Supporting children through the coronavirus pandemic – lessons from the autistic community
During this time of unprecedented change, many children will be feeling the kind of uncertainty, lack of control and anxiety that is normally experienced by a high percentage of autistic children. I am a researcher working...Read more
Lockdown inspires Tallinn city librarians to read ‘remotely’ to children
The coronavirus lockdown is inspiring educators to come up with new ways to keep children’s minds fit and active – none more so than city librarians in the Estonian capital, Tallinn. While public libraries were among...Read more
Schools on board for urban fruit-growing project
Schools are being brought into a nationwide initiative to build and re-fruit urban communities across the UK. By creating or restoring orchards, an urban non-profit organisation is strengthening local food systems and building community, while re-energizing...Read more
Online learning will be hard for kids whose schools close – and the digital divide will make it even harder for some of them
Public and private schools across the USA are closing their doors as everyone scrambles to protect themselves from the COVID-19 viral disease pandemic. With little or no time to prepare for this disruption, families from Seattle...Read more
Even very young children can become prejudiced – but schools can do something about it
Racism has negative consequences for children’s health. It harms the kids who experience it personally and those who witness it, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, an organization that represents 67,000 doctors who treat...Read more
“The world is failing to give children healthy lives”
No single country is adequately protecting children’s health, their environment and their futures, says a major new report by over 40 child and adolescent health experts from around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO),...Read more
Visual arts help marginalized youth learn mindfulness and self-compassion
How do girls feel before and after learning mindfulness? The six girls in our program, aged 11 and 12, drew pictures showing that learning and practising mindfulness helped them feel more in control and compassionate,...Read more
A quarter of all families with children in Spain live in poverty
Save The Children says more than a quarter of all families with children in Spain are living in poverty, with most of them in three-generation households. The Families at Risk report is based on a detailed...Read more
UNICEF: ‘Global learning crisis’ for poor adolescent girls
UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, says a third of adolescent girls from the poorest households have never been to school, and that education spending is directed mainly at the wealthy. Poverty, distance from schools, and...Read more
A chance to even the odds – how socio-economic factors in Australia influence a child’s future
Each year 60,000 children across Australia start school developmentally behind their peers in key areas like language and emotional competence. These children are in every community, but because of the lottery of where they were...Read more
Students become boiler-room sleuths to assess climate change risks
In the fall of 2012, New York City received the brunt of an unprecedented storm. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, also referred to as Superstorm Sandy, the stock market closed for two days. Some...Read more
Five new ways for schools to work with families
Text messages, email alerts, open houses, fundraising appeals, robocalls – parents know the drill. They are inundated with requests from children’s schools. These missives aren’t really asking for engagement. Rather they can be viewed as ways...Read more
Helping children recover from trauma
In any classroom in Australia, there will be at least one, but possibly several, students who are suffering from a traumatic event. Not limited to sexual abuse, trauma can also result from neglect, poor attachment to...Read more
Irish legal guide for children published
Ireland’s Children’s Rights Alliance has published a comprehensive information guide for children and young people to help them understand their legal rights. The Know Your Rights guide has been produced in close consultation with young people...Read more