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d’Vinci Interactive has been recognized with a gold Horizon Interactive award in the Non-Profit/Advocacy – Video category for its work with Sandy Hook Promise on a series of animated videos designed to foster positive social behaviors like belonging, friendship, empathy, and responsibility among children. educating children about belonging, friendship, empathy, and responsibility. 

The award-winning project features a series of short-form videos that support Sandy Hook Promise’s mission to educate and empower youth and communities to prevent violence. Using developmentally appropriate story telling for grades K-5, the videos are designed to help children recognize emotions in themselves and others, relate to others, and navigate everyday social situations in a healthy, supportive way. These videos build a foundation for positive behavior and connection.

The videos bring to life Sandy Hook Promise’s recognizable character, Dot, and their friends—using storytelling and visual design to engage audiences in meaningful, accessible ways. Through relatable scenarios like welcoming new classmates, resolving conflicts, and recognizing feelings of exclusion, the series encourages children to practice empathy. 

d’Vinci partnered with Sandy Hook Promise to create custom illustrations and scenes, ensuring each moment aligned with Sandy Hook Promise’s message. By promoting empathy at an early age, the videos help reinforce the foundation of Sandy Hook Promise’s mission that violence is preventable when communities are connected, know the signs, and look out for one another. The result is a cohesive video series that combines thoughtful design, clarity, and emotional impact to create behavior change and awareness. 

“This recognition reflects the power of purposeful storytelling in learning and advocacy,” said d’Vinci Lead Instructional Designer/Project Manager Christine Kurtz. “Our work with Sandy Hook Promise demonstrates how well-designed visual content can connect with children and reinforce critical messages in a way that is both engaging and memorable.” 

The videos are intended for use in classrooms K-5, after-school programs, and at home, providing educators and caregivers with accessible tools to support violence prevention and reinforce positive behaviors in everyday interactions that support knowing the signs. 

The Horizon Interactive Awards is an international competition that recognizes excellence in digital media, including video, web design, and interactive content.  

About Sandy Hook Promise: 

Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.  

About the Horizon Interactive Awards 
The Horizon Interactive Awards, now in its 24th year, is a leading international competition recognizing excellence in interactive media, including websites, video, online advertising, print media, and mobile applications. Each year, a panel of industry professionals from diverse creative and technical disciplines evaluates thousands of entries from across the United States and around the world to identify and honor the best work in the field.