Sandy Hook Promise and d’Vinci Honored for K-12 Social Impact Work

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The Telly Awards recently honored Sandy Hook Promise and d’Vinci Interactive with a Silver Telly Award for the use of video in the Start With Hello educational program.

Start With Hello helps students in grades K-5 build more socially-inclusive cultures. Through short videos and a learning game, kids learn the important role they play in making school a positive experience for everyone. Start with Hello includes friendly, illustrated characters that make the learning fun.

Sandy Hook Promise and d’Vinci also created the Say Something educational experience to help older students learn how to identify peers who may be at-risk of hurting themselves or others. Through educational videos, students learn to look for warning signs, especially in social media, and to “say something” to a trusted adult or emergency responder. Each Start With Hello and Say Something digital learning experience helps students develop critical social and emotional skills. Educators register to use the materials as a class or students can be given individual access so they can continue the learning at home. Extensive educator guides and support materials are also available.

“Social isolation is often the precursor to all sorts of violence and tragedies. Teaching our kids early and often to say 'hello' to someone sitting alone and reach out when you see someone may need help are all simple yet powerful ways we can build a culture of inclusion in our schools that ripples through our communities," said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise, and mother of Dylan, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. "We are grateful for our partnership with d'Vinci Interactive in producing the Start With Hello elementary school curriculum and videos that make learning empathy and compassion more accessible and memorable for kids of all ages. This truly is life-saving work.”

To help expand the reach and impact of Sandy Hook Promise's proven Know the Signs school violence prevention programs, d'Vinci developed the organization's first-ever digital training and learning management system designed specifically for schools. The project was made possible by the generous support of The Walt Disney Company. For more information, please visit Sandy Hook Promise.

About The Telly Awards:

The Telly Awards is the premier award honoring video and television across all screens. Established in 1979, The Telly Awards receives over 12,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents. Entrants are judged by The Telly Awards Judging Council—an industry body of over 200 leading experts including advertising agencies, production companies, and major television networks, reflective of the multi-screen industry The Telly Awards celebrates. Partners of The Telly Awards include NAB, StudioDaily, Stash Magazine, Storyhunter, ProductionHub, VR/AR Association, The Wrap and Digiday.