TheLeader VOLUME XXVI ISSUE1 Winter2025 - Flipbook - Page 34
G R A N T S
AT
W O R K
Sophia Children's Animated Religious Education Series
Funded for $75,000
Sophia Inc., a New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation was
funded for $75.000 to support Sophia Children's
Animated Religious Education Series. The purpose of
which is to address the lack of web-based Orthodox
education for very young children.
At a time when more than 70% of Orthodox people are
marrying outside of their faith, the young children of
these unions need exposure to the basic Orthodox
tenets. Young adults are waiting longer to get married
and are only coming back to the Church once they have
children in their early thirties (or later). Sophia, Inc.
aims to provide the non-Orthodox parent and their
Orthodox spouse a fun and easy online tool with which
to refamiliarize themselves and their very young children
with the Orthodox living faith - in a non-judgmental and
convenient way. The hope is to bridge the gap between
birth and the time when the children may be enrolled in
and attend parish-based religious education.
Professionals implemented the project to animate the
education series’ vision in a sophisticated and
marketable way by California-based Secret Plan Studios.
Paola Lecler, Lead Animator, has created the title
character SOPHIA, a young Orthodox girl who navigates
her community in the context of her faith. The series is
playful yet reverent and encourages the young family
watching to find and participate in their local church life.
The success of the grant can be measured by the lives it
has already touched in just its initial stage. In just six
months, the series has encouraged both the young and
old to participate in making SOPHIA the best it can be.
Earlier this year, an Orthodox New Jersey high school
student, Kosta, initially volunteered to create the
SOPHIA introductory teaser video. Once he completed
the project, it was submitted to Secret Plans Studio to be
animated. A small stipend was paid from the available
funds. Many other young Orthodox students have also
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been consulted and gladly participated in sharing their
talents.
In another example of how the grant has been used to
meet the specific objectives, a California Orthodox
mother of two, Monci Hoadrea, volunteered to be the
voice of SOPHIA, after being introduced to the project
by one of the Prevyteres on the Sophia Board. She is a
professional voice over artist but found the idea of
SOPHIA so compelling, she volunteered her services as
the narrator of the introductory teaser video. In
searching for an age-appropriate voice for the young
SOPHIA, it occurred that Monci had a young daughter
approximately the age of the SOPHIA character and
hence Monci and her daughter have now recorded the
parts of Narrator and SOPHIA in the introductory video.
Leadership 100 funds were also used to pay Monci and
her family for their participation.
The grant monies were mainly used to secure
professionals in the following sectors: talent (voiceovers); technical (web building); marketing (social
media); and animation. With these professionals
retained, the series is now in the production stage of the
animated series.
The final introductory video has been reviewed and will
be placed on the SOPHIA webpage with plans to remake
the Christmas video first to have it ready for December
viewing. Young working parents no longer have the
luxury of regular physical contact with their preschoolaged children as they did in the past. These parents are
struggling with the high cost of living and the stresses of
modern life. Holidays are no exception. The SOPHIA
program will also allow caregivers and extended families
the ability to expose young Orthodox children to basic
age-appropriate instruction on the feast days and the
everyday workings of the Church.
