SSL Hours: 1 original educational coloring page = 1 SSL hour (research + design + learning element). Complex pages may earn 2 hours — see the tiered system below.
Where: Fully virtual — from home, by hand or digitally (tablet/software).
Who it helps: Pediatric patients in care settings supported by Arts-n-STEM4Hearts, including local hospitals and children's facilities.
Description
Turn creativity into healing and learning! Volunteers create original coloring pages that blend cheerful art with a simple STEM learning element. We compile them into themed educational booklets and deliver them — or mail them digitally/print — to kids receiving care.
Guidelines
- Original artwork only — your own drawings, hand-drawn or digital. No traced or copied characters, logos, or internet images (this keeps our booklets copyright-safe to donate).
- Bold, simple line art — clear, thick outlines that are easy to color, which is great for kids with limited dexterity or energy.
- Note the age range — label your page 4–6, 7–8, or 9–12 so we can match pages to the right kids.
- Bonus for deeper STEM — optional extensions like a color-by-number with math facts or a simple circuit drawn into the scene. A genuinely complex page can earn 2 SSL hours (see below).
SSL hours: tiered system
We award hours based on the depth of the page, so effort is recognized fairly:
- Simple page (one illustration + one fact/label) → 1 SSL hour
- Detailed/complex page (e.g., a multi-panel life cycle or a color-by-number-with-math) → 2 SSL hours, with prior approval - To claim the 2-hour tier, briefly describe your planned page when you sign up so we can confirm it qualifies.
Theme & page ideas (with a STEM focus)
- Human Body & Health (biology/health): a friendly "Meet Your Heart" page with labeled parts; a connect-the-dots skeleton
- Space Exploration (astronomy): the solar system with one fact per planet; a constellation connect-the-dots; "design your own rocket and label the parts."
- Animals & Life Cycles (biology): a 4-panel butterfly metamorphosis to color in order; animal camouflage patterns; ocean-depth fish with a fun fact each.
- Math & Patterns: symmetry completion (finish the mirror image of a butterfly); geometric shapes in nature (honeycombs, snowflakes); color-by-number with simple addition, subtraction, multiplication or division)
How to document your SSL hours
Email your finished page(s) as quality PDF files to support@arts-n-stem4hearts.org, including your name, the theme, the intended age range, and which tier you're claiming. We'll review each page for quality completion and confirm hours for your SSL form.
Student participation in this service project is at the discretion of the student’s parent/guardian. The nonprofit organization is responsible for maintaining student safety and privacy at any time the student is interacting with the nonprofit and its clients. The nonprofit organization will determine the number of SSL hours awarded based on the evidence submitted. Parents/guardians should contact the nonprofit directly with any questions and/or concerns. This service activity is designed to be completed within the safety of the student’s home.
