Extended environmental education through interactive learning.
Challenge
The Balboa Park Cultural Partnership (BPCP) prepared for its 2019 Earth Fair—one of the largest free Earth Day celebrations in the world, attracting more than 60,000 attendees annually. As part of the event, BPCP wanted to create an engaging way to educate young visitors about environmental stewardship and the park’s sustainability efforts.
The goal was to create an experience that extended learning beyond a single day and could continue to engage families after they left the park.
Approach
To support both in-person and at-home learning, I proposed creating an educational coloring book that combined storytelling, exploration, and practical sustainability tips.
I wrote the educational content and led concept development, ensuring the material was age-appropriate, accessible, and aligned with the park’s sustainability initiatives. To bring the concept to life visually, we partnered with Cristina Byvik, a San Diego-based illustrator.
Solution
I led the development of the “Every Day Is Earth Day” coloring book as a multi-use educational tool.
- Content Strategy: Developed educational narratives highlighting sustainability efforts across Balboa Park institutions.
- Interactive Learning Design: Incorporated a scavenger hunt and at-home environmental action tips to reinforce learning through participation.
- Creative Direction: Collaborated closely with the illustrator to ensure the artwork supported educational goals and appealed to young audiences.
- Distribution Strategy: Designed the book for both large-scale event distribution and ongoing use with visitors and school groups.
Results
The coloring book debuted at the 2019 Earth Day celebration and was distributed to families, visitors, and students participating in school field trips.
When in-person Earth Day celebrations were canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, the coloring book became a flexible digital engagement tool.
- Repurposed as downloadable and shareable content across social channels
- Expanded into a community-wide coloring contest sponsored by a local utility
- Sustained environmental education and Earth Day engagement despite the shift to remote participation
The project demonstrated how thoughtfully designed, interactive educational content can extend the reach of live events, support learning at home, and inspire environmental awareness across the community.