Be a Solutionary, Make a Difference, and Find Meaning in Your Life

When I observe our dogs, I often envy their seeming ease in the world. Sure, Pippin gets anxious when we leave the house (and the couch cover gets a wee bit more torn up as a result); Poppy cringes when treats are tossed her way (perhaps because she was abused before we rescued her); and Hershel has a pillow…

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We Create Others’ Realities, So Be Careful What You Attend To

In late July, I set out to find baby gray tree frogs. They’re emerald green and (I’ll just say it) incredibly adorable. They are also very difficult to find because they’re well-camouflaged, sitting as they do on green leaves. But because I’m looking for them, I often find them. I see what I’m attending to….

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It’s Time for Educational Leaders to Join the Climate Leadership: Our children’s future hangs in the balance

It’s Time for Educational Leaders to Join the Climate Leadership: Our Children’s Future Hangs in the Balance

This is a guest post from Andra Yeghoian, the Environmental Literacy Coordinator for the San Mateo County Office of Education where she is leading the integration of the Solutionary Framework into 23 school districts. Andra also serves on the Curriculum Advisory Board at the Institute for Humane Education. A version of this blog was originally…

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Our Obsession with Team Sports is Hurting Children

About 10 years ago, I was attending a play at our local theater, which was across the street from our town high school. It was 11 p.m., and one of the actors was closing the show with a soliloquy when sirens started sounding outside. The fire truck’s deafening sound went on and on without moving,…

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What Should We Teach?

What Should We Teach?

What should we teach students in school? Given the realities of globalization, constantly evolving technologies, rapidly shifting job opportunities, and a planet in peril from climate change, it’s important to re-evaluate the body of knowledge and skillsets that we require children to obtain. It helps to come to this task with a beginner’s eyes, unfettered…

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How Menopause Taught Me What We Can and Can’t Control

How Menopause Taught Me What We Can and Can’t Control

Zoe Weil is a blogger for Psychology Today, and we share her blog posts here. In my 30s and 40s, I listened to older friends talk about the hot flashes and disrupted sleep associated with menopause, and I sometimes thought: “It can’t be that bad. So what if you feel a flush of heat? Big deal!”…

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Solutionary Guidebook

Solutionary Guidebook – Mandarin

We are excited to offer you a free, digital Solutionary Guidebook to help your students and children build solutionary practices. Our guidebook offers a rationale and step-by-step process for educating people to be solutionaries. It also offers case studies covering elementary through higher education along with many resources. The guidebook will help you guide young people to:

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Solutionary Guidebook

Solutionary Guidebook

We are excited to offer you a free, digital Solutionary Guidebook to help your students and children build solutionary practices. The guidebook details the multi-step Solutionary Framework and outlines how to use it to educate people to be solutionaries. It also offers case studies covering elementary through higher education along with many supporting resources. The Solutionary Guidebook…

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A classroom of students and their teacher

Defining Your Purpose as a Teacher

by Zoe Weil At the beginning of the teachers’ workshops I lead, I often facilitate an activity that invites participants to reflect upon their true mission as educators. Their personal missions always differ from the US Department of Education’s, which is “to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and…

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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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