What’s Driving the News: The 2024 back to school season is starting off HOT, and it doesn’t seem to be cooling down any time soon. As students excitedly return to the classroom, schools must balance maintaining a comfortable learning environment in the face of extended warm seasons.

Why This Matters: The nation’s schools annually emit as much carbon as 18 coal plants or 8 million homes, according to an analysis of U.S. Department of Energy data by the advocacy group Generation180. But K-12 schools and district leaders across the country are in the unique position to equip students with the knowledge and preparation for a future shaped by climate change. In addition, they have considerable carbon reduction possibilities being major building owners, transportation managers, and employers. Leveraging the power of schools and their district leaders would simultaneously have significant carbon reductions as well as introduce low carbon alternatives as a norm for students.

Like what you see or want an interview with one of our experts? Get in touch with Daria Richman Price!

In Conversation

Community solar is a great way for schools to achieve their sustainability goals while also significantly reducing their energy costs. According to Generation180, the amount of solar installed at K-12 schools in the United States has tripled since 2015. Today, over 6 million students attend a solar-powered school, and it is not hard to see why so many school administrators are turning to solar. At the university level, it also creates unique educational opportunities to prepare college students for well-paying jobs in a fast-growing industry, such as learning how to install solar panels. Pivot Energy is currently working with the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Denver (DU) to offset the schools’ electricity consumption with on-campus and off-site net metering solar projects. At DU, the off-site projects will be used for student learning opportunities to advance the clean energy workforce. Mat Elmore, SVP Strategic Accounts at Pivot Energy, can discuss the growing role schools and workforce development have in the clean energy transition.

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I love this line, which comes from a quote by Melodie Beattie, which reads in its entirety:

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”

And I would add this thought — that without gratitude, you can turn any paradise into hell.

Without gratitude, you will always walk away from the table still starving — no matter what measure of abundance has been laid before you.

Without gratitude, every job is the worst job on earth, every spouse is deficient, every friend lets you down, every home is on the wrong street, every gift is the wrong size, every novel is full of typos, every mattress is uncomfortable, every cup of coffee is too weak.

Without gratitude, every choice you ever made will always feel like the wrong choice.

Without gratitude, summers will always be too hot; winters will always be too cold. The music will always be too loud, the movie will always suck, the teenagers will always be too rude.

Without gratitude, people who vote or worship differently from you will always be monsters in your eyes. Without gratitude, you will always feel you were born into the wrong family. Without gratitude, the waitress will always be too slow, and you will always get the worst seat on the bus. Without gratitude, every driver on the road except you is an idiot.

Without gratitude, life is The Misery.

These three things are so true…

1) There is no happiness without gratitude
2) There is no transformation without self-accountability
3) There is no peace without forgiveness

But first among those — the alchemy of all alchemies — is gratitude.

If we learn nothing else while we’re here, then, we must learn how to say THANK YOU.

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Holiday Travel…Not as simple as “over the river and through the woods”.

Since the beginning of time, “travel” has been linked with “the holidays.” Even the trip to Grandma’s house, over the river and through the woods, has been immortalized in song! But these days, packing up the family for the holidays can be a difficult task. To help us get there comfortably, for less money, and with minimal stress, travel expert and mom of three, Kendra Thornton has some helpful tips.

With extra costs tacked on to air travel, especially when making last minute travel plans, many of us will be relying on the family car to get us where we need to go this season. According to AAA, millions of us will be hitting the road this holiday season, making car travel the preferred mode.

Kendra will offer advice on:

• Money-saving tips while on the road
• Secrets for smarter packing like leaving non-essentials behind and buying on the road. Even your car has weight restrictions!
• How to travel with your kids and pets and make sure they are comfortable
• Last minute, long distance travel: advice on searching for best rates on flights, hotels or rental cars, even now…it’s not too late!

Kendra will help you navigate the busy holiday travel season. No matter where your travels take you and your family, you’ll be sure to be well-prepared.

Travel Expert, Kendra Thornton has been packing her bags and traveling the world since she visited the Bahamas at 3 months old. She comes from a family of travel agents, giving her a unique angle on the industry, Thornton appears regularly as a leisure and business travel expert on ABC, CBS, NBC and CW affiliates across the country to share travel trends, tips and deals with millions of viewers every year. She’s also been quoted frequently on travel trends and issues in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, and appeared regularly on the ABC, CBS and WB networks and affiliate stations across the country to discuss travel.

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:

• What are some of the most notable trends in holiday travel this year?

• If we’re hitting the road, what are your top money-saving tips?

• What are some things we should check to ensure our cars are ready for the trek?

• How can we make sure our kids and pets have a comfortable trip?

• What are your secrets for packing light?

• If we decide to travel at the last minute, how can we find the best rates on flights, rental cars and hotels?

The post Travel Expert Weighs in on Planning and Executing a Stress-Free Holiday Trip appeared first on Good News!.

Top Tips For Having A Safe Playdate

With my kids off from school this week I feel like an air traffic controller, navigating the massive logistics of multiple playdates for my son and daughter. When it’s their best friends it’s comfortable – we know their likes, dislikes and attention spans. But what if it’s a new friend? How well do you know the other family?

While we teach our kids appropriate playdate etiquette, we also need to be assertive with the other parent in communicating what is and isn’t acceptable to you. Whether you’re the host or sending your child to another family’s home, read on for some tips on how to ensure a safe and successful playdate!

Meet in person. If this is an afterschool playdate and you’ve never met the parents, drive your child over to the home rather than taking the bus together. Or, if the playdate is at your house, insist on the child being dropped off so you have a chance to meet the mom.

Who’s In Charge? Determine who will be present during the playdate – is it the mom, a nanny or an older sibling? How comfortable would you feel having a teenage sibling in charge? Do you feel certain that they are capable of handling an emergency? If the mom is there will she be there the entire time or will a babysitter or someone else be taking over? Make sure you have a cell phone number for both the mom and any other caregiver.

Find out about allergies. Be sure to find out if the child has any allergies so you can plan accordingly. If your child is visiting a friend’s home and is younger than 5 years of age, make sure you explain to the parent what foods you consider choking hazards and don’t allow.

Get a picture/take a picture. If your child will be visiting a mall, amusement park or some other public venue, provide the mother with a recent photo of your child in case he gets lost. Likewise, if you are taking another child somewhere, ask for a recent photo to keep with you.

Bring the right equipment. If the play date includes bicycles, scooters or some sort of riding toy, bring along your child’s helmet which has been fit specifically for him.

Are there dogs in the home? Even the friendliest dog can bite if a child goes near their food or pulls on their tail. Find out if there are pets in the home and where they are kept. Explain your concern and ask if the animal might be kept away during the play date.

Ask if there is a gun in the home. Your child might never have seen or touched a gun but if one is in sight you don’t know what he or she might do. If there is a gun at a friend’s home you might consider moving the play date to your house.

Bring along the car seat or booster seat. If your child will be traveling in another car during the play date, install his car seat yourself. Over 80% of car seats are installed improperly.

Every parent has different rules and ideas so make sure you clearly communicate your beliefs and help your child have a safe and fun play date.

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