Earlier this school year, New Hope Middle School art teacher Nikki Carlson gave her seven art classes a special project.

The 150 students were challenged to design pages for a collaborative coloring book, a joint effort between Carlson and Crystal Taylor, a behavioral specialist for New Hope schools.

“I wanted a tool that I could put in all those places that the students felt like, ‘Hey, these peers of mine really get me,’” Taylor told The Dispatch. “There’s a connection there, and I’m not the only one going through this. Other students are also going through this as well, and they are helping support me in this moment by providing these pages for me.”

The students designed more than 50 coloring pages that were combined to create the first and second editions of the New Hope Middle School Coloring Book, first printed this month by Carlson. While Taylor will be using the coloring books in her work with special education students, she said counselors across the New Hope schools will also use them with their students.

“I have coloring books in my classroom as well,” Carlson said. “So if they get done with their project and need something to do, they love to color. … But if it’s coming from us as adults, they don’t feel like we understand them as much. So if it comes from a peer, they know what each other like.”

Taylor said that coloring has been a great tool for calming and relaxing students dealing with testing anxiety or with complex emotions.
“I have a system in place here where students can respectfully request a break to come see me instead of having those outbursts,” she said.
“… The first thing they reach for is one of these color books, and then they get to coloring. … That kind of brings the walls down.”

The inspiration for the project came from a previous partnership between Taylor and Carlson last year, when they had students anonymously draw posters for the emotions they felt during testing season.

“The posters were incredible,” Taylor said. “… It was their artistic expression of testing anxiety, and this was leading into state testing season. So the big test that they feel pressure from everyone to perform well on … this was their artistic expression of what that looks like inside their brain.”

The intention for the coloring book was to take a more proactive approach in student’s mental health at the schools, Taylor said.

“Oftentimes students that have those big behaviors get a label pretty early on,” she said. “That’s just the truth. I want them to know that they’re more than that label and that they are still a part of this school.”

The pages, which feature images of dinosaurs, superheroes and positive messages, are meant to help students feel connected with their peers and their interests, Carlson said.

When initially given the assignment, sixth-grader Chansee Dozier knew exactly what she wanted to draw after singing songs with her classmates that morning. Dozier said she hopes that students can find joy when coloring in her design.

“I hope they get inspired by what we made in it, because the books we made were to motivate people,” Dozier said.

After receiving such positive feedback from the first two editions,Taylor and Carlson hope to make more editions of the coloring book, distribute them to local businesses that work with children and make smaller copies to give to new students, welcoming them to their school.

“I think this is a work of art, like a real passion from their peers, and they know that they’re being cared for, and they love them,” Carlson said. “There’s a product of my students’ artwork showing, ‘Hey, I did this because I care and I love about my community,’ and I think that’s what makes you a New Hope Trojan.”

Posted in Columbus & Lowndes County

Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 44 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.