The Weekly Theme
Each week, we feature a new theme of solutions for those passionate about learning in-depth on how we are building a better world!
4 powerful ways to keep yourself calm ahead of the elections
The election season is about to reach its climax and there is hardly any escaping it. With the outcome expected to have an enormous impact on the future of America and the greater world, it can be difficult not to feel the stress with November 3rd around the corner. On Monday, our Optimist Read More...
Soothe election anxiety with these 8 grounding questions
A recent survey from the American Psychological Association found that this election is a significant source of stress for more than two-thirds of American adults. For many of us, the only stressor outpacing the pandemic is the potential outcome of November 3rd, but as much as there is election Read More...
How voting rights groups are helping inmates vote from jail
If casting a ballot can already be a tricky process for regular citizens, you can imagine how difficult it is for inmates to vote—especially during the pandemic. Most states don’t allow felons to vote while serving their sentence. With that said, people with misdemeanor sentences do have the Read More...
How a single Japanese tourist got to enter Machu Picchu alone
Like many of us have experienced in the past months, Japanese tourist Jesse Katayama had his vacation plans ruined due to the coronavirus pandemic. Back in March, Katayama, a native of Osaka, arrived in Peru with the dream of visiting the ruins of Machu Picchu—the ancient Inca citadel. But when Read More...
Europe’s top court upholds French ban on bee-harming pesticides
In 2018, the French government placed a ban on the use of certain pesticides that harm bees. These pesticides belong to the neonicotinoid group's family of chemicals and are based on the chemical structure of nicotine. They were introduced in the mid-1990s and work by attacking the central nervous Read More...
3 ways to make new friends while working remotely
For all the comfort that working remotely might offer, there’s one crucial aspect of spending time with others in-person is proving difficult to replace: friendship. In an 18-month study of a Fortune 500 technology firm with a remote workforce, researchers found that virtual teammates faced Read More...
Starbucks offers employees free rides to polling places
If you work at Starbucks and aren’t sure how you’re getting to the polls, you’re in luck. The coffee chain announced it will offer employees complimentary Lyft rides to polling stations. This includes voting in person, going to volunteer at voting stations, or even just a ride to the post Read More...
Tartu transformed its main street into a pedestrian paradise
From Oakland and Seattle to Bogota and York, cities around the world have been showcasing the community-building benefits that come with removing cars from the streets. In another display of car-free living, the Estonian city of Tartu transformed its main street into a pedestrian-friendly paradise Read More...
Meet the astronaut voting from space this November
This year’s election comes at a pivotal time in US history. In fact, it’s so important, one citizen is casting her ballot all the way from space. On election day, astronaut Kate Rubins will cast her ballot from the International Space Station 200 miles above the Earth. "We consider it an Read More...
Connecting rentership and registration can empower marginalized voters
The 2020 election is fast approaching and we’ve been sharing stories on vote-in mailing, companies giving paid leave for employees to work the polls, and even NBA arenas turning into voting locations. Today we’re sharing another incredibly simple strategy to register more Americans to vote: Read More...