The Survival Skills Podcast brings together people with different backgrounds and viewpoints to share ideas for making the world better. The show features conversations between unlikely partners who might normally disagree but find common ground. The first episode includes talks with john a. powell and Dr. Tania Singer about how our brains work, why people fear others who are different, and how we can build belonging and compassion in our communities. They discuss the science behind how we treat people as 'others' and share practical ways to create more caring connections. The podcast is part of the Cuba Platform, which focuses on bringing different perspectives together. Each episode explores how people can work together despite their differences to solve problems and build stronger communities.
ArticleThe Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley teaches people how to bridge divides and build connections across differences. Bridging means bringing people from different backgrounds together - across race, class, religion, and other differences - to listen to each other's stories and build understanding. It's not about agreeing on everything, but about seeing each other's humanity. The institute offers free online courses on bridging fundamentals, community stories, and practical methods. They believe bridging can help heal our divided world by moving beyond the 'us versus them' mentality. The goal is creating spaces where everyone belongs, even when we disagree. Through active listening and sharing stories rather than just facts, people can build trust and connections across traditional dividing lines. The institute provides research, training, and resources to help communities practice bridging as a way to strengthen democracy and create more inclusive societies.
ArticleThis website collects positive news stories about racial justice and equality across America. It features inspiring examples like a former prisoner who bought a prison to help other ex-inmates with housing and job training, artists creating meaningful murals from recycled materials, and community groups using music to peacefully protest immigration enforcement. The site covers stories about immigrants creating jobs in their communities, musicians raising money for legal aid, animal shelters helping pets when their owners are detained, and Indigenous athletes overcoming discrimination. It also highlights creative forms of protest like singing resistance movements and fashion statements supporting immigrant rights. Each story shows how people are working to create positive change and fight discrimination. The website aims to inspire readers by showing that progress is happening and offering ways to get involved in racial justice work.
ArticleThe Interactivity Foundation helps people have better conversations in schools, workplaces, and communities. Their website shares real stories about how their discussion methods and training programs are making a difference. They offer tools like the Collaborative Discussion Project (CDP) toolkit that teaches people how to have respectful, productive conversations about difficult topics. The stories showcase work happening in places like Haiti, universities, public schools, and nonprofits. They help students learn better dialogue skills, train youth leaders in democratic discussion, and help organizations become more inclusive. The foundation offers different resources for educators, community leaders, and workplace teams. Their approach focuses on moving beyond punishment-based thinking, exploring topics like belonging and social connection, and designing better educational systems. All their work aims to create more collaborative and exploratory conversations that bring people together instead of dividing them. People can contact them to start their own discussion programs or get training.
ArticlePoetry Unbound is a thoughtful podcast hosted by Pádraig Ó Tuama that explores one poem in each episode. The show takes listeners on a gentle journey through beautiful poems, helping them understand the wisdom and questions each poem offers. Episodes are short and relaxed, making poetry accessible to everyone. The podcast features diverse poets from around the world writing about love, identity, faith, family, and social issues. Recent episodes have explored poems about Palestinian love during conflict, transgender remembrance, Islamic faith during Ramadan, and Indigenous experiences in Canada. Beyond the podcast, there's also a book collection, a weekly newsletter on Substack with community discussions, and occasional live gatherings. The host guides listeners through each poem like a friendly tour guide, showing how poetry can help us understand ourselves and connect with others. This resource helps people discover the power of poetry to bring comfort, insight, and connection to daily life.
ArticleNews Ambassadors connects student journalists from different political and geographic areas to work together on news stories. Students from places like rural Missouri and New York City partner up to report on community problems and solutions. The program teaches special reporting methods that focus on finding common ground instead of creating more division. Student reporters learn 'Solutions Journalism' - covering how communities solve problems rather than just reporting on what's wrong. They also learn 'Complicating the Narratives' - a way to report on controversial topics that helps people understand different viewpoints. The program pairs journalism schools with public radio stations across the country. Students get training, mentorship, and editing help from their professors. The best stories are broadcast in both partner locations, so communities with different political views can hear each other's perspectives. The program also trains radio stations to do 'Community-Responsive Reporting' - getting story ideas directly from community members, especially in rural and urban areas that don't get enough news coverage. This helps fill gaps in local news while giving student reporters real-world experience. The goal is to help Americans better understand each other across political divides and strengthen democracy through better journalism.
ArticleThis is a collection of articles and resources from UC Berkeley about compassion and self-compassion. The Greater Good Science Center studies how being kind to yourself and others can improve mental health and relationships. The site has many articles about different topics like helping teens manage emotions, teaching self-compassion to reduce stress and suicidal thoughts, and making healthcare more caring. There are also guides for parents on listening with compassion and helping teens feel understood. The research shows that practicing self-compassion helps people cope better with difficult times and stress. The site offers quizzes to test your compassion levels, meditation exercises for when you feel burned out, and tips for expanding your circle of care. All the content is based on scientific studies about what makes life meaningful and how to build better relationships with yourself and your community.
ArticleThis is a podcast series called 'How Do We Fix It?' that features conversations about reducing anger and division in American politics. The main episode discusses Braver Angels, a national organization that teaches people how to have respectful conversations across political differences. The podcast features CEO Maury Giles and media director Wilk Wilkinson talking about 'courageous citizenship' - choosing to build connections instead of tearing things down. Other episodes cover topics like immigration enforcement in Minnesota, learning from young people, structured debates where no one 'wins,' and having conversations with strangers in parks about controversial topics. The podcast shows how local communities can find common ground and solve problems together, even when people disagree on politics. All episodes focus on building trust, reducing toxic political divides, and encouraging citizen action rather than just complaining. The content teaches practical skills for having productive disagreements and working together despite different viewpoints.
ArticleThis resource from UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center provides research-backed information about empathy - the ability to understand and feel what others are experiencing. The site offers articles, quizzes, and practical tools to help people develop better empathy skills. Recent content explores how empathy works in different situations, from healthcare to schools to bridging political divides. The resource includes studies on how empathy and reasoning work together to help people, ways to listen with compassion to teenagers, and strategies for building understanding across urban-rural differences. It also covers related topics like self-compassion, emotional regulation, and how to create more caring environments in healthcare and education. The content is designed for anyone wanting to improve their relationships and understanding of others through science-based approaches.
This is the education section of UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center website. It shares research-based articles and tools to help teachers, parents, and school leaders support children's emotional and social development. The site covers topics like helping quiet children speak up, teaching students how to disagree respectfully, protecting immigrant students during difficult times, and building critical thinking skills even when certain topics are restricted. Teachers can find monthly happiness calendars with daily tips, learn about self-compassion to handle stress, and discover ways to create kinder classrooms. The content is based on scientific research about wellbeing and meaningful relationships. Parents can learn how to encourage intellectual humility in their kids and understand teenagers better. School leaders get advice on staying grounded during challenging times and building compassionate school communities. All articles are written by education researchers and experts who translate complex studies into practical advice that anyone can use to help children thrive emotionally and academically.
ArticleParents Forum offers helpful resources to support families and improve communication. They provide a free flyer called 'What Support Do You Have?' that clinics, schools, and agencies can display to start conversations about parenting support. The organization also offers a wallet-sized reference card called 'Tools of the Trade' and a book called 'Where the Heart Listens' that helps families communicate better. They have articles about parenting education and a logic model that shows how their program works. All these resources aim to make parenting education available and affordable for all parents and caregivers. The materials focus on supporting children's healthy development from birth through young adulthood. Parents can download some resources directly or request them by email. The organization believes that good communication skills help strengthen families and improve relationships between parents and children.
Cuba 101 is a series of educational articles that teach people about Cuban history and society. The Cuba Platform created these briefing articles to help people understand important topics like the Cuban Revolution, the difficult economic period of the 1990s called the Special Period, and recent changes like updates to Cuba's Constitution. This educational resource provides background context on Cuban culture, politics, and current events. The articles are designed to give readers a solid foundation for understanding Cuba's complex history and modern situation. The platform also offers content in Spanish and connects to a broader network of Atlantic Fellows working on Cuba-related issues. This is an educational resource for anyone wanting to learn more about Cuba's past and present.
ArticleThis podcast episode tells the story of two high school newspaper editors in Seattle who reported a teacher for inappropriate behavior with students. The teacher, Tom Hudson, allegedly made students shower naked with him and shared alcohol and pornography. When the students reported this to their journalism teacher, he said he would handle it privately instead of going to authorities. The students' parents eventually contacted officials, leading to the teacher's suspension. However, the school community blamed the student journalists for 'destroying' the teacher's reputation. The episode explores how young people who speak up about abuse often face backlash, even when they're trying to protect others. It raises important questions about how schools handle reports of misconduct and whether students should be punished for doing the right thing. The story shows the difficult position student journalists face when reporting on sensitive issues in their own schools.
ArticleUnified is a mobile app designed specifically for activists to connect, organize, and take action together. Unlike regular social media, this platform focuses entirely on helping people find others who care about the same causes and work together on campaigns. The app lets users create accounts, chat with fellow activists, discover events, and coordinate actions all in one place. It's built mobile-first, meaning the full experience is best on phones, while web features are still being developed. Users can join cause-based communities, share updates about their activism, and organize both virtual and in-person meetups. The platform helps people move from caring about issues to actually doing something about them by making it easier to find like-minded people and plan coordinated actions. Activities range from quick 2-minute tasks like creating an account to longer 60-minute commitments like hosting virtual meetups and recruiting friends. The goal is to help activists find their place in movements and make organizing more accessible for everyone.
ArticleEast Brooklyn Congregations (EBC) is a news blog that covers how community groups in Brooklyn and Queens work together to solve local problems. The blog shares stories about their campaigns for affordable housing, better schools, and stronger neighborhoods. Recent articles discuss how Black families are leaving New York City, efforts to help public housing residents get repairs, and plans to build more affordable homes. The blog features news coverage from major outlets like the New York Times and local TV stations. EBC works with over 100 churches and community groups through Metro IAF to organize residents and advocate for change. Their stories show how ordinary people can come together to make their communities better through collective action and civic engagement.
ArticleUnderstand what Pillars of Support are with beginner resources, videos, templates and real-world case studies to learn from.
ArticleThis guide explains everything you need to know about voting in person on Election Day in North Carolina. Polls are open from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM, and you must vote at your assigned polling place (not just any location like early voting). You'll need to show photo ID when you check in. The busiest times are early morning and just before closing, so consider voting during off-peak hours to avoid long lines. You can find your polling place and check if you're registered using the state's Voter Search tool. Sample ballots are available online so you can practice before voting. The guide also covers assistance for voters with disabilities, curbside voting options, and what happens after you vote. Your ballot gets recorded electronically and counted on election night, and you can later verify it was counted through the Voter Search system. This resource helps North Carolina voters understand the complete Election Day voting process and their rights.
ArticleReady-to-use templates, worksheets and checklists for campaign planning, strategy, organizing, messaging and more.
Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County, Texas offers many ways for people to donate money to help build affordable homes. You can give money to honor someone you love or remember someone who died. You can donate stocks and other investments. If your company matches donations, your gift can be doubled or tripled. Some companies also give money when their workers volunteer. You can plan to give money in your will or trust to help families for years to come. The organization builds homes for families who need affordable housing. They have offices in Conroe, Texas and a ReStore where people can buy donated items. All donations help families get safe, decent homes they can afford.
ArticleDespite federal intervention, Houston's low-income neighborhoods face persistent illegal dumping. Environmental injustice as trash accumulates in underserved communities.
ArticleEast New York, Brooklyn has changed a lot over the years. This neighborhood used to have many murders - 126 in 1993 - but last year only had 12. Rev. David Brawley from St. Paul Community Baptist Church says the area got better because leaders and people worked hard together. His church has worked with East Brooklyn Congregations for 40 years to build affordable housing. They turned an old landfill called Spring Creek into 2,600 affordable homes. But Pastor Brawley is worried because every week he has to say goodbye to church members who can't afford to live there anymore. He wants the next mayor to build more affordable housing so longtime residents don't get pushed out. Residents like Erica Townsend and Eleanor Pinckney are also upset about garbage dumping on New Lots Avenue. City Councilmember Chris Banks thinks the next mayor needs to help people in public housing and improve buses and trains. The community wants leaders to keep making East New York better by focusing on housing costs, keeping streets clean, and better transportation.
This comprehensive guide teaches you how to recognize when someone is thinking about suicide and how to help them. It explains warning signs to watch for and provides step-by-step instructions on what to do if someone you know is having suicidal thoughts. The guide includes crisis hotline numbers like 988 and 911 for emergencies, and teaches you how to listen without judging and ask direct questions about their safety. It also lists training courses you can take to learn suicide prevention skills, including online classes that take 1 hour to 2 days. The resource provides links to apps, support groups, and tools for helping both adults and children understand mental health. It emphasizes that suicidal thoughts are serious and need immediate attention, not something to ignore or minimize. The guide is part of the One Pedal At A Time Movement, founded by Dan Hurd, which spreads mental health awareness through cycling and community support.
ArticleDoomscrolling means endlessly looking at bad news on your phone or computer, even when it makes you feel anxious or sad. Many people get stuck doing this, especially during stressful times. Our brains naturally focus on scary things, and social media shows us more negative news to keep us clicking. This habit can hurt your mental health by making you more anxious, depressed, and tired. It can also mess up your sleep and make it hard to focus. Signs you might be doomscrolling include spending too much time on your phone late at night, always checking for news updates, feeling worried after reading bad news but keeping scrolling anyway, and ignoring things you need to do. Crisis Text Line offers free support 24/7 by texting CONNECT to 741741. They help people learn healthier ways to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed. You can also chat with them online or message them on WhatsApp. The article explains that this is a common problem in today's digital world, but it can be fixed. Breaking free starts with recognizing the habit and setting better boundaries with screen time.
ArticleGreater Good Magazine from UC Berkeley shares research on mental health and happiness. The site covers topics like how psychedelic therapy might help depression, why donating a kidney can improve your own health, and simple ways to feel more loved. Articles explore practices like qigong meditation, self-compassion, and forgiveness that science shows can reduce stress and improve well-being. The magazine translates complex research into practical tips anyone can use. Topics include managing anxiety, finding life purpose, building better relationships, and aging well. All content is based on scientific studies from universities and research centers. The goal is helping people live more meaningful, happier lives using proven strategies from psychology and neuroscience research.
ArticleThe On Being Project shares fascinating conversations about how science is discovering that spiritual experiences like awe and wonder are actually good for our health. Scientists are studying how emotions work in our brains and bodies, finding that moments of awe - when we feel amazed by something bigger than ourselves - can boost our immune system and help us connect with others. Researchers are also learning how our whole body affects our mental health, not just our brain. The gut and brain work together in ways that show 'you are what you eat' is scientifically true. Other studies explore how certain medicines might help heal trauma and depression. These discoveries show that things people have always known through faith and wisdom are now being proven by science. The conversations include talks with emotion scientist Dacher Keltner about awe, psychologist Kimberley Wilson about whole-body mental health, neuroscientist Gül Dölen about healing trauma, and memories of Jane Goodall who studied animals and humans. This collection shows how science and spirituality can work together to help people live better, healthier lives.
This article shows how where children grow up in America affects their chances of earning more money than their parents when they become adults. Using research from Harvard University, author Colin Woodard explains that kids born in some places have better opportunities to move up economically than others. The research followed people born in the early 1980s and tracked their adult incomes. It found that children in the South and parts of the Midwest have lower chances of earning more than their parents, while kids in areas like the Northeast often do better. The article uses maps and data to show these differences across regions. Local culture, history, community support, school quality, and public services all play a role in these outcomes. Some areas have strong communities and good schools that help kids succeed, while others may have fewer resources or opportunities. This research matters because it shows that every child deserves a fair chance at success, but geography can make that harder in some places. Understanding these patterns can help communities and leaders make better decisions to improve opportunities for all children, no matter where they live.
ArticleThe Greater Houston Community Foundation helps people donate money and other valuable things to help their community. You can give cash, stocks, real estate, business shares, art, jewelry, life insurance, or retirement money. Each type of gift has different tax benefits. Some gifts help right away, while others help after you pass away. The Foundation works with donors to pick the best way to give based on their money situation and what causes they care about. They accept many different types of donations so people can give in the way that works best for them. You need to follow IRS rules to get tax deductions for charitable gifts. The Foundation has advisors who help people understand their options and make the biggest impact with their giving.
ArticleOxford Road, a Houston advertising company, released their February 2026 report showing which sports podcasts actually help businesses make money, not just get lots of downloads. Their ORBIT tool tracks real results from over 500 advertisers spending $1.6 billion yearly. The surprising findings: smaller, specialized sports shows often work better than big general ones. Daily sports podcasts ranked #1 and #2 because people listen regularly. Niche sports like motorsports, golf, and fantasy football performed really well because fans are more loyal and act on recommendations. Shows about sports people can actually do (like golf or fantasy leagues) got 45% of top spots because listeners want to learn and improve. The report helps businesses pick better podcast ads by showing which shows actually increase sales, not just listener numbers. This data helps advertisers avoid wasting money on popular shows that don't convert listeners into customers.
ArticleOxford Road and Podscribe studied over 1,000 advertising campaigns across 100+ brands to compare how well podcast ads work on YouTube versus audio-only platforms. They found that YouTube podcast ads convert 25% worse than audio ads. The study looked at real purchase data and found that 78% of brands saw lower response rates when more people watched their ads on YouTube instead of listening to audio. This matters because many advertisers have been treating YouTube views and audio downloads the same way when planning their campaigns and budgets. The research suggests that people behave differently when watching versus listening to podcasts, which affects how they respond to advertisements. The report includes a 10-step action plan for brands, creators, and publishers to improve their podcast advertising strategy. This is the first major study to directly compare video and audio podcast ads using actual sales results. The findings could change how the podcast industry prices and measures video podcast advertising.