Stories rooted in different traditions, time periods, and experiences appeal to families this holiday season.
Tag Archives: Culture & Society
Why we’ll always be obsessed with – and afraid of – monsters
Read one author’s take on our “age of fear” and the rise of the zombie.
These women are shaping the future of African space exploration
Read about three African women who are contributing to space exploration programs on their home continent: a space engineer, a physicist and explorer, and a space law adviser.
The Benefits of Optimism Are Real
In this article, Emily Esfahani Smith examines two films, Silver Linings Playbook and Life of Pi, to delve into the relationship between optimism and resilience.
Detroit students want poor school conditions addressed
Young people in the Neighborhood Service Organization’s Youth Initiatives Project are making their voices heard. Find out how their student team work is supporting their teachers.
Ohio boy’s $20 investment in kindness yields big return
Myles Eckert paid it forward with a $20 bill. His act of kindness led to many people wanting to repay him. Donations topped more than a quarter of a million dollars and led to the foundation of a charity for children who have lost parents to war.
Americans Are Getting Better at Cooperating With Strangers
Click this link to learn more about a recent study that suggests Americans have become more willing to cooperate with strangers over the past several decades.
Ukraine refugees: UK set to admit lone teenagers after rule change
Meet Valya, a 17-year-old Ukrainian refugee who, after months of uncertainty, has finally been admitted into the UK.
Andrée Geulen, rescuer of Jewish children in Belgium, dies at 100
Read about how a teacher’s extraordinary love and courage left behind a legacy that continues to inspire and touch new generations.
What Inspired ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’?
Some legends are ancient, but others have risen more recently. Read the history and inspiration of one of America’s first–and most enduring–ghost stories, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos)
Often, the best way to deal with a fear is to confront it directly. That is why so many cultures have holidays dealing with the idea of our mortality. Learn more about the Mexican Day of the Dead festival–el Día de los Muertos–that takes place every November 1st and 2nd.
New Zealand’s Sea Lions Have Returned: Crashing Soccer Games, Golf Courses, and Public Pools
Read about how these endangered sea lions are repopulating New Zealand in a big way.
Will The 2020s Be Like The Roaring 20s?
Is history repeating itself? Read about the uncanny similarities and drastic differences between the Roaring Twenties and now.
Malorie Blackman’s ‘dynamic imaginary worlds’ win her the PEN Pinter prize
Learn about this incredible author’s commitment to representation and justice through storytelling.
The Declaration of Independence Was Also a List of Grievances
Learn about how the grievances of King George III were used to justify the American Revolution and win French support throughout the war.
Creating Common Ground in Tense, Difficult Situations
It can be hard to find common ground in a tense situation. Click here to read an interview with Chicago’s Superintendent of Police David Brown, who urges Americans involved in conflicts to really listen to each other, see past their differences, and work together in a spirit of collaboration.
South East Asia’s extraordinary freedivers
For the Bajau, diving is a cornerstone of culture and a way of life. Sadly, this way of life could be threatened by ocean pollution.
A Holocaust Remembrance Day event was canceled due to low registration. So hundreds showed up on Zoom to hear survivor’s story
The inspiring legacy of Holocaust survivor Arnold Frinland is shared to a worldwide audience via social media.
The Irish Myth of the Giant’s Causeway
Every culture has used myths and legends to explain the natural world around them. Watch this short video on the story early Irish residents used to explain a particularly strange rock formation on the northern coast of the island.
Japan has always been refugee-averse. Then Ukraine happened.
Japan is taking huge strides to aid Ukrainian refugees, which could lead to policy changes in the future.