Why Getting to Know Your Neighbors Is More Important Than You Realize

Source: The Every Girl

In some neighborhoods, people barely make eye contact before locking the door behind them. Here are some of the benefits of taking a different approach.

The Japanese Festival of the Dead: Obon

Source: World Religion News

Learn about traditional lantern festivals in Japan.

The Decline of Violence

Source: Scientific American

We may perceive the world as being increasingly violent, but a look at long-term trends reveals the opposite. Why is our view of violence at odds with reality?

Everyone Benefits when Middle School Students Volunteer

Source: Association for Middle Level Education

Why should you volunteer? This article explains that middle schoolers have a lot to gain for themselves by putting in work for the benefit of others.

Teens, Your Brain Needs Real Food

Source: U.S. News & World Report

We all know nutrition is important for our well-being, but this article explains why it’s especially important for teenagers to maintain a balanced, healthy diet.

Fighting for Visibility

Source: Astronomy

Hidden Figures, first a book and now a movie, brings to light the significant role of some of the female African-American mathematicians at NASA during the 1960s, and the challenges faced by the women at that time.

Homeless Hero Reader Stories

Source: Homeless Hero

This collection of anecdotes provides insight into the day-to-day life, thoughts, fears, and hopes of everyday people who have lived or are living without a home of their own.

A student’s perspective on technology in her school and classroom

Source: Parent Paperwork

Read about the benefits of technology for learning from the perspective of a high-school student.

Extreme sports: What are the risks?

Source: BBC

In this humorous essay, statistician David Spiegelhalter analyzes the numbers of injury and death of extreme sports participants.

HerStory: The Women Behind the 19th Amendment

Source: Biography

Though the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, wasn’t ratified until 1920, much of the groundwork for women’s suffrage was laid during the abolitionist movement preceding the Civil War.