Teaching & Learning
Education propels change. Stay up to date on the latest educational developments near you and around the world from preschool to post-grad. Here, you'll find out why equitable quality education is essential for fostering healthy and resilient societies.
New Jersey takes bold step toward universal free preschool and kindergarten
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM New Jersey is ushering in a new era for early childhood education. In a move celebrated by parents, educators, and advocates alike, Governor Phil Murphy signed three pivotal bills into law on July 9, advancing the state toward a future where every child has Read More...
Why more kids are choosing to unplug: the quiet rebellion against screen overload
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a hopeful shift, children and teenagers are increasingly choosing to step away from their screens to care for their mental health, safety, and focus. Instead of waiting for parents or teachers to enforce rules, young people are beginning to take ownership Read More...
10 effective ways to get kids off screens this summer
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Summer vacation presents an excellent opportunity for children to disconnect from their digital gadgets and participate in stimulating screen-free activities... But anyone with kids these days will know that getting them to embrace this chance is quite the Read More...
How books about boys are quietly rewriting the script on masculinity
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM If you want to counter toxic masculinity, don’t start with a think piece. Simply hand a boy a book. That’s the quiet but powerful idea rippling through this year’s Carnegie medals for children’s writing, where male friendship and nuanced portrayals Read More...
25 easy and effective ways to help protect insects—starting today
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Insects are facing a crisis. Their populations are dropping at alarming rates, even in pristine nature reserves. That’s bad news not only for bugs but also for the birds, bats, amphibians, and ecosystems that depend on them. The good news is that you can Read More...
How to be an ally part II: effective allyship
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Continuing the conversation: What effective allyship really looks like Today we are continuing to revisit our 2020 series on allyship. If you caught Part I, you’ll remember we explored the rise of performative allyship: how well-meaning gestures can fall Read More...
How to be an ally part I: performative allyship
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Why we’re revisiting our series on allyship this Pride Month At The Optimist Daily, we believe that allyship is a lifelong practice; one that demands reflection, humility, and, most of all, action. This June, we are celebrating Pride Month but also Read More...
A surprising look at how Father's Day came to be
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Unlike Mother's Day, which was swiftly embraced and made official in 1914, Father’s Day spent decades in limbo. Though it finally became a national holiday in 1972, the idea faced resistance for years—ironically, in a society dominated by men. Why was Read More...
A new way to stack bricks could help clean Bangladesh’s air
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the cool, dry winters of Bangladesh, the country’s 8,000-plus brick kilns roar to life. Coal-fed and open-air, they bake nearly 30 million bricks annually, filling the skies with thick black smoke in the process. But a new study has found that a few Read More...
Emergency contraception just got a lot more convenient
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM If you can grab a wireless phone charger and a pack of gum at 2 a.m., why not emergency contraception too? That’s the question Cadence, an Oakland-based health company, is answering with its no-nonsense product: the Morning After Pill. The company has Read More...