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Elementary Students Share Encouraging Pep Talks in New Hotline
Kindergartners from West Side Elementary in California have created Peptoc, an encouraging hotline for those who need a pick-me-up or some hard-hitting advice. When calling 707-998-8410, the prompt menu — narrated by kindergarten students — has dial options if one is feeling upset, needs encouragement, or simply wants to hear child laughter.
Peptoc was curated with the help of teachers Jessica Martin and Asherah Weiss.
Martin teaches the arts program and says she was inspired by her students’ positive attitudes, despite all they’ve been through. From the pandemic to the numerous wildfires that California has experienced, the everyday challenges of being a child in 2022 have not kept these students down.
“I thought, you know, with this world being as it is, we all really needed to hear from them — their extraordinary advice and their continual joy,”
Jessica Martin tell NPR.
Peptoc was launched on February 26, and just two days after, there were up to 700 callers per hour.
This inspirational hotline reminds us of the joy that children bring to the world, and at ASCI, we remain dedicated to keeping them at the center of who we are and what we do. We can all learn something new from the precious children of West Side Elementary!
Listen to the Peptoc prompt:
To help support the program’s hotline fees, you can click here to donate. All surplus funds go toward the school’s enrichment program.