younger sisters, commented that she and her new business partners knew they wanted to create something for kids, and it had to be in a way that they could give back to the community.

One of their first ideas was to create a mask decorating kit for children but later decided on the coloring book because they wanted children to have the opportunity to learn as well.

“COVID is really confusing, even for us, and the coloring book is a way to keep them entertained and help them learn.” Lauryn Hong

The beautiful result of their economics class capstone project is a 28-page coloring and activity book that features characters Al E. Gator, Wally the Narwhal, and Sam the Snail. These engaging characters offer kid-friendly advice on how to stay safe during the pandemic. The book addresses topics such as the importance of handwashing, social distancing, and spending more time at home. The book even comes with a children’s sized mask.

“The coloring book gives kids the information without totally overloading them,” Ella Matlock said

 
Coloring Outside the Lines

Publishing the Book

Be the Change Coloring Co. is truly a group effort. Erin Rodgers explained, that Lauryn writes the text for the book, and then Sofia and Ella make the drawings and activities that accompany the text. Later, it’s Erin’s job to import the photos into Photoshop and start the process of combining the words with the artwork to create the pages.

The book costs $5, and 40% of this gets donated to a charity. As a buyer, you can choose from a list of suggested charities or add your favorite one.

Thanks to the success of their first book, the four friends are already working on a second book, “Stand Up for Your-Shell-ves,” which aims to teach children about racism and discrimination with the help of Sam the Snail.

 

At Altus Biologics, we value creativity and hard work, especially those endeavors that address society’s most pressing problems. 

We salute these young women who are helping to make a difference in the lives of their community. If you would like to purchase COVID Coloring Book or pre-order Stand Up for Your-Shell-ves, please visit https://www.bethechangecoloringco.com.

 
Coloring Outside the Lines
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