The Challenge
Tell us about yourself and the nature of your work.
I am Gustavo Gómez, and I’m responsible for editorial development and marketing at Formando Corazones (Shaping Hearts), which is a comprehensive program for sex and relationship education.
My work mainly consists of developing, updating, and overseeing the editorial aspects of the various books that make up the program. We currently offer 14 books tailored to every educational stage (from preschool and elementary through middle and high school), along with a dedicated guide for parents.
The project originally began with printed books, but over time, we recognized the need to offer a digital alternative as well. Thanks to Kotobee, we have been able to distribute Formando Corazones books to schools transitioning to digital learning and to families who have chosen homeschooling as part of their educational approach.
What challenges did you face prior to using Kotobee?
One of our biggest challenges was the amount of time required to update printed books. Every year, we conduct revisions, corrections, and content adjustments; however, because the books are in printed format, this process requires preparing special files for printing, conducting proofs, reviewing materials, waiting for production times, coordinating deliveries, storing copies, managing inventory, and distributing the books to schools.
This process increased both the time and cost required to keep the program up to date.
Another challenge was our complete dependence on physical inventory. If an update came up after the books were printed, we couldn't implement it immediately; we had to wait until the next edition or the following year's production cycle.
For a curriculum centered on emotional and relationship education, maintaining relevant, up-to-date content is very important. With traditional printing, it was just too hard to keep our content as fresh and up to date as it needs to be.
“Thanks to Kotobee, we have been able to distribute Formando Corazones books to schools transitioning to digital learning and to families who have chosen homeschooling as part of their educational approach.”
The Solution
What potential solutions did you explore that didn't work out?
At one point, we considered sending the books in PDF format as a digital solution. However, we quickly realized it wasn't the best option.
While PDFs could help solve some distribution challenges, they didn't fit the nature of our program. Our books rely heavily on interaction through exercises, activities, videos, links, and supplementary resources that enrich the learning experience.
A static digital file simply wasn't enough. We needed a solution that could preserve the structure of the books while taking full advantage of digital learning opportunities.
How did you hear about Kotobee?
I discovered Kotobee while researching different alternatives for creating and distributing interactive ebooks online.
We were looking for a solution that wasn't limited to simply displaying content on a screen, but that would allow us to enrich our ebooks with interactive elements, easily update them, and offer a more comprehensive experience to schools, students, and families.
What drove you to choose Kotobee?
Our books aren't just materials designed solely for passive reading; they have always been designed to be highly participatory. They include exercises, assignments, reflection activities, external links, and supplementary activities. Because of that, a basic digital version wasn't enough. We needed a platform that would preserve the essence of the program while making it more dynamic and interactive, and that’s what we’ve found in Kotobee.
It has also been very important to be able to sell the books individually and provide access by academic terms or seasons. This gives schools greater flexibility in how they distribute the materials to their students throughout the academic year.
Another valuable feature has been the ability to monitor students' progress as they work through the books. Having this information helps teachers better understand how students are engaging with the material and supports them throughout the learning process.
On the content side, Kotobee opened up entirely new educational possibilities by allowing us to integrate multimedia elements (such as video, audio, interactive quizzes, animations, widgets, and pop-up activities). This made it possible to envision the books not simply as digital versions of the printed material, but as richer educational experiences that encourage active participation.
Finally, because we had already developed PDF versions of our printed books, being able to import them directly into Kotobee made the transition to interactive ebooks much more practical. Rather than starting over, we were able to build upon the work we had already invested in over the years.
Is there a specific aspect of your ebook that you are particularly proud of?
Above all, I am proud that we preserved the core essence of Formando Corazones while successfully embracing modern educational technology to make our curriculum more accessible, interactive, and useful for students.
Our mission has never been to simply provide information. We want our content to truly resonate with the lives of children and teenagers, and help them reflect, understand themselves, and make informed life decisions. Kotobee allowed us to honor that underlying purpose while delivering a modern, engaging experience adapted to the way today’s students learn.
“Kotobee opened up entirely new educational possibilities by allowing us to integrate multimedia elements (such as video, audio, interactive quizzes, animations, widgets, and pop-up activities).”
The Results
What metrics do you use to measure the success of your decisions? Has Kotobee affected those in any way?
We look at success from a few different angles. First and foremost, it is very important to us that schools and families can access the materials easily and without unnecessary barriers, and Kotobee has made that process much simpler.
We also place a great deal of importance on keeping our content up to date. In our field, we address topics that change fast, so being able to update our books instantly instead of waiting for annual print runs has been a game-changer. Kotobee has made that process much faster, allowing us to update resources whenever necessary without waiting for a new print edition.
Student participation is another key consideration. We don't want students to simply read the material; we want them to reflect, respond, and actively engage with it. The interactive features available in Kotobee have helped us create a more dynamic learning experience that better supports those objectives.
Finally, we look at how efficiently we can deliver the program. By reducing our dependence on printing, physical inventory, and traditional distribution, we've been able to provide the materials more flexibly to both schools and homeschooling families.
The Future
What are your plans for the future?
We plan to continue improving our ebooks and make even better use of the tools available in Kotobee. We want to make our content more interactive, intuitive, and useful for students, teachers, and parents. We also hope to incorporate more multimedia resources, guided activities, and progress-tracking tools to better support the learning process.
Ultimately, our goal isn't to replace the essence of the program, but to strengthen it. We want to reach more schools and families looking for a structured, deeply human approach to emotional and sexual education. At the same time, we want to remain true to our original purpose while using modern technology to better serve our educational community.
