Children often have the best advice, so art teacher Jessica Martin set up a “Peptoc” hotline where children help adults with their best life tips.
California, United States of America (15 March 2022) – Children are incredibly clever, and sometimes their more straightforward way of thinking can offer up the most profound advice. A group of 5 to 12-year-olds from West Side Elementary got the chance to give adults a pep talk, and the service is now a viral success.
The pep talk idea was started by art teacher Jessica Martin at the West Side Elementary in Healdsburg, California, as a way to make adults smile. She never imagined that the “Peptoc” hotline would become a viral sensation in her state.
The hotline was launched earlier this year and regularly receives 800 calls per hour. The hotline has prerecorded advice from the students at her school. Due to its popularity, the hotline will be a feature for the rest of the year.
Martin has a 6-year-old son, and he played a vital role in naming the hotline. She asked him to use his block letters to help make a flyer but that he needed to include the words “pep talk”. Being only six years old, he spelt the phrase as “Peptoc” and it stuck because it was so enduring.
“Within days of going live, the hotline went viral, and was getting over 800 calls an hour. This quickly grew to 11,000 calls an hour!
We are absolutely astounded and so very moved by the outpouring of calls, and we are so proud that these kids are providing so much joy and light in a very difficult time in the world.” – Alina Collin
Alina Collin, involved with the school, set up a crowdfund on Go Fund Me so they could keep the hotline operational for years to come.
“West Side is a small rural public school with a very small budget. We have had to cut our arts and other enrichment programs by almost 75% due to lack of funding after the pandemic. Thanks to donations and some sponsorship, we have been able to cover the hotline fees to keep the hotline going these past two weeks.
“Any excess funding we receive will go toward our enrichment programs, which are in desperate need of support.”
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WATCH: South Africa Wants to Know Why Rassie and Siya Went BaldWe are pretty confident that if you asked your child for a great life tip, they would blow you away with their answer. Take a listen to some of the advice offered up by the children from West Side Elementary.
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