Earth Day: The Official Site | EARTHDAY.ORG

Decoding Earth Day 2026: Our Power, Our Planet Earth Day 2026 highlights how community action worldwide supports environmental protections that reduce costs, manage shared risks, and strengthen public health, infrastructure reliability, and economic stability across regions and borders.

Why Imperfect Climate Action Is Better Than Perfect Inaction Eco-perfectionism fuels guilt and burnout. Imperfect, collective action creates real environmental progress.

Colorful Ghosts Haunt Our Wetlands This World Wetlands Day, discover the algal ghosts sucking oxygen from our wetlands and poisoning ecosystems from Lake Erie to the Hartbeespoort Dam.

7 Ways to Ship Greener To celebrate Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, here are seven greener replacements, their pros and cons, plus current swapping progress and alternatives in development.

Support EARTHDAY.ORG Since 1970, we’ve been mobilizing over 1 billion people annually on Earth Day, and every day, to protect the planet. Make a direct and positive impact on the environment today by donating to help fight climate change, plastic pollution, deforestation, and the scourge of fast fashion.

The post Decoding Earth Day 2026: Our Power, Our Planet appeared first on Good News!.

	By Claire Brown

Nearly two weeks into the conflict, the war in Iran has triggered “the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market,” the International Energy Agency said on Thursday. That comes despite an agreement among world leaders on Wednesday to release some 400 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves. Here’s what else to know:

Oil price warnings. A spokesperson for Iran’s military command warned on Wednesday that oil could reach $200 barrel, far exceeding previous records. The U.S. energy secretary, Chris Wright, said that’s unlikely.

President Trump shrugged off concerns about rising prices, pointing out on social media that the United States is the largest oil producer in the world. “When oil prices go up, we make a lot of money,” he wrote Thursday morning.

A crucial shipping lane remains largely closed. On Thursday, Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed to continue blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow body of water that conveys about 20 percent of the world’s oil supplies. Two oil tankers were set ablaze early on Thursday, leading Iraq and Oman to close oil terminals.

The environmental consequences. In Iran, damage to fossil fuel infrastructure has caused black rain and thick smoke over Tehran, prompting concerns that tanks of mazut, a bottom-of-the-barrel oil residue product used in power plants, have caught on fire, releasing huge quantities of sulfur and other toxic pollution into the air.

Will all this upheaval push governments around the world to pick up the pace of renewable energy installations? Not necessarily, Brad Plumer and Lisa Friedman write. And in the short term, some countries are likely to burn more coal.

What questions do you have about the environmental fallout of the war in Iran or its effects on the world’s energy supplies? Email us at climateforward@nytimes.com and we’ll answer your questions in future newsletters.

Kicked out of the Sierra Club

	By David A. Fahrenthold David Fahrenthold is an investigative reporter based in Washington who covers nonprofit organizations.

Last year, the Sierra Club’s national magazine honored Delia Malone as a “changemaker” — an activist to inspire other activists — for her yearslong campaign to reintroduce wolves to wild areas of Colorado.

A year later, the Sierra Club kicked her out.

In February, the club sent Malone, 71, a letter saying she had committed “serious violations of Sierra Club Member Obligations.” The letter listed seven rules that she had violated, including provisions requiring members to be respectful of each other, and to represent the club positively in public.

“You are no longer a member of Sierra Club,” said the letter, which was signed by the club’s office of general counsel. “Revocation of your status as a member of Sierra Club is permanent, meaning that you will no longer be eligible for any form of Sierra Club membership.”

What the letter did not say was what Malone actually did to deserve this rare punishment — which the club says is for members whose misconduct is “beyond repair.”

Malone said she believed that she was targeted in part because she talked to The New York Times last year, a claim the organization denies. She was quoted in a Nov. 7 article about how the Sierra Club had embraced social-justice issues far removed from its traditional environmental goals.

In that article, Claire Brown and I reported that the nonprofit organization’s shift was followed by years of internal strife and declining membership, leaving the group weakened just as the Trump administration has ramped up its attacks on environmental protections.

Delia Malone, an ecologist and activist, was expelled from the Sierra Club last month. Kristin Braga Wright for The New York Times

‘I had no idea’

In an interview, Malone said the club had not notified her that she was facing this punishment, had not told her what she was accused of doing and did not give her a chance to defend herself.

“I had no idea this was going on,” Malone said.

An ecologist by training, she had been a volunteer for the Sierra Club for 12 years and had previously served as one of the Colorado chapter’s statewide leaders. She helped lead the club’s efforts to campaign for a 2020 ballot measure authorizing the reintroduction of wolves to the state. It passed narrowly, and now the state says at least four packs of wolves live in Colorado.

In the November article, Malone had said she had once been scolded by a Sierra Club staffer for saying that the club should lobby the Colorado Legislature for more protections for wolves.

“One of the staff said, ‘That’s fine, Delia. But what do wolves have to do with equity, justice and inclusion?’” Malone said then. After that, Malone said she had heard from an investigator hired by the club, who had asked her questions but declined to say what she was being investigated for. The Colorado chapter of the Sierra Club told us last year that “no one was investigated or accused of values misalignment on the basis of wolf conservation efforts.”

A month after the Times story came out, the Sierra Club’s Colorado chapter removed Malone from her unpaid role as “Wildlife Chair.” It cited the same section of the club’s rules that the Sierra Club’s national leaders later cited to strip her membership.

Malone said she believed the Times article helped trigger both punishments. “It gave them a specific reason to say, ‘She’s not abiding by the rules,’” she said.

A day earlier, the Sierra Club had also voted to strip membership from another former leader of the Colorado chapter, Kent Abernethy.

In an interview, Abernethy, 64, said he had been a Sierra Club member for 40 years and had until recently led a local branch of the Colorado chapter. He said his letter from the club was identical to Malone’s: it described the rules he had violated, but not how he had violated them.

The future of the Sierra Club

Abernethy said he believed his dismissal was also rooted in the broader debate over the Sierra Club’s direction. The Colorado chapter has been a center of that debate: in 2022, the Sierra Club’s national leaders ousted the chapter’s elected leaders for fostering what it called a “harmful and non-inclusive management culture.” It replaced them with an unelected “steering committee” approved by the club’s national leaders, an arrangement that continues today.

Abernethy had recently emailed his local Sierra Club branch to criticize the club’s leaders for stifling dissent and punishing Malone.

The Sierra Club has defended its shift in focus, saying that its embrace of social justice is necessary to build a broader coalition. A spokesman for the club, Jonathon Berman, declined to describe what Malone and Abernethy had done to trigger their punishment, but said “the decision was not made as a result” of the Times article.

Berman said that the club encouraged debate among its members: “Any claim that an action taken to protect our members and staff is meant to silence dissent is false.”

Malone now leads her own environmental group, ColoradoWild, and Abernethy sits on its board. Both said they would continue their environmental work outside the Sierra Club. Malone said she looked back fondly on her work with the organization.

“There’s families of wolves thriving in Colorado,” Malone said. “That’s amazing.” She said the Sierra Club’s national leadership at the time had provided crucial help: “They were very supportive, up until they weren’t.”

The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee advises the E.P.A.’s leadership on the latest scientific evidence on soot, smog and other hazardous pollutants. Meridith Kohut for The New York Times

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Eye doctor named to air pollution advisory board draws pushback

The Trump administration has tapped an eye doctor with no background in air pollution science to advise the Environmental Protection Agency on what levels of air pollutants are safe to breathe.

The E.P.A. named Brian Joondeph, a Colorado-based ophthalmologist and political commentator, on Monday to the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, an influential panel that advises the agency’s leadership on the latest scientific evidence on soot, smog and other hazardous pollutants.

Dr. Joondeph has never published a peer-reviewed paper dealing with air pollution. He has coauthored a handful of peer-reviewed papers about eye diseases, as well as dozens of opinion pieces in conservative publications, many of which praised President Trump’s style of governing and foreign policies.

It was the government’s latest move to sideline or shun scientific expertise, drawing criticism from past members of the advisory panel. — Maxine Joselow

Read more.

The post Climate: The largest oil disruption in history appeared first on Good News!.

Listen to “Student-Led Food Recovery Network (FRN) – now the largest in the US – is making a Big Impact during the Big Game. FRN and Hellmann’s…” on Spreaker.

Listen to “Regina Harmon, CEO Food Recovery Network shares how they manage this momentous task” on Spreaker.

Listen to “Guy Fieri leaving the stage, Paul invites him to Times Square for Earth Day” on Spreaker.

Listen to “Tucker Wetmore performs at Guy Fieri Tailgate Party and Children Enjoy” on Spreaker.

Listen to “GUY’S SAUCES ARE GREAT” on Spreaker.

Listen to “HARD WORK! FOOD RECOVERY OVER 15,000 POUNDS” on Spreaker.

The post Student-Led Food Recovery Network (FRN) – now the largest in the US – is making a Big Impact during the Big Game. FRN and Hellmann’s Mayonnaise are working together so that no food gets wasted and goes to families in need in the Bay Area. Good News, Paul Sladkus & Ivy Ma are volunteering at Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Tailgate food location. appeared first on Good News!.

PlantCon International

How Parking Lot Meetups of 50 People Became the Nation’s Largest Plant Convention with 10,000 people.

This August 2025, PlantCon is traveling to New York City backed by some of the largest global names in the plant industry, including Kunzo Nishihata, a legend in the rare plant world from Hyogo, Japan; Summer Rayne Oakes, a renown YouTube star who pioneered the trend of bringing greenery into industrial spaces; and even The New York Botanical Garden. But, this grassroots movement didn’t always start with big names or major venues, it began with parking lots, tent weights, passionate hobbyists, and plant cuttings.

In 2020, when the world was shutting down, small online communities were seeing hoards of plant enthusiasts hit the scene. Loss of connection was so tangible that a household hobby like plant care was seeing a rise. Plant enthusiasts would join online marketplaces to meet up, sell plants, and share plant care tips – Kenny Nguyen, founder of PlantCon International, being one of them.

Kenny began to organize local meet ups in a furniture store parking lot for the community to gather, trade plants, and connect. What is usually an isolating indoor hobby, became a space for those who craved connection. Quick parking lot exchanges quickly became full day events. People lingered, laughed, and formed lasting friendships. As mass layoffs began and financial insecurities burdened families, plant sellers began relying on the income from the popups. In the midst of a global crisis, plants brought a sense of stability, comfort, and togetherness.

From there, the Houston Plant Market was born, helping local sellers sustain their businesses year-round. A scrappy team of three began hosting pop-ups in breweries, parks, and creative spaces across the city. Then, in 2022, PlantCon made its official debut, a 60 booth convention with no sponsors, no keynote speakers, and just four staff members. Over 2,000 people showed up. It was clear that this passion project had evolved into a movement.

Today, PlantCon steps into New York City for the very first time and will have over 10,000 people in attendance. The same familiar faces will travel for miles to see the show and new enthusiasts join the PlantCon community each year. From its humble beginnings in Houston, to New York City, and now scoping new cities to expand to next – PlantCon’s story is truly a reminder that with vision, community, and a whole lot of heart, you can grow something small into a movement that touches thousands.

“PlantCon has been such a labor of love,” says Kenny. “Building it up block by block over the years within our local community in Houston to bringing it all the way to Manhattan is unbelievable. I’m so thankful that so many people have found profound value in what we’re doing, and that the reception has been overwhelming no matter where we’ve been.”

Event Details

What: PlantCon International – New York

Where: The Seaport Level 4 at Pier 17 | 89 South St, New York, NY 10038

When: August 30–31, 2025

Tickets: plantcon.org/tickets-purchasenyc

About With Heart Collective

With Heart Collective is a non-profit event and production team focused on creating inclusive spaces and opportunities for small, minority-owned businesses and their customers. Their mission is to provide educational resources and support in areas such as tax compliance, branding, marketing and more, while fostering connections and promoting diversity within the community. Under With Heart Collective, the nonprofit organization includes Houston Plant Market, PlantCon International, Heart of Hou, The Vendor Alliance, and The Little Plant Library. As a proud AAPI, BIPOC, and Queer-led organization, With Heart Collective is dedicated to empowering underrepresented voices and promoting equity in entrepreneurship.

Press Contact

Eli Marcus

motivatea2z@gmail.com
plantcon.org/nyc-home
withheart.co

https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/nychappenings

The post NYC’s first ever PlantCon announced at South Street Seaport Aug. 30 & 31 appeared first on Good News!.

GLASTONBURY, UK — About 15,000 people gathered at Glastonbury’s monumental stone circle for making the world’s biggest human peace sign as a “message of peace to the world” thus setting the new world record for the Largest human peace sign according to the World Record Academy.

Glastonbury’s monumental stone circle to set a new world record for making the world’s biggest human peace sign. Photo: Andy Eliot (enlarge photo)

The Guinness World Records world record for the largest human flower consists of 2,405 participants, and was achieved by the Asian Art Museum (USA) in San Francisco, California, USA, on 15 July 2017.

Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the largest human image of an ear; it consists of 1,215 participants and was achieved by Raindropss and Sathyabama University (both India) in Tamil Nadu, India, on 3 December 2016. e

Organised by the team who run Glastonbury’s green fields as a “message of peace to the world”, the attempt broke the previous world record when 5,814 people performed a similar stunt at Ithaca festival in New York in 2008.

Among those taking part were Emily Eavis and William Hawk, a Native American from the Standing Rock reservation.

Beth Llewellyn, who was behind the record attempt, said: “I thought: ‘Why don’t we get together in the fields, and make this sign around the stone circle with people whose intent is for peace and not to be threatened by the few? We’re just doing it for love.”

website: https://www.worldrecordacademy.com/mass/largest_human_peace_sign_world_record_set_in_Glastonbury_217176.html#:~:text=GLASTONBURY%2C%20UK%20%2D%2D%20About%2015%2C000,to%20the%20World%20Record%20Academy.

#largestpeacesign #peacesign #humanpeacesign #glastonbury #worldrecord

The post Largest human peace sign: world record set in Glastonbury appeared first on Good News!.

MATZOBALL hosting largest online speed dating event ever held

NEW YORK, New York – (December 17, 2020) – MATZOBALL has shattered the Guinness World Record for the largest speed dating event. The MATZOBALL Online, to be held on Christmas Eve 2020, already has 1154 people registered to participate, with many more expected to register before the event begins. The event starts at 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve and will be held virtually in 23 cities across five countries. The virtual record is the first for MATZOBALL, which has held the dating party annually since 1987.

“This event has been so well received,” explains Andrew Rudnick, from Mazel Events, LLC and founder of the MATZOBALL. “We are all excited that this will be the largest and most successful speed dating event the world has ever seen. Not only can people get an opportunity to meet their soul mate, but they can also be a fun part of making this historical record.”

The current largest speed dating event, according to Guinness World Records, took place in Dublin, Ireland, on February 14, 2019. The number of people who participated in the Valentine’s Day speed dating event was 964. The MATZOBALL Online speed dating event has already surpassed that number in terms of how many people have registered to take part. The number will continue to climb as more people register each day leading up to and on the event day.

Each year, MATZOBALL holds its famous Jewish singles holiday party, giving people a chance to meet others. Some people have met for just that one fun-filled night, while others have developed long-lasting romantic relationships and friendships. Each year, there are over 400,000 people who attend the MATZOBALL holiday party.

This year, due to the pandemic, the event will be held online using special technology that will allow thousands of people to engage in a speed dating event at one time. While the speed dating event will be held online, participants are encouraged to still dress up to put forth their best image. The event will feature Regional Video Speed Dating, which will include pre-screened eligible singles. All of the speed dates will be held in a one-on-one setting.

The MATZOBALL Online will be broken down by region and age range. Each person who registers for the speed dating will get a minimum of 20-30, 5-minute dates. During that time, they will have the opportunity to choose whom they felt they had a connection with. When there is a mutual connection shared, the two people will be notified via email 15 minutes after the event ends. This will give them an opportunity to explore the connection more.

Tickets to the event are $35, plus a $5 processing fee per person for the Christmas Eve event, and $55, plus a $5 processing fee for the professional’s speed dating event on Christmas Day. A combination ticket to participate in both events can be purchased for $75, plus a $5 processing fee. Age ranges people can choose from are 21-27, 28-35, 36-49, and 50+. MATZOBALL will also be hosting a LGBTQ Jewish speed dating event on December 24, 2020, at 9 p.m. Space is limited, and tickets are expected to sell out. Tickets are $35, plus a $5 processing fee.

The regional areas where the event will be taking place include:

• Atlanta

• Boca/Delray Beach

• Boston

• Chicago

• Dallas

• Los Angeles

• Miami

• New York

• Philadelphia

• San Diego

• San Francisco

• Washington DC

• Seattle

• Denver

• Orlando

• Phoenix

• Cleveland

• Montreal

• Toronto

• London

• Sydney

• Tel Aviv

• Melbourne

“We are thrilled to have beaten the record for the largest speed dating event,” adds Rudnick. “We look forward to the event taking place and helping many Jewish singles come together. This is one event you don’t want to miss and this year you don’t even have to leave home to join in!”

Those who purchase a ticket to the hottest virtual party will receive a unique log-in link 24 hours before the event. They will be able to narrow their search by choosing their age and regional preferences. The event will also use fast match technology for those who feel they made a connection with someone. There will be an additional online speed dating event for professionals held on Christmas Day at 3 pm. Space for this event is limited. For complete city information, ticket options and pricing, to purchase tickets, visit the website at: https://matzoball.org. Tickets for the LGBTQ MATZOBALL event can be purchased at: https://matzoball.ticketspice.com/lgbtq-32-45.

About MATZOBALL MATZOBALL is a yearly huge party for Jewish singles that is held every December 24th. Since the first official event of its kind in 1987, the event has been held in select cities around the nation. There have been over 400,000 people attending and it has generated over $15 million in revenue. MATZOBALL was founded by Andrew Rudnick, owner of Mazel Events, LLC. To learn more about MATZOBALL, visit the site: https://matzoball.org.

# # #

Source: Guinness World Records. Largest speed dating event. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-speed-dating-event#:~:text=The%20largest%20speed%20dating%20event,Ireland%2C%20on%2014%20February%202019

What Does Peace Mean to Andrew Rudnick : http://goodnewsplanet.com/what-does-peace-mean-to-andrew-rudnick/

The post Description: MATZOBALL Shatters World Record for Largest Speed Dating Event appeared first on Good News!.

1. Pingtang Telescope, China

The Pingtang telescope was completed in September 2016, becoming the world’s largest radio telescope in the process.
Its dish measures more than 1,600 feet across and is capable of capturing signals more than 1,000 light years from earth.

2. Gotthard Base Tunnel, Switzerland

The world’s longest and deepest rail tunnel became operational in December 2016. It is 35 miles long, took 17 years to construct, and lies 6,500 feet below the Gotthard Massif, a mountain range within the Swiss Alps.

3. Panama Canal, Panama

The original Panama Canal, which was constructed more than 100 years ago, is one of the Modern Wonders of the World, but a century of progress meant that it had to be widened. Some 40,000 workers worked on the expansion project, and the completed canal opened in 2016 at a cost of $5.4 billion.

4. The Bride Skyscraper, Iraq

Who ever thought such a proposal would be possible? The 3,779-foot-tall “Bride” skyscraper is proposed for construction in Basra, Iraq.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s the site of the first battle of the 2003 US invasion.

The design is covered with solar panels, so the skyscraper will be able to power itself. It will also be the world’s tallest building if (when?) completed in 2026.

5. Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, China

This 26-mile-long cross-sea bridge is the longest of its kind in the world, stretching almost 26 miles out into the open ocean.

When it opened, it cut the travel time for people traveling between east China and the island of Huangdao in half.

6. Itaipu Dam, Brazil

Completed more than 30 years ago, this hydroelectric dam produces more power than any other in the world.

In fact, its energy generation is so large that it supplies Paraguay with 75% and Brazil with 20% of their energy needs respectively.

7. Crossrail Project, London

The largest construction project ever undertaken in Europe will see 10 new train lines added to the existing London Underground system,

and 30 existing stations connected via brand-new tunnels. It will begin service in 2017, and be in full operation by 2020.

8. Hyderabad Metro Rail, India

This railway system marks the first time that communication-based train control will be implemented in India.

With three brand-new metro lines for the city of Hyderabad, the network is set to open in 2017.

9. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, China

More than 42 million people live in China’s Pearl River Delta, and this gargantuan project will link its three major cities,

namely Zhuhai, Macau and Hong Kong, via a series of bridges and underwater tunnels. It will open to traffic in December 2017.

10. Mall of the World, Dubai

The proposal for the largest mall on earth comprises more than 48 million square feet of enclosed, air-conditioned luxury in the middle of the desert.

As part of the design, the largest indoor game park in the world will be constructed, as will 20,000 hotel rooms to cater to the 180 million annual visitors

that the development is expected to receive when completed in 2029.

12. Riyadh Metro, Saudi Arabia

This $23.5 billion rail line will boast a flagship station designed by world-famous architect, Zaha Hadid.

Operation is scheduled to begin in 2019, and the railway will have 109 miles of railway on completion, revolutionizing how the residents of Riyadh get around.

13. Songdo Smart City, South Korea

Built on 1,500 acres of reclaimed land along the waterfront of the South Korean city of Incheon, this smart city

was completed in 2015. Home to some 67,000 residents, it has near-comprehensive internet access and offers a taste of future urban life.

14. South-North Water Transfer Project, China

The Chinese have set about moving some 45 billion cubic feet of water from the mighty Yangtze River in the south of the country,

to the more arid industrialized north. They will do so via three canals and have spent some $79 billion on the project thus far.

15. Sognefjord Submerged Floating Tunnel, Norway

Perhaps the most intriguing of all the projects on this list is a Norwegian proposal for building a $25 billion submerged

floating tunnel beneath the Sognefjord, the largest Fjord in Norway, which is 3,000 feet wide and 4,000 feet deep.

This radical tunnel will be the first of its kind in the world if the vision is realized.

16. Urban Renewal Project, Turkey

Turkey has incredible ambitions for renewing its urban areas. Over the next 20 years, the country plans to demolish more than

7 million buildings and build earthquake-resistant, modern structures in their place.
The colossal cost of all this is estimated at $400 billion.

The post Some of the World’s Largest Infrastructure Projects – Submitted by Dr. Ko appeared first on Good News!.

The post BLOGGERINI by CROWDOF.US appeared first on Good News!.

Our beautiful “green” hotel, Hope Lake Lodge, features 106 luxury condominium style suites. Arcadia Village, located next to the hotel, offer additional lodging in units that are spacious with all the comforts of home.

Amenities at the resort include three restaurants, a world-class customized spa, fitness center, and a 41,000 square foot indoor water park. The Resort is positioned within 7,000 acres of State protected land that is accessible by all residents and guests for cross country skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, and horseback riding. Additionally, Greek Peak Mountain Resort operates an Adventure Center with a Mountain Coaster and 4 tandem zip lines operating year round and a ten lane winter snow-tubing center.

History

In 1958, New York’s Governor, Averell Harriman, conducted the Opening Day Ceremonies for a new ski area called Greek Peak. The Governor called it a “first class development” and predicted that it would “make a real contribution to skiing in New York State.”

By 1960, two T-Bars had been built and construction began on the A-Frame Lodge. A young Al Kryger (the current President and Chief Executive Officer of Peak Resorts, Inc.) was commissioned to build Central New York’s first chairlift in 1962. Greek Peak recognized the potential for skiing and led the industry in developing the concept of packaging and selling to local schools and colleges. This philosophy, combined with early pioneering in snowmaking and night skiing, brought Greek Peak to the forefront of ski areas in the East.

In the early 1970s, Al Kryger had the foresight to begin planning for the next phase of Greek Peak’s growth. He was instrumental in acquiring land adjacent to the ski area, and a Master Plan for a new recreational community was drawn. Over the years, the development of slope-side condominiums and townhouses has transformed Greek Peak from a ski area into a full-fledged regional destination ski resort.

– See more at: http://greekpeak.net/about/about-us/#sthash.lAk6oPhR.dpuf

The post Greek Peak Mountain Resort appeared first on Good News!.

NEA and American Counseling Association Join HRC’s Time To THRIVE Conference, Promoting Safety, Inclusion and Well-Being for LGBTQ Youth

The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Counseling Association (ACA) have become Co-Presenting Conference Partners at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s inaugural Time To THRIVE Conference – supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. The national conference, which will take place in February, is for educators and other youth-serving professionals and will build awareness and cultural competency, offer best practices, and deliver resources from leading experts working on behalf of LGBTQ youth.  The NEA is the nation’s largest professional organization, representing 3 million members in education; and the ACA is the largest association representing professional counselors in various practice settings.

“Our partnership with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation comes at a critical time in the struggle for the rights of LGBTQ people in our country,” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. “We’ve come a long way on the road to legal equality, but we have many miles still to go.”

“Time to Thrive was created to address an issue head on. That’s the approach our counseling professionals encourage and that’s the approach we support as a strong, unified counseling community. By sharing knowledge, tools, insights, and techniques, we can better serve this invaluable population,” said ACA President Cirecie West Olatunji, Ph.D.

The NEA has long been an advocate for LGBTQ rights. Partnering with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation will help the organization’s leaders provide members with the tools they need to better meet the needs of LGBTQ youth. Participating in the first annual Time to THRIVE conference will give NEA members an opportunity to develop partnerships and share what they’ve learned with other professionals who are also serving America’s youth.

The ACA and its diverse professional membership embrace a humanistic approach to mental health, focusing on empowerment, engagement, and support as integral components of health and well-being for each individual. HRC and the Time to Thrive conference also embody this approach by striving to provide relevant, timely, powerful education and resources, which will help youth-serving professionals address the realities of one of our nation’s most vulnerable populations. A shared vision of focused care and prevention made this partnership a natural progression for ACA.

“All young people should be provided with a safe place to learn and an equitable chance to thrive,” said Vinnie Pompei, Director of HRC Foundation’s Youth Well-Being Project and conference chair.  “Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen automatically for those who identify or are perceived to be LGBTQ.  Educators and other youth-service providers are thirsty for training and resources.  I am thrilled that Time to THRIVE will provide these professionals with a ‘one-stop-shop’ opportunity to become emerging experts and change agents in their communities.”

About Time to THRIVE

Time to THRIVE is the premier national convening to build awareness and cultural competency, learn current and emerging best practices, and gather resources from leading experts and national organizations in the field.  Time to THRIVE will take place over President’s Day Weekend, February 14-16, 2014 at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.  Learn more and register at www.TimeToThrive.org.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

The post Nation’s Largest Education and Counseling Organizations Partner with HRC in Supporting LGBTQ Youth appeared first on Good News!.