Flocabulary

Black History Month Rap Contest

An engagement campaign that exceeded expectations and reset the bar for engagement

Graphic design with educational and music icons, including a book, ultrasound machine, DJ turntable, smartphone, atom, light bulb, globe, headphones, and the text 'Flocabular y by nearpod' on a blue background.
Orange horizontal banner with a subtle gradient.

Challenge

We wanted to create an initiative that boosted usage of a new product feature — Lyric Lab — while staying true to our mission of centering student creativity and social justice awareness and honoring the Black culture that birthed hip hop.

Solution

I co-design a national rap contest inviting students to write lyrics about Black historical figures using Lyric Lab. In its first year, we flew the winning student from Chicago to Brooklyn to professionally record his song about John Lewis, turning participation into a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Watch the winning video here.

Results

The campaign received 500% more submissions than projected and became the most popular lesson on the site that year. It elevated student voices, deepened historical learning, and set a new benchmark for participatory engagement across the platform.

A woman and a teenage boy standing together indoors. The woman is smiling, wearing a denim jacket over a patterned blouse. The boy has a serious expression, wearing a red hoodie with "Vikings Basketball" written on it, and has dreadlocks.