Blog Updates and inspiration

The life of Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, activist, and professor Junot Díaz is all about discovery. Just settling into the very first pages of “Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” or his new collection of short stories “This is How You Lose Her,” you’ll become part of a world unlike your own. His characters are so real and powerful, they almost become a […]

If you were committed to a psychiatric institution, unsure if you’d ever return to the life you knew before, what would you take with you? Upon closure of the Willard Asylum for the Chronic Insane in upstate New York in 1995, a treasure trove of suitcases were discovered in a locked attic of the facility. […]

From afar, it may just look like a wooden structure. But the closer someone gets to it, something happens, something awakens. Soon a kaleidoscope of color comes to life behind the wooden platforms, creating Coloniatecne. Taking cues from data collection and its relationship with the invisible data networks that run cities, Bios Design Collective’s installation mimic’s the “eyes […]

In 2012, 618 rhinos have been poached in South Africa alone, almost doubling the amount killed in the region during 2010. Home to nearly 85% of Africa’s 25,000 rhinos, South Africa has become a battleground between poacher and animal. Because of their high-valued horns in Asia (at times higher than gold), Rhinos have been increasingly hunted with […]

Despite not being musically trained or even knowing how to read music, Armand did the unexpected. After he was laid off from his job as an airline pilot in DR Congo, he formed a classical orchestra. Residing in the chaotic capital of Kinshasa, the lay musician gathered the little resources he could muster, learned how to read music, offered […]

I’ve become obsessed. First it was Dallas Clayton (you still have a part of my heart, Dal), then it was Taylor Swift (forever and always), and now I’ve discovered Mae Chevrette. Artist, photographer, wandering road-tripper, and my new creative guru. I’ve chosen some of my favorites to share with you below, but there are so […]

We all know that snow directly translates to schools closing, sledding, and snow man building. I love it all. But you know what I love more? The intricacies of snowflakes. Seriously. And when I saw this photo blog I honestly didn’t think it was real. It also made me want to purchase a macro lens for the Cannon […]

It’s the time of year again, and we’re not afraid to get cheesy or make lists, so we’re doing both. We’ve conducted a survey of multiple staff Christmas movie favorites, and this is what we came up with. I’d like to go ahead and say I’ve included my judgements. It’s my blog post, and I’ll […]

Jam-packed with world-changers and innovative humanitarians, every year CNN hosts an event to recognize 10 individuals who are helping others by improving communities around the globe called CNN’s Heroes. After highlighting heroes for their inspirational contribution, CNN announces its Hero of the Year. This year the honor went to Pushpa Basnet, awarding her with an additional $250,000 (in addition […]

Coming this Christmas: The Teacher Reciprocal Exchange! Six teachers from northern Uganda will be coming to teach in classrooms across the U.S. this December and January. They are assigned a partner teacher and will be able to learn new skills and techniques in the classroom as well as share their own teaching styles and culture […]