In recent months, the federal government has made it perfectly clear that one of its key education reform goals is to turn around the nation’s chronically underperforming schools. In fact, President Obama pledged to devote billions of dollars to fund a federal school turnaround program which would close 5,000 of the lowest performing schools in the next five years and reopen them with new principals and teachers.

But as many school districts are finding out, putting the nation’s worst schools on the chopping block is proving to be an arduous and painful process, and the desired results aren’t always achieved.

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I know what you’re thinking right this very minute. You’re thinking, “You know, reading about the climate and stuff is all well and good, but I really wish that this Kondrat character would bring me video of Jay-Z joining U2 on stage to rap during ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday,’ as that would realize many of my dreams.” Well, GUESS WHAT! Done.

Man. Powerhouses, teaming up in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Read the rest of this entry >>

There are some non-profit education-based organizations whose mission and programs are so uniquely effective that they become stand-out models for others to emulate. I recently discovered Community of Unity in New York City which is definitely one such program.

Founded in 2001 by Eric Komoroff,  Community of Unity (CofU) aims to help young people discover and develop their unique potential and purpose (their “song”) using seven essential life skills (or “instruments”):  self awareness, self esteem, sense of humor, empathy, integrity, responsibility, and focus. Learning how to use these skills empowers youth to make more positive choices for themselves and transform their own lives.

According to the CofU website:

Community of Unity bases its curriculum on the premise that by building successful peer-to-peer and peer-to-adult relationships over multiple years, youth are provided opportunities for belonging, space to build essential life-skills, and are able to grow their connection to family and community.

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The FDA has announced plans to investigate the “Smart Choices” initiative, an industry-led nutrition labeling program, arguing that the labels may mislead the public by implying that sugary foods are healthy.

I’m amazed that the “Smart Choices” label has gotten this far, considering it was trying to suggest that Froot Loops are somehow nutritious, and happy that the FDA is taking decisive action to curtail the manipulative marketing scheme.  However, given that Kraft has announced that they are phasing out the label, and General Mills, Kellogg and Unilever plan to follow suite, I have a feeling the label will not be around for much longer regardless of what the FDA does.

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While there may be some question about who will attend the UN Climate Change Conference, and what they will accomplish,  you can be sure that the public will have an opportunity to discuss climate change in Copenhagen at the KlimaForum09.

Billed as The People’s Climate Summit, the free event will simultaneously take place only a few blocks from the UN gathering, and will feature guest speakers (including Naomi Klein!), over 150 open debates, 60 exhibitions, as well as music, film and art concerning climate change.  KlimaForum09 provides an open space for ordinary citizens, grassroots movements and organizations to develop constructive solutions to the climate crisis.  Special efforts have been made to invite people from countries that are and will be most directly affected by climate change, and who have limited opportunities to participate in the global discussion.  Read the rest of this entry >>

One of the most popular food trends in the past year or two has been local food. So why is eating local all the rage, and what can you do to be part of this growing movement?

What is local?

We need to start by defining the word local. It has different meanings to different people, but I define local as being as close to home as possible. With food, that would mean buying food raised or produced as close to your home as possible.

To purists, or locavores, local means buying food within a set radius, such as 50 or 100 miles. To others, local means as far as a day’s drive from where you live. Because geography and growing is different around the country (and world), I opt for a more flexible definition.

Technically, this means that any food you buy close to your home is local, even conventional or industrially produced food. So inherent within the local label is the concept of sustainable. Try to avoid food from a large industrial operation, no matter how close to your home it is. The best way to tell if a farm is industrial is to find out how big it is and how diverse its products are. A very large farm producing only one crop is most likely industrial – when you plant the same crop on many acres, you attract pests, which means you have to use pesticides. So focus on smaller farms, ones that have different types of crops, and find out what their growing practices are.

When you’re shopping for local food, look for local sustainable food from a small independent family farm. That means minimal chemical pesticides and fertilizers were used, the land and everything on it was treated with respect, and every effort was made to provide you with the most wholesome, nutritious food. In general, smaller farms are more sustainable because they tend to grow a variety of crops and undertake conservation practices such as crop rotation, so they usually have less problems with pests. But it’s always wise to find out exactly how your food was produced before you make the decision to buy and eat it.

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Developing countries have threatened to walk out of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen if rich nations did not commit to greater reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and more funding for climate costs.

While I can understand being  frustrated by talk that the United States and other heavy emitters may not commit to a binding, enforceable climate treaty in December, I don’t think a walk-out is an effective way of dealing with the forestalling.  Read the rest of this entry >>

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Skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing may be considered rebellious activities by some people, but the Stoked Mentoring program utilizes these non-traditional sports to teach life skills to at-risk and disadvantaged youth and transforms rebellion into hope.

Currently operating in New York and Los Angeles, Stoked seems like a totally radical way for kids to develop confidence and perseverance from positive role models, while having fun and getting great exercise.  And if you happen to be in New York on November 12th you can show your support of the amazing work they do by attending the 2009 Stoked Awards.  Watch the inspiring trailer below to learn more about the program and this years awards, and use the Act link to find out how you can become a mentor or support Stoked in other ways. Read the rest of this entry >>

PoliticsOnline is starting a social-activism Web site called Hope Plus, a virtual global community for those who want to take action and make change.

BBC News reports:

Founder Phil Noble was interviewed by UK e-democracy newsletter E-Government Bulletin about the plans for the site. ‘The idea is to create a world online Peace Corps or a global eBay for caring,’ Mr Noble told the newsletter. The concept was in part inspired by Mr Noble’s previous work with the BBC. He was a key advisor to the now defunct BBC Action Network, a nationwide portal for community activism. ‘I’d been throwing out the idea for a global network… and the consensus was - now was the time,’ he told E-Government Bulletin.

Noble has invited Barack Obama and Bill Gates to support the venture, which is scheduled to launch in December at the International Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. So far it seems like a promising project, especially if Noble can get those two big-names on board. Stay tuned for more on Hope Plus.