Dear Friend of Koko,

Koko spent her life bringing joy into people's hearts. She called it Koko-Love. And now with our bold new Kids4Koko web app (accessbile at koko.org) we will spread that love through our children — our future.  As Kids4Koko, they will be Koko’s ambassadors — her extended “Voice of Nature.”  They will come to understand gorillas by learning to speak as Koko spoke to us and to her gorilla friends (via sign language). And they will learn how they can save her species.

Nature is in crisis! We see it all around us. And because we are part of Nature it is our crisis, too — ours to solve, and ours to live with. I know Koko would inspire us to act if she were here. Now, through our children — our Kids4Koko — her voice will be loud and bright and clear. This new movement is Koko’s enduring legacy. With your help it can change the world.

With The Gorilla Foundation's new Kids4Koko website, children around the world, of all ages, will learn to communicate like Koko (and hopefully one day with other gorillas) by watching her sign (in extended American Sign language (or ASL+). They'll learn to paint like Koko by exploring her gorilla art, and experimenting with their own. And they'll learn about Koko and her species, by reading specially designed children's books, watching videos, and simultaneously expanding and practicing their sign language vocabulary.

In this first release (accessible now at Koko.org), kids will have 4 ways to connect with Koko and Nature: by Signing, Painting, Reading and Helping (see above graphic).

In Sign Like Koko, kids can quickly look up and learn 48 of Koko's favorite signs (which we’ll continue to add to from Koko's 1000-word vocabulary). Koko will demonstrate each sign and Penny (with native signer Darlene) will show variations between the way Koko signs and the conventional ASL way to do the sign. Kids can also explore a video library of Koko signing with humans and other animals (cross-linked to sign demos) bringing her fascinating language to life (see examples below). There are many benefits to learning sign language, including: a) understanding Koko, b) facilitating communication with the deaf community, c) non-disruptive communication during video calls and in the presence of other animals, and d) the potential to teach sign language to all great apes in captivity.

Koko signs "THANKS"	Penny & Darlene Show Variations

The above video is one of many in Koko's signing video library. In this particular video, "Koko as The Voice of Nature," Koko uses over 10 signs, including Gorilla, Nature, Koko-Love, Man, Sorry, Stupid, Protect, Earth, Flowers, Time and Hurry — which can be mastered by viewing Koko's sign demo videos (1 click away).

In Paint Like Koko, kids will peer into the creative side of a gorilla's mind. They'll view the art of Koko and her extraordinary friend Michael. They'll watch videos showing Koko painting with joy and amusement, freely expressing her feelings in her art without inhibition. Then kids will be encouraged to express their own feelings as they paint "like Koko" and optionally share their work with other Kids4Koko.

In Read About Koko, two books are presented that teach kids all about Koko's life and legacy — the classic paradigm-shiftig Koko's Kitten, and the heartwarming new tribute, A Wish for Koko. These books will become tools for action as they reach more readers around the world — adults as well as children — and open more hearts and minds. These books are also rich with sign language, and Kids4Koko always makes learning Koko signs just one click away.

Finally, in Help Save Gorillas, kids will gain knowledge and appreciation of Koko’s species. They’ll learn about challenges facing captive gorillas — their lack of autonomy and prohibition from using sign language to communicate with caregivers in zoos. And they'll learn about the threats to free-living gorillas in Africa from "bushmeat" hunters, loss of habitat and disease (yes, gorillas can catch most of our diseases, as they're so close genetically). Armed with this information and inspired by compassion, Kids4Koko will be guided to act on behalf of this noble species. They’ll be invited to sign Koko's Pledge of Compassion — to treat all living things and the natural world with love, respect and wonder. Their "Koko-Love" (which they may start signing a lot) will do the rest.

A few of the ways industrious kids can help.at Kids4Koko

Coming Soon to Kids4Koko ...

With your help, we can extend Kids4Koko in many exciting directions including providing kids with the capability to:

Support Kids4Koko

Thanks to your support to-date, we've made great strides — as you can see for yourself at Koko.org/kids4koko. However, to keep kids engaged and motivated to become conservation leaders, we need your continued support to progressively add new content and interactive features. Please make a generous donation today — an investment that will pay dividends in the hearts, minds and accomplishments of our youth.

Thank you for supporting The Gorilla Foundation's unique mission to achieve conservation through communication — we're succeeding; let's continue the journey together!

Sincerely,

Dr. Penny Patterson
President, CEO and Director of Research
The Gorilla Foundation / koko.org

PS: Like many other nonprofits, small businesses and individuals today, The Gorilla Foundation is doing its best to survive and thrive during these challenging times, and reimagining the future on a daily basis. Your donation of $25 or more will make all the difference, and help us create a self-sustaining web-based educational platform for the next generation that continues to benefit from Koko's Legacy.

Conservation through Communication