ELA Middle School
The University of Maryland’s Incentive Awards Program celebrated its first group of graduates along with new award winners at a reception in the university president’s backyard. The program awards full scholarships to promising, at-risk, local students who have overcome major obstacles to succeed. The university president who established the program expressed great pride in the success of the program and its students, many of whom are the first in their families to earn a college degree. Listen to hear the stories of several program participants, challenges they faced, personal qualities that helped them succeed, and their aspirations for the future.
ELA High School
More people have been deported from the U.S. in the last decade, starting under the Obama administration, than at any other point in history. Deportations occur for any number of reasons–criminal activity, improper paperwork, and so on–but regardless of the reason, they always have an impact far beyond the person who is removed from the country. Listen to hear how having her father deported has affected one teen and her family.
Current Event August 8, 2018
Transforming a vacant lot into a small community garden in a Washington, D.C. neighborhood seems to have made its residents happier. Inspired by this example, a professor recently did a study to see what kinds of effects creating green spaces out of empty lots has on people’s mental wellbeing. Listen to find out what she learned from her research on community gardens.
Current Event December 4, 2017
One in five North Texas children live in poverty and more than a quarter million are hungry. A recent report by Children’s Health, a hospital network in Dallas, found that children living in poverty are seven times more likely to be in poor or fair health. High costs can deter some parents from getting health care. There are other obstacles to success for these children in low-income families. Listen to hear more about the struggles and possible solutions for children living in poverty.
Current Event November 30, 2017
The gap between rich and poor is one of the great concerns of modern times. It's even leading archaeologists to look more closely at wealth disparities in ancient societies. The rise of agriculture in the ancient world led to an unequal distribution of wealth, due to access to work animals and land. Scientists have discovered that the societies in the Americas were more egalitarian than those in Europe. Listen to hear more about how ancient societies can help us understand issues in society today.
Current Event September 7, 2017
Minecraft has become one of the largest and fastest growing games of all time. It is a game of free realm, allowing people to build whatever they please, with creativity and innovation. Unfortunately, not everyone has equal access to Minecraft as it is costly to have all the equipment. One non-profit group is helping to provide access to a wider audience of future coders. Listen to hear about how this Minecraft camp exposes young kids to a future where creativity and computer science collide.
Current Event September 6, 2017
The Caste systems plays a major role in Indian society. It a system that divides people into categories, giving privileges to higher castes and denying them for lower castes. The family you are born into can determine your job, where you live, and whom you marry. Even after discrimination based on the caste system was banned in the 1950s, it has certainly not been forgotten. One woman born into the untouchable caste, the lowest caste in Indian society, moved to America and became a subway conductor in New York. Listen to her story of discrimination and how the caste system still follows her.