Be Someone's Sticky Note Foundation
Be Someone's Sticky Note Foundation logo. One note changed everything. Yours could too.
est. 2026
ages 4–10

A Nevada 501(c)(3) nonprofit building confidence in children ages 4–10, one Confidence Kit at a time. It started with a single yellow sticky note that traveled through five military moves and twenty-nine years.

Danyail Neko Lawton holding Penelope and the Vase
“I carried a sticky note through five military moves and four deployments. This Foundation is what happens when you finally get to pass it on.” Danyail Neko Lawton, Founder & Author, Penelope and the Vase
Our Mission

A story of self-love and confidence.

Be Someone's Sticky Note Foundation exists to give every child a lasting reminder that they are worthy exactly as they are. We fund and distribute Confidence Kits, a storybook, affirmation stickers, and a plush companion, to children ages 4 to 10 through schools, libraries, and hospital programs across Southern Nevada.

01

Self-Love

Every child deserves to know their worth comes from within, not from what they see reflected back at them.

02

Everyday Confidence

Fear of failure and self-doubt stop children before they even try.

03

Emotional Resilience

Kids need tools to process pressure, not just endure it.

04

Belonging

Every child deserves to feel seen and valued because of what today represents.

Four smiling children reading Penelope and the Vase together, one holding the yellow Be Someone's Sticky Note Foundation plush companion
“I am beautiful... inside and out”
The original 9th-grade manuscript 'The Story of Penelope' by Neko King, 1997, with the teacher's original sticky note, alongside the 2026 published book Penelope and the Vase by Danyail Lawton
Where It All Began

29 years. One yellow sticky note.

In 1997, a 9th-grade teacher left a handwritten note on a student's short story after a literature assignment. That student carried it through five military moves and four overseas deployments, long after the ink began to fade.

Twenty-nine years later, that story became a published children's book. The note became the foundation of a movement: the belief that one small act of encouragement can outlast the moment it was written in.

A small note. A big impact.
One note changed everything. Yours could too.

The Confidence Kit

What every child receives.

Distributed through grant-funded programs, schools, and community partners. Free to the children who receive them.

The Penelope-Inspired Confidence Kit box with its contents: the hardcover book Penelope and the Vase, a 5x5 inch sticky note plush companion, a set of six affirmation stickers, and the Penelope's World of Affirmations app
📖

A Story of Their Own

A copy of the children's book that started it all, built around discovering that worth was never something to search for outside yourself.

💗

Affirmation Stickers

A set of six affirmation stickers, each carrying its own message, meant to be seen again on the days a child needs it most.

🧸

A Companion to Hold

A soft plush shaped like a yellow sticky note, 5 by 5 inches and made to be hugged. A small, physical reminder that the message stays close.

📱

Digital Activities

Access to Penelope's World of Affirmations, an interactive affirmations game and confidence activity journal, plus a personal digital message from the author.

Danyail Lawton reading Penelope and the Vase to a classroom of elementary students
Already In The Room

This isn't a pitch. It's already happening.

Before there was a Foundation, there were classrooms. Kids sitting on the floor, fully in the story, writing their own affirmations afterward because they wanted to, not because it was assigned.

Every Confidence Kit builds on visits like this one: real rooms, real kids, real reactions. This same author-led workshop is available to book for your school, library, or hospital program.

25+min. writing engagement
7organizations supported
4–10ages served
What Readers Are Saying

Real voices. Real impact.

"They loved learning about affirmations. We changed our writing assignment to writing about affirmations, and they were so inspired that they wrote over 25 minutes, some still wanting to write after that. You are making a difference in children's lives. You really are."

Kindergarten Teacher

"Penelope feels like she isn't beautiful until a magical journey helps her discover a powerful truth. The beauty she's searching for has been inside her all along. This gentle, comforting story supports children as they move from self-doubt to self-acceptance, reminding them that they are already worthy, just as they are."

Parent

"Thank you so much for visiting our school and sharing your wonderful story with our students. They truly enjoyed your presentation and were very engaged throughout the visit. Your positive message and enthusiasm made a meaningful impact."

Elementary School Principal

"The teachers you visited said what a great presentation you gave and that they loved having you. We hope that we can welcome you next school year for an assembly."

Elementary School Librarian
Get Involved

Ways to help us leave a note.

Whether you're a school, a hospital, a business, or a family, there's a way to be part of this.

Partner

Book a Workshop

Schools, libraries, and hospital Child Life programs can book a confidence-building workshop or request Confidence Kits for their students and patients.

Book a workshop
Give

Support the Mission

Every contribution helps fund kit production and distribution to kids who wouldn't otherwise have access. $66 funds one Confidence Kit for a child who needs it.

Donate now