Entertainment
As narrative designers, we help our clients conceptualize and develop authentic characters and their worlds, write scripts, and design game mechanics that support curriculum and learning objectives. We also consult with entertainment and game design companies to help them create educationally sound play experiences that are rooted in the science of play. Here are some selected projects.
My Cancer Story Quilt App: For Families
Conceptualize My Cancer Story Quilt app based on the picture book Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic where families engage in challenging conversations about cancer and emotions while making art, creating playful memories and connecting with loved ones, including those in treatment at the hospital.
Client: Well Beings Studio
Paw Patrol: A Day in Adventure Bay
Narrative design and curriculum design for "PAW Patrol: A Day in Adventure Bay!" an app that engages and supports preschoolers in developing daily care routines. In this app, children goes on rescue missions around Adventure Bay! as they team up with Skye, Rocky, Chase, Rubble, Zuma, Marshall, Tracker, and Everest to develop universal early-childhood skills, such as responsibility and independence.
Clients: Splashworks / Nickelodeon
World Rescue
A game about five young heroes who seek to combat displacement, disease, deforestation, drought, and pollution around the globe; inspired by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Client: UNESCO's Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development.
Ion Future: The STEM career exploration game
A game for middle and high school students where players explore the breadth of STEM-based professions and match their interest with career paths within STEM.
Client: E-Line Media/Change the Equation.
History Detectives Laboratory
An educational game based on the PBS series History Detectives. Set during the Industrial Revolution, students assume the role of detective to investigate mysteries surrounding historical artifacts.
Client: Lion Television
Editorial
As strategic content producers and consultants, we help our clients—from publishers to non-profit organizations—conceptualize, commission, and develop products that are educational, engaging, and inclusive.
Spot-on Fiction
We developed a collection of 70+ original fiction leveled readers and graphic novels by diverse award-winning children's authors and illustrators for the school market (grades 3-5). Authors include Derrick Barnes, Jane Yolen,Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, Joseph Bruchac, Traci Sorell, Bao Phi, Jerry Craft, Gwendolyn Zepeda, Rene Saldana Jr., David Bowles, Reem Faruqi, Claudia Guadalope Martinez, Ibi Zoboi, Gwendolyn Hooks, Floyd Cooper, Isabel Campoy, Jennifer Torres, Robert Lui-Trujillo, Joel Christian Gill, and Niki Daly. See full catalogue here.
Client: Benchmark Education
Big Belly Business & Babu Barta
Research-based, culturally-relevant, and highly-illustrated lower literacy pregnancy guides for Liberia and Bangladesh, conceptualized by Simply Put Media, a non-profit that creates books and media for audiences who rarely see their stories, concerns, strengths and constraints reflected in commercial publishing or media. These books were inspired by the best-selling What to Expect When You're Expecting series and funded with a grant from the US Department of State's Office of Global Women's Issues.
Client: The What to Expect Foundation
English 3D
A series of anthologies for language programs designed to accelerate language skills for all academic language learners, including long-term English language learners, advanced ELL/ELD students, and community dialect speakers.
Client: Scholastic Education/HMH
No Nonsense Grammar
From PBS Learning Media, this video series teaches fundamental grammar lessons with the giggle-factor of outrageous sentences and ridiculous sound effects.The 30-second energetic episodes portray grammar rules in the simplest, funniest, most modern way possible.
Client: Kornhaber Brown
Curriculum Design & Development
Our team of educational publishing professionals develops, writes, and produces pre-K-12 standards-aligned lesson plans, curriculum, and educational frameworks. We work across all content areas, including literacy, social-emotional skills, social studies, financial literacy, oral history, and current events. Our most recent clients include McGraw Hill Education and Sesame Workshop. Samples are available upon request.
culturally responsive instruction
Developed a prototype curricular design and over 50+ culturally responsive lessons for McGraw Hill's Wonders K-6 literacy program's Online Digital Course. The lessons will support the teaching of existing works of literature and thematic units in Wonders textbooks and serve as instructional models to assist teacher efforts to create classroom environments that value equity, inclusion, diversity, social justice, and anti-racism.
Client: McGraw Hill Education
PROJECT BASED LEARNING COURSE DESIGN
Developed online project based learning (PBL) courses and content for legal and law enforcement career pathways at Stride K12-powered Destinations Career Academies with the goal of building a more diverse, socially conscious, and community-supportive law enforcement workforce. Courses for grades 9-12 include Careers in Criminal Justice, Sociology, Interpersonal Communication, and Customer Service.
Client: Stride Learning
