Archives for August 2009

Curse of the Good Girl: Interview with Rachel Simmons

August 29, 2009 “Aw, mom, it sounds boring, why do I have to hear some ‘expert’ talk about stuff I already know…Are any of MY friends going to be there?” Those were my ten year old daughter’s words back in 2005 when Rachel Simmons author of “Odd Girl Out” spoke to a sold-out crowd  giving us insights on girl culture, relational aggression, and coping tips for navigating … [Read more...]

One Teen’s View on Going Green: Use Eco as an Equalizer

August 27, 2009 One of my Title I school students said, "We recycle in my house...it's called hand-me-downs." Hmn. Since then, I've been attuned to the "green is for those who HAVE green" eco-mindset and kept track of echoes in our cross-cultural moshpit of a neighborhood. In part two of our Teens Turning Green piece, I’d asked Shaping Youth 16-year old writing intern … [Read more...]

Do Those ‘Take Action’ Causes and AutoFill Forms Really Work?

August 25, 2009 Ever wonder if those urgent ‘act now' e-mails from your favorite causes work? Last week I received an NCLI eco-literacy action alert, as Shaping Youth is a member of the consortium supporting the Pre-K through 12 No Child Left INSIDE Act which gets kids outdoors and hands-on in nature as the ultimate math and science ‘STEM’ program as part of school … [Read more...]

SchoolLoop Digital Voice Alerts Help San Mateo

August 24, 2009 In the category of “why those tedious B2S Emergency Response Forms are imperative” I offer my personal parenting experience from this morning’s pipe-bombing incident with a former student of nearby Hillsdale High now in custody. (S.F. Gate update) Photo at left via KRON4/NBC Bay Area news) 10:13am “This is Kirk Black, Assoc. Superintendent of the San Mateo … [Read more...]

Back to School: Are Teens REALLY Going Green?

August 20, 2009 Leave it to a teen to tap into the core eco-issue behind why there’s tons of talk about green teens but not enough ‘walking the walk’ toward sustainable lifestyle shifting ‘en masse.’ In 2007, when JupiterResearch cited 38% of teens caring about the environment and 15% being ‘hardcore green’ opinion leaders and digizens in a report, “Green Teens: Reaching a … [Read more...]