High school math teacher Rebecka Peterson focuses on the good in her Oklahoma classroom, and it’s paying off. Peterson has been named the 2023 National Teacher of the Year, an annual honor awarded by the Council of Chief State School Officers. “Rebecka is a caring and passionate educator who understands the importance of connections and […]
Wearing a sun hat, aviator sunglasses, and a heavy backpack, John Jepkema leaned against the Bright Angel Trailhead. To anyone passing, Jepkema looked like just another of the 5.9 million people who visit the Grand Canyon each year. But after an exhausting five-day overnight trek, Jepkema, at age 91, had become the oldest person to
Colorado Man, 91, Becomes Oldest Person to Cross Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim Continue Reading »
It was one of the most tragic stories to come out of the deadly earthquakes in Syria and Turkey in February. And now it’s being hailed as a miracle. The weeks-old baby girl who was rescued after being buried in the rubble in Turkey for 128 hours has been reunited with her mother, who for
Maj. Lauren Olme wears multiple hats: She’s an Air Force pilot, an assistant director of operations for the 77th Weapons Squadron, a leader, and a wife. She’s also making history as one of the first service members to fly a supersonic aircraft while pregnant. According to a press release from the Dyess Air Force Base,
Women Making History: Air Force Pilot Flies Supersonic Plane While Pregnant Continue Reading »
A 101-year-old woman from the Isle of Wight has been awarded an honorary teaching degree from the University of London — eight decades after completing a teaching course at the now-defunct Nonington College of Physical Education. Centenarian Madge Brown, along with 94-year-old Sheila Gordon, received a bachelor of education degree during a special ceremony on
The idea for the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation was first sparked during the 1990s in the San Francisco Bay area. According to the foundation’s website, in response to the trend of dishearteningly negative news coverage during a “summer of violence,” a reporter proposed “practicing random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty” instead.
When Laura Talmus’ 15-year-old daughter Lili unexpectedly passed away in 2009 due to medical complications of Apert syndrome, she channeled her grief into action. What began as a middle school assembly, inspired by Lili’s experiences as a student who often spent lunch alone, turned into the nonprofit Beyond Differences, which currently works with 9,000 schools
Each morning at a small charter school in Gainesville, Florida, students in kindergarten through fifth grade participate in affirmations, asserting that they’re one day going to “change the world.” They’ve been given the space to cultivate that confidence through the actions of a caring couple who devoted their professional lives to teaching. In 1998, after
Inspired by an article profiling a young girl in the foster care system who burst into tears upon receiving her first birthday cake, Cake4Kids founder Libby Gruender recognized that such a simple gesture could have a profound impact on the lives of underprivileged children. In 2010, Cake4Kids launched as a grassroots effort in Sunnyvale, California,
Editorial update (May 8, 2023): A previous version of this story referenced SELF’s thank you card program. Due to an overwhelming response in requests for materials, we have removed links to that particular initiative at this time. The Santoro Education Lifeskills Foundation (SELF), a Florida nonprofit, is helping children and teenagers develop the skills they
This Nonprofit Teaches Life Skills to Teens Through Free Online Curriculum Continue Reading »
