The ABCs of Peace

As we're in the season of peace, the time of year when we collectively turn our attention to the idea, let's focus for a minute on one example of how a growing group of adults and children are applying the idea in a very practical and effective way.

"In a city marked by division," writes Donald Macintyre "the Max Rayne school is unique—the only one in Jerusalem where pupils, principals and teachers are from Jewish and Arab communities" ("Peace Studies: Children of Israel," The Independent, October 18, 2007).

Max Rayne is a Hand in Hand school, designed to promote Jewish-Arab coexistence. It's all about balance. The schools feature co-principals, one Arab and one Jewish; each classroom is taught by co-teachers, one Jewish and one Arab; and the student body is a balance of Arab and Jewish children. All classes are taught in both Hebrew and Arabic.

Let children learn and play and even argue together and the result is, well, not all that surprising considering how kids everywhere take to one another.

Macintyre describes talking to Yazid Ershed, an Arab boy, and Aviv Pek, a Jewish girl, who started kindergarten together. "They completed each other's sentences several times," he says. " 'I like the school and I really like the teachers,' says Aviv. 'I have lots of Arab friends. One of my best friends is an Arab girl and, of course, she comes to my house.' "

"It is hard to overestimate the importance, pioneering rather than merely symbolic, of the school in a city whose religious and ethnic divisions are at the absolute heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," says Macintyre.

Hand in Hand launched in 1998 with 40 students. In the 2006-2007 academic year, there were 751 pupils. Some world-wide media attention will not only cause those numbers to rise, it will show the world that coexistence is an option in the middle east, and around the world.

Click here to read personal stories from Hand in Hand students, teachers, principals, and volunteers.

“Get them while they are young!” says our expert Patrice McMahon, political scientist at the University of Nebraska:

Like the Hand in Hand initiative in Israel, reconciliation experts working in post-conflict environments realize how important it is to target young people. In places like Bosnia, Macedonia, and Latvia, for example, there is a similar emphasis on developing multi-ethnic education as well as extra-curricular activities to promote social tolerance and build peace.

The point is not to focus on differences but to bring out the similarities between groups, the common problems they face, or the interests that unite them. In Mostar, Bosnia, the Pavarotti Center Mortar was established because "music is a part of all of us and it erases all differences." The trendy Center not surprisingly attracts Bosnian, Serb, and Croat young people to listen to music and just hang out.

When I asked the Director of this Center how she knew this was an effective approach to national reconciliation, she told me to walk about and remember that this was one of the few places where young people could gather without concern for ethnicity. They were there because of their love of music; it united them much more than their parents' tragic pasts.

With this said, parental involvement and support from the community is crucial for these schools to have the intended impact on tolerance and ethnic reconciliation. Intolerance and hate is nurtured at home, and what some experts are realizing is that schools and youth initiatives and yes, even concert halls are a way of educating parents through their teenage children.

From all of us here at And Now for the Good News, we wish you and yours a peace-filled holiday season and 2008. Let's imagine the possibilities!

Charity Can Really Make You Rich

When we say giving is its own reward we don’t mean financial reward, but that’s just what research is pointing out.

“Emerging evidence,” says economist Arthur C. Brooks, "crunchy statistics from real data, not the mushy self-help stuff—supports the contention that giving stimulates prosperity, for both individuals and nations. Charity, it appears, can really make you rich.”

In fact, says Brooks, research data shows this: “More giving doesn't just correlate with higher income; it causes higher income.”

If you missed him on this weekend's (excellent) Marketplace report (American Public Media) read Brooks' "Giving Makes You Rich" (Conde Nast Portfolio.com, November 2007).

Food for thought in this season of giving.

Ugly American Tourists No More (Well, Almost)

The votes are in. After surveying over 15,000 hoteliers throughout Europe, Expedia has presented the 2007 Best Tourist League rankings. The good news: we Americans have come a long way in shedding our ugly American tourist label.

That's right, Americans placed second in the Overall Best Tourists category. (The Japanese took first place.) One thing that seems to have helped us rise in the overall rankings: Americans rank first in our willingness to attempt to speak the local language, which is seen as a sign of respect for one’s host country. Not to mention it shows we’re intelligent, curious, and open to other cultures.

According to the rankings, with a little effort in two areas, we can take first place next time: Review those 10 Keys to Civility—and leave the velvet track suits at home!

For the complete rankings, click here.

Turns Out High Fashion and Small Town America Work Well Together

Say the name "Plainville, Kansas" and your mind probably doesn't fly to images of glamour or cutting edge style, but something surprising is going on in Plainville. When Chuck Comeau set up his high-fashion business operation in the rural town, it created hundreds of local jobs and is proving to be a very profitable and positive move. Comeau is now encouraging other small businesses to give rural America a try. For the full article and some tips and resources for small-business owners and entrepreneurs, read business reporter David LaGesse's "How to Make a Killing in Small Town America" (U.S. News & World Report, November 12, 2007).

Feed Your Mind, Feed the World

Thanks to our readers Pierre from Canada and Patrice from Nebraska, we have something for you, oh, literate ones: a free online word game that should come with a warning it's so addictive. But, it's an addiction you can feel good about, because for each word you get correct, you donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. Twenty grains of rice—doesn't sound like much, but give it a try. Those grains add up quickly. Who pays for the rice? Advertisers on the site.

Build your vocabulary, exercise your mind, and help feed the world. Simply brilliant. Go to FreeRice.com.

Dr. Bill’s Alzheimer’s Reality Check

For all the times “Alzheimer’s” appears in the news media these days, you’d think we were in the midst of an epidemic. To get a little perspective on the issue, we turned to our expert, psychology professor, William Holt, Ph.D., whose special areas of study includes adulthood and aging.

First of all, Dr. Bill, as we like to call him, points out that there are various forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s being one of them. The good news, he says: “Dementia, or the older term, senility, whether Alzheimer’s or one of the various forms, is not the fate of the vast majority of us.”

In the 65 and older age group, fewer than 7 out of 100 have Alzheimer's disease. Most of the other dementias are either rare—fewer than 1 in 1,000!—or are part of a particular disease such as Parkinson's. Yet there's considerable anxiety among baby boomers approaching 65 that they’re developing Alzheimer's. "Anticipatory Alzheimer's" is the term given to those in their late 50s and early 60s who are convinced that their memories are failing, and that being confined to a nursing home will be their fate.

"We all have what we might call 'senior moments,' " says Dr. Bill, "but just because we can't remember a particular word, who starred in a favorite movie from years ago, or what we were supposed to buy at the hardware store doesn’t mean Alzheimer's is the inevitable result. There are lots of changes in memory function over time which are perfectly normal and do not signal the onset of a debilitating disease such as Alzheimer's."

Sigh of relief, there, huh? In addition, there are things we can do to help keep our minds vigorous and healthy throughout our old age.

Here's Dr. Bill's Prescription for Maintaining Mental Sharpness:

GOOD news! A number of studies show there's a link between what people do and being able to avoid Alzheimer's. These do not provide causal proof, but taken together can provide us with hope and ways that might minimize our risk of developing Alzheimer's. I would put most of these measures under the umbrella of "use it or lose it."

One study concluded that loneliness was a predictive factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease; another found those seniors who played bridge or completed cross-word puzzles had a lesser incidence of Alzheimer's. Add to that studies showing the lesser rate of dementia in those who read, played musical instruments, and even engaged in ballroom dancing! In fact whole Web sites are devoted to getting all of us, regardless of age, to play cognitive games in order to flex our brain muscles.

In other words, we must continue to think, or we’ll lose the ability to think! Which may be the reason grumpy old men (and women) have less Alzheimer's. They work really hard to argue, question, confront, and challenge everyone and everything—their brains never stop working!

I'm not suggesting that we become crabby old people, but I am suggesting that we add mental exercises to our daily routine just as we've been encouraged to exercise physically.

One interesting development along these lines is the “seniors on college campus” trend. Instead of sectioning themselves off in exclusively senior communities in the sunshine states, more and more seniors are opting to live in college-linked retirement communities. Being around physically and mentally active people, of all ages, and having access to lifelong learning and activities—college classes, lectures, and debates, concerts, sports, and more—help keep a mind active and healthy.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for those ballroom dancing or piano lessons, learn that foreign language you’ve been talking about, play some of the new games specifically designed to exercise the brain (Nintendo’s Brain Age is one of many in a growing market). You’ll enrich your life and build a stronger brain in the process.

Resources:

PBS has a terrific new 90-minute special, "The Brain Fitness Program."

Computer programs such as MindFit are designed specifically for adults looking to keep their minds agile.

For more about seniors on campus, read “Colleges Offer Retirees Place To Live and Learn,” The Seattle Times and “List of Retirement Communities Affiliated With College Campuses,” AARP.

Meet 100-year-old Harry Shapiro (4-minute video), poster boy for what keeping one's mind active can do! Amazing.

An Inspiring Look at America's Best Public High Schools

There are 18,000 public high schools in the U.S. and public opinion about how those schools are doing is pretty low. So, we'd like to offer a big pat on the back to U.S. News & World Report for their December 10, 2007 cover story, "America's Best High Schools." The magazine's first ever ranking of high schools is in-depth, solutions-oriented, and provides useful resources for parents.

"The top schools are a diverse bunch," says the report, "and each one has found its unique way to best teach our future leaders." The survey unearthed a lot of surprising, positive news:

Like any good photograph, the details of the data gathered for this project reveal a number of fascinating stories. Most notable is the variety among the schools that have earned the highest honor. Our first-place winner, Thomas Jefferson High School in suburban Washington, D.C., picks its students from the children of the nation's leaders. Yet just 10 slots lower, Hidalgo High School on the border of Texas and Mexico has found success educating a student body comprising the children of challenged immigrants. And in Boston, the nation's oldest school carries on an exemplary tradition while a new charter school explores innovations such as housing tutors in dormitories on the third floor of its building.

The report, with its various rankings (100 Gold Medalists, Silver and Bronze, too) and resources, is another good conversation-inducing story to share with your kids.

To find out how the schools in your state ranked, click here.

Treating Juvenile Offenders Like Kids Pays Off in Missouri

Each year almost 100,000 children are sent to juvenile detention centers across the U.S. "Whether those young offenders are actually 'corrected,' seems to depend a lot on where they’re confined," says Robert Siegel of National Public Radio's All Things Considered.

Recidivism rates vary from facility to facility. Texas, for example, houses kids in adult-style prisons. Their recidivism rate is over 50 percent. California's rate has been in the 70 and 80 percents. Missouri has taken a different approach. At the Northwest Regional Youth Center in Kansas City, young offenders are treated like kids. They're housed in facilities that resemble college dorms; they attend school classes each day, attend group therapy, and receive counseling. The results are impressive—the Missouri facility's recidivism rate is 7.3 percent.

Barry Krisberg, president of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency in Oakland, California, believes other states could learn from Missouri's success. "The basic logic of youth corrections is that if you treat young people like inmates, they'll act like prisoners," Krisberg says. "If you treat them like young people capable of being citizens, they'll much more likely act like citizens" ("Missouri Sees Teen Offenders As Kids, Not Inmates," text and podcast, October 30, 2007).

Missouri's approach illustrates that doing the right thing is also the right thing to do from an economic standpoint. Providing kids who wind up in juvenile facilities with education, therapy, and room to grow costs more money up front. But considering the average prison inmate costs taxpayers a minimum of $23,000 each year, investing up front just makes economic sense.

(The NPR article link above includes a 5-minute podcast. Jason Beaubien reports on Missouri’s success and talks with one of the boys at the center. It's well worth a listen.)

Our expert, Laura Berk,Ph.D., professor of developmental psychology, Illinois State University, weighs in:

Research confirms that the longer youths spend in prison, the more likely they are to strengthen their antisocial identities and peer networks. Keeping young offenders locked up for many months or years disrupts their educational and vocational lives and access to social support during a crucial period of development.

Missouri’s youth centers, in contrast, provide antisocial adolescents with multiple environmental pressures to alter their life course: school classes tailored to their educational and vocational needs, therapy that focuses on their emotional and behavioral problems, and dorm-like living quarters that provide predictable meals, comfortable living quarters, and regular adult supervision—basic needs that often are not met by offenders’ homes and communities.

At the heart of Missouri’s approach is an especially powerful motivating force for change: the opportunity to form bonds with ethical, responsible adults who believe in the young person’s capacity to become a productive citizen. A relationship with a competent, caring adult is one of the most consistent predictors of resilience—the ability to bounce back from adversity. Such adults also serve as sources of positive self-fulfilling prophecies: Their optimistic views of the young person rub off, and soon he or she internalizes those beliefs and starts to live up to them.

Missouri’s program for youth offenders demonstrates the importance of a fresh look at youth corrections and is an inspiring model for the nation.

Click here for a story that reminds us how much power one caring adult has to change the life of a troubled child.

The Little Laptop That Could—Change the World, That Is

The goal: to promote learning. The idea: to build a laptop tough enough and basic enough to be manufactured cheaply and sent to children in third-world countries. The result: the amazing XO laptop.

Developed by MIT professor Nicholas Negroponte, the XO is now being distributed by One Laptop Per Child, a non-profit organization founded by Negroponte and a team of educators, developers, and technologists dedicated to educating children in developing countries.

The XO story provides another vivid example of generous individuals getting together and using their knowledge and creativity for the larger good. It also illustrates that once we put our minds to overcoming obstacles, we find the solutions we're seeking.

The XO weighs only 3.2 pounds, can endure searing heat, freezing cold, rain, dust, and being dropped, and can be charged by its solar panel or hand crank. It has all sorts of fun stuff (video camera, microphone, graphics tablet, game-pad controllers, among other things) and is pre-loaded with educational software in languages for the particular country it's being sent to. It also has regular wireless Internet as well as "mesh networking," which allows all the laptops within a certain area to connect to one another even when there's no Internet connection available.

To see the XO in action and learn about the Give 1 Get 1 program (warning, you WILL want one of these laptops for your kids, or yourself), watch this entertaining two-minute ABC America video :



One other important feature of the XO is that it is given to children—not to their schools or governments. Negroponte and his colleagues realize the importance of children teaching themselves and each other. When they bring their laptops home, they share their fun and learning with their siblings and parents, and even the larger community.

"When people ask me how are we going to teach the teachers to teach the children how to use a laptop, I wonder what planet they're on, because every adult that I know, if they want help using their laptop or a cell phone they ask a child," Negroponte told Riz Khan of Al Jazeera (October 4, 2007). "Children are almost genetically capable of doing this. So the point now is to take that skill and let them learn and play with information and work in school and out of school."

How Can You Get Involved?

Donations to OLPC can be made at any time and in any amount. Each $200 raised will provide a laptop to a child in a developing country. For two weeks only, starting November 12, you can Give 1, Get 1. By donating $400, a laptop will be delivered to you by Christmas and a second one will be sent to a child in a poor country. All donations to OLPC are tax deductible.

When we give good, we get good. Obviously, when children everywhere have access to education and feel involved and connected, it benefits us all. When new innovations like the XO are developed, we benefit as well. You can bet some of the new technology and features developed for the XO (the energy efficiency, the childproofing, the connectivity even without the Internet, and more) will find their way into the next generation of mainstream laptops we all buy.

One question remains: Why is it called XO? We're sure there's a technical reason, but considering the laptop is going to children in need all over the world, we like to think XO means a hug and a kiss.

Two Additional Laptop-Related Videos Worth Exploring

For a more in-depth look at why the XO laptop is so amazing, watch New York Times technology columnist David Pogue's fun and informative four-minute show-and-tell.

For a thought-provoking 17-minute interview with Nicholas Negroponte, XO developer and One Laptop Per Child founder, click here.

New Study on American Families Provides Some Positive Surprises

“Parents today don’t spend enough time with their children.” If you agree with this statement, you're in good company. Eighty-five percent of Americans agree with you.

But, a recently released four-decades-long study begs to differ. The study, Changing Rhythms of American Family Life, by sociologists Suzanne M. Bianchi, John P. Robinson, and Melissa A. Milkie (published this month by the American Sociological Association), concludes that the time parents spend with their children has actually increased since 1965: married mother’s by 21 percent, married fathers by 153 percent, and unmarried mothers by 57 percent.

Impressive numbers. So why do so many of us think families are a mess and parents are barely in touch with their kids?

Bianchi, et al, explain that America’s misperception is based on two key factors. First, more than we ever have in the past, we believe today that “larger quantities of parental time are not only morally right, but also critical to the proper development of the child.” With expectations so high, it’s no wonder parents rarely feel they've spent enough time with their kids. And second, we have a strong “nostalgia for a mythical past—one in which family time is believed to have existed as relatively uncomplicated, freely chosen, and rejuvenating.”

And here’s a surprise: Only about half of American families in 1950s and 60s actually fit the Ozzie and Harriet model of breadwinning father/homemaking mother. Oh, the power of the TV image.

One significant benefit of parenting in our current times, the study points out, is that women and men have much more choice about whether to have children, when, and how many. As a result, more parents are older when they have children and more are college graduates or have at least some college education. Older, educated parents tend to be more emotionally mature and financially settled. They also tend to have fewer children, so their attention is drawn in fewer directions.

There’s no denying it, families today are more complicated, but the study’s authors say their evidence “paints a rather optimistic picture of family change.”

They conclude:

Families can undergo great change and still somehow protect that which seems most dear. Mothers are maintaining high levels of investment in child rearing, fathers are increasing theirs, so that mothers and fathers are increasingly sharing the demands of parenting. The transformation seems widespread, well under way, yet still evolving. . . . The revolution in mother’s paid work has not been without cost, be we are most impressed with family life’s amazing resilience in the face of unprecedented social change.

So, parents everywhere, give yourselves a break. And while you're relaxing, read our earlier positive parenting report, Boys, They Aren't What They Used To Be.

The Solar Decathlon Shines on the Future

Last week 20 college and university teams competed in the Department of Energy’s third Solar Decathlon. Each team's challenge: to design and build a fully functioning home powered solely by the sun. The homes were built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and were open for public viewing.

As competing students have to stretch every watt of electricity generated by the solar panels on their roofs, they learn that energy is a precious commodity. Using high-tech materials, design elements, and sheer ingenuity, they figure out ways to heat and cool the homes and run all those plugged-in conveniences we rely on every day—fridges, washers, dryers, small appliances, electronics, automatic toilet seat warmers, you name it.

Which team won? Visit the official Web site, www.SolarDecathlon.org, to find out. While you’re there, enjoy a few of the Virtual House Tours. You’ll be inspired by the creativity involved, and excited about the possibilities.

A Few Friday Good News Quickies . . .

The Black-Footed Ferret Is Back
Declared extinct in 1979, the masked cousin of the weasel has made a comeback. This month’s Smithsonian magazine reports that, thanks to captive breeding, hundreds of black-footed ferrets now live in the wild.

Under 50 and Considering a Face Lift?
“Put down the knife and walk away from the table,” says More magazine (November 2007). “Almost three-quarters of cosmetic surgery is done on patients under 50 years old. Seems a funny thing happens after [we women] hit that big birthday: We relax. Surveys consistently show that post 50, we’re happier, more confident and socially involved than younger women.”

Organic Crops Earn More Cash
According to a study by U.S. Agricultural Research Service scientists and economists, grain farmers could make more money by switching to organic crops. The Futurist (Nov-Dec 2006) reports that “researchers used computer simulations to project costs, yields, and risks over a 20-year period. They found that farmers would net $50 to $60 more per acre a year by going organic”—a bit of economic news that should bring about some positive agricultural changes.

Desktop Computers for $99
And, they only use 10% of the energy of a standard PC. Don’t believe us? Visit Zonbu.com.

Thought of the Day
“There are things you do because they feel right and they may make no sense and they may make no money and it may be the real reason we are here: to love each other and to eat each other’s cooking and say it was good.” —Brian Andreas, StoryPeople.com

Cancer Death Rates Dropping

“The evidence is unmistakable: we are truly turning the tide in the cancer battle,” said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Lauran Neergaard of the Associated Press has the story: "Cancer Death Rates Dropping Fast."

Now that the tide has turned, what if we all imagine cancer rates decreasing at a phenomenal rate? It's a thought worth putting our collective mind power to.

Put a Little Action Behind That “Support Our Troops” Bumper Sticker

No matter where we stand on the war, we all want to support our troops. A military mother-in-law and a bookstore in North Carolina held an event this summer that illustrates the power of taking some action.

As any military person with family will tell you, the hardest thing about being overseas is being away from his or her children. To help military parents stay connected with their young ones, event coordinator Rene Martin of Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh, North Carolina, initiated an event on Memorial Day weekend that encouraged customers to purchase children’s books for donation to the USO’s United Through Reading program (UTR).

UTR provides a selection of books to active-duty service men and women, who choose one and are recorded on DVD as they read the book aloud. The DVD is then sent to his or her child at home.

Martin organized the UTR event after she was contacted by Catherine Billingsley. “Catherine was absolutely the driving force behind this event,” Martin says. Billingsley’s son-in-law, who has served four tours of duty in Iraq, participated in the United Through Reading program and she saw directly the positive effect the experience had on her grandson Walker.

The photo above shows Walker’s enthusiastic response to his father, Staff Sergeant Steve Bixby, stationed at Al Asad Airbase, outside of Baghdad.

The Quail Ridge event was so successful, Martin and Billingsley are encouraging other bookstores to hold similar events. They're also offering to share their advice on the ins and outs of organizing them—contact Rene Martin at QRBrene@aol.com and/or Catherine Billingsley at billingsleyca@ecu.edu.

Individuals interested in getting involved, click here for a list of ways you can donate to the United Through Reading program.

You’ll be happy to know that Staff Sergeant Bixby came home this month for what he and his family hope is at least a year before being deployed again. He met his three-month-old daughter, Victoria, for the first time and is enjoying reading time—in person—with both of his children.

Nobel Prize Recipient Mario Capecchi Wins in Medicine and in Life

Feeling a little overwhelmed by life’s challenges? We have just the story to keep you going.

As co-winner of this year’s Nobel Prize for medicine, Italian-born American Mario Capecchi has been celebrated all over the world and all over the media this week. Rightly so, as his genetics research may define the science of the 21st century, contributing to humanity in ways we can’t yet imagine. In fact, his life story is a contribution to humanity as well. From feral four-year-old child in the streets of Nazi-occupied Italy to Nobel winner, Capecchi's life provides testimony to the tenacity of the human mind and spirit.

Click here to read Andrew Gumbel’s excellent “Mario Capecchi: The Man Who Changed Our World.”

And while you're at it, why not do a little Nobel Prize exploring. You'll be informed and inspired:

For a year-by-year listing of former Nobel recipients in the various fields (it's fun to browse the categories) click here.

Share the Noble Laureate Facts page with your kids. Who was the youngest recipient? The oldest? Did you know that Madame Curie was one of only four people to have one the Prize more than once? She won in 1903 for physics and 1911 for chemistry. Not only that, her husband won the Prize and so did her daughter. Can you imagine what the conversations around the Curie dinner table must have been like?

Refresher Course: Since 1901 the Nobel Prize has been awarded each year for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. It's an international award administered by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden. In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank established The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize. Each prize consists of a medal, personal diploma, and a cash award.

Venice, Florida, Launches Civility Campaign, Because It Matters

What if you received a smile with every sales transaction and smiled back?

What if your neighbor picked up your trash can lid rather than watching it blow down the street?

What if you didn’t shake your fist at the driver who wouldn’t let you merge into traffic?

These are questions posed by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, Florida, as it launches a new civility campaign. The "Because It Matters" initiative, launched this week, will stress improving quality of life by increasing civic participation, civil discourse, and social capital.

When we act civilly we feel good. "Research bears it out," says the Foundation. "Emotions are contagious. When humans feel good, those good feelings extend to the next person we encounter. Human brain chemistry signals us to feel better about the world around us. That is the essence of Because It Matters."

“Because It Matters gives all of us an opportunity to improve the quality of life in our region, one encounter at a time,” says Foundation President and CEO, Teri A. Hansen.

Visit BecauseItMatters.net for more information and to read the 10 Keys to Civility. (Which you already know, of course . . . right?)

Georgia Tech Student Puts His (Apparently Boundless) Energy To Work For the Environment

Do you remember what you were up to during your twentieth summer? Thomas Christian of Atlanta, Georgia, was in Leverkusen, Germany, being elected to the Tunza Youth Advisory Council of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP).

Christian is one of 12 young adults—six young men, six young women—on the Council, two representing each of the six UNEP regions: Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and West Asia. During its two-year mandate, the Council will advise UNEP on better ways of getting young people engaged in its efforts.

“I now realize that we as youth concerned about the state of our Earth need to educate people on environmental issues,” Christian says, "then advocate for change in our communities, the nation, and the world. As Mahatma Gandhi stated, we must be the change we wish to see in the world. All of us elected to the the Council feel we have a long road ahead of us, but we’re ready for the challenge.”

Though busy enough attending the Georgia Institute of Technology, Christian recently co-founded the Environmental Alliance, the only environmental student organization on the Georgia Tech campus. He also serves as a regional director for 2020 Vision (2020Vision.org), a U.S. non-profit organization that focuses on oil addiction and climate change.

Sleeping, apparently, is not on his agenda.

Click here for more information about the Tunza Youth Advisory Council and to meet the other Council members.

Making Music Makes Us Smarter

So you didn’t become a concert pianist after all those music lessons as a kid. They were still worth it. A new study from Northwestern University shows that the number of years a person practices music strongly correlates with enhanced basic sound encoding mechanisms that also are relevant for speech.

In fact, according to the study, music training may be more important for enhancing verbal communication skills than learning phonics.

“Audiovisual processing was much enhanced in musicians’ brains compared to non-musician counterparts, and musicians also were more sensitive to subtle changes in both speech and music sounds,” said Nina Kraus, Hugh Knowles Professor of Communication Sciences and Neurobiology and director of Northwestern’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, where the work was performed.

Since music is inherently more accessible to children than phonics, the new research suggests music training may provide considerable benefits for developing literacy skills.

The study, “Musicians Have Enhanced Subcortical Auditory and Audiovisual Processing of Speech and Music,” was published online the week of September 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The co-investigators are Gabriella Musacchia, Mikko Sams, Erika Skoe and Nina Kraus.

Click here to read Northwestern’s study synopsis (mercifully in lay language).

Martini and a Movie, Anyone?

Here at AndNowfortheGoodNews.com, we love kids, of all ages. But when we heard that some movie theaters are offering a new over-21-only option in moviegoing, we couldn’t help but consider it good news. (Options are a good thing, right?)

P.J. Huffstutter of the Los Angeles Times explains the new movie experience some theaters are now offering to entice adult adults back to the big screen.

Professor Gives New Meaning to "The Last Lecture" Series

As Jeffrey Zaslow of The Wall Street Journal reports, a growing number of universities are conducting a lecture series in which professors are asked to give hypothetical last lectures—as in, if they only had one shot left, what would they tell their students. It's a great idea in itself, but for 46-year-old Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, the term "last lecture" takes on true meaning. Professor Pausch has pancreatic cancer and expects to have only a few weeks or months to live.

Click here for the 4:40 minute video.

A week after that first video ran, which resulted in a rush of public response, Zaslow ran this update:

Click here for the 4:20 minute video follow-up.

Click here for the entire 1.5 hour lecture (includes introductions by colleagues and friends).