Summer 2024
Coloring Book Engages Hmong Youth in Energy
The month of May marked Asian/Pacific American Heritage month. MGE helped celebrate by working with community partners to share more than 3,000 “Saving Energy with Tou & Mai” coloring books. With assistance from staff at the Madison Metropolitan School District and other community partners, MGE was able to share lessons about energy conservation with some of our community’s youngest energy users.
Crafted by local Hmong graphic designer Jamee Vang, the coloring books feature Tou and Mai in traditional Hmong clothing and are designed to encourage children to participate in energy-saving activities through simple tasks. The books include an energy-related word search, maze and individual characters that students can color, cut out and place on a story cloth.
A story cloth (pictured to the right) is a unique way Hmong tell their stories and help preserve their cultural heritage. Traditionally done by needle work, the scenes depict everyday life, myths and culture. Students can use the characters and a story cloth to create their own narrative of conserving energy and helping to make the Earth cleaner.
If you’d like to request copies of the "Saving Energy with Tou & Mai" coloring books, please contact Mai Xiong at mthao@mge.com.
