When the world feels overwhelming with wars, inflation, never-ending election cycles, and the pandemic, it’s important to remember the power of kindness, advice, and laughter. Luckily, teachers at West Side School in Healdsburg, California have found a way to provide support right at your fingertips. Through a project called Peptoc, art teacher Jessica Martin and educator Asherah Weiss have created a hotline where callers can listen to uplifting pep talks recorded by their incredible students.
To access the hotline, simply dial (707)-8PEPTOC or (707)-873-7862. Once connected, callers have a variety of options. Press 1 if you’re feeling mad, frustrated, or nervous. Press 2 if you need encouragement or life advice. Press 3 to hear a pep talk from a kindergartner (who doesn’t need that once in a while?). Press 4 to listen to kids laughing with joy. Press 6 to hear how awesome you look. And if you prefer encouragement in Spanish, press 5. The advice given by the students is adorable and heartwarming. They suggest taking a few sips of water when feeling frustrated, being true to yourself, not giving up, and taking deep breaths while thinking of happy things when angry. They even suggest thinking of groundhogs when feeling high and unbalanced.
Martin and Weiss mention that the students were naturals at offering motivation, kindness, and wisdom. They didn’t need much guidance and were able to provide empathetic and joyful words effortlessly. The public clearly agreed with the praise for Peptoc as, within two days of its launch in February 2022, the hotline was receiving up to 700 calls per hour. In a matter of weeks, the number of calls skyrocketed to 9,000 per day. Shortly before the midterm elections in November, a tweet about the Peptoc number caused a surge of over 1.6 million calls within just 12 hours.
The Peptoc project also includes a visual arts component. Students were tasked with designing posters that promote motivation, inspiration, and encouragement. These posters would be displayed in the school and throughout the town. The students wholeheartedly embraced the project, creating clever posters with tear-off reminders like “It’s ok to feel sad” or simply “It is OK!” The aim of the Peptoc project is not only to provide a hotline but to engage students, teachers, the community, and callers in a unified artwork. This concept, known as socially engaged art or social practice, brings people together through conversation, collaboration, and interaction, often tied to an educational or outreach program.
Weiss expressed her surprise and delight at the overwhelming response the project received. They initially hoped to bring joy to everyone involved and show the students that their positive messages can have an impact. However, they didn’t anticipate the scale of the reception they received.
Furthermore, the creators of Peptoc have announced an international call for youth-made posters of encouragement to be featured in an upcoming book project. They encourage individuals aged 3 to 21 to submit photos of their artwork for consideration. For more information, you can visit Peptoc.net.