Color Project Teaching Tolerance to Youth

RICHFIELD, Minn. - The Color Project is a new curriculum teaching kids about skin color, character, friendship and stereotypes. Sheridan Hills Elementary School in Richfield is doing something different in art class this week.

The kindergarten through second graders are mixing different color paints to match their skin color, then they paint their portrait on a huge canvass.

The project was developed by Tolerence Minnesota to teach children that skin is made up of different colors and their unique color should give them a sense of pride.

Kids are taught they should accept others differences and not judge people purely based on the color of their skin. The goal is to bring conversations about race and culture into a diverse classroom in a safe and structured way.

Leaders hope this lesson will help the kids be more unified in their community when they are adults.

"If we can do this and put these messages into kids at a younger age then they will accept who they are and feel strong about it from a younger age forward," said Susie Greenberg of Tolerence Minnesota

"Its more about what comes from the inside than what's on the outside," said 7-year-old Owen Larson.

It doesn't matter what color we are, we can still be friends," said student Tania Chappell.

Sheridan Hills was approved for grant to participate in the project for the first time this year.

The canvass pieces will be on display in the school and shown at district events.