Resources for Teaching How Black Lives Matter at School

by Marsha Rakestraw News headlines remind us daily that racial injustice and violence and discrimination against Black people (and other people of color) continue to thrive, and the impact on people of color, especially children and families, is significant and long-lasting. With school systems in the US made up largely of white teachers, many schools…

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Person throwing a box of food into a compost dumpster

17 Resources for Teaching About Food Waste

by Marsha Rakestraw “Every day, we’re teaching kids that food is trash.” ~ Jonathan Bloom Our school food systems in the US are not set up to minimize waste or encourage healthy habits. Students are often rushed at lunchtime, may have unappetizing food options, may be given (or take) much more food than they’ll eat,…

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I Am a Humane Educator: Vincie Ho: Promoting Compassion Education and Sustainable Travel

by Institute for Humane Education Vincie Ho is the co-founder of Mini Acts for the Greater Good (MAGG) and the creator of the sustainable travel card game Paths Crossing. She is also an advisor to the Humane Education Coalition and the co-lead for Impact Travel Alliance Hong Kong Chapter. She is “passionate about all issues related…

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9 Strategies for Cultivating Empathy and Compassion in Your Classroom

by Marsha Rakestraw To create a just, compassionate, sustainable world for all – and to help our students become solutionaries — it’s vital that we help them (and ourselves) build empathy and compassion for people, animals, and the earth. We humans are wired to care about those with whom we have close relationships (our family,…

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16 Children's Books about refugees

16 Children’s Picture Books About Refugees

by Marsha Rakestraw As war, climate change, persecution, and hunger challenges escalate, the number of refugees worldwide, and the challenges facing them and their host countries, continue to grow. And while we adults struggle with what to do and how (or whether) to help, many children may also be seeking understanding and wanting some answers….

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woman looking into rows and columns of screens, each of which has a different person on it

11 Activities to Help Students Understand Different Perspectives

by Marsha Rakestraw In mid-January, two boys, ages 12 and 13, killed more than 500,000 bees and destroyed tens of thousands of dollars of property. Allegedly just for kicks. In December 2017, a young Muslim woman was attacked on a transit train in Vancouver, Canada. Most people watched; only one young man intervened. Incidences of…

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A young person's hands cupping dirt with a green plant growing out of it

6 Resources for Finding Meaningful Solutions to Global Challenges

by Marsha Rakestraw It’s true that the world is facing numerous grave challenges. And we’re exposed to many of them during our 24/7 omnipresent news cycles. Occasionally we’ll also find some positive stories about people doing good. But usually these stories are focused on small acts of kindness or Band-Aid solutions. And while every compassionate…

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10 Tools to Help You Find More Ethical Products

by Marsha Rakestraw From the time we arise in the morning until we fall asleep, we participate in a continuous cycle of using stuff that affects ourselves, other people, animals, and the planet. And during holidays our consumption of stuff tends to jump. We do what we can to buy products that do more good…

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How Do Your Electronic Gadgets Rate on Their Environmental Impact?

by Marsha Rakestraw A friend of mine is a technology early adopter. He wants the latest version of his favorite gadgets, and sometimes he’ll buy two. He tries to resell or give away the older (or extra) models, but that’s still a lot of electronics to dispose of. And while more people are deciding to…

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