This week Awesome Stories brings you edible 3D printed food, finding purpose, creative coping, gardens for preschool and dignity for the homeless.
3D Printed Food!
If food designer Chloé Rutzerveld has her way, we might be eating food from 3D printers. She’s working on a very creative project to print using edible soil as the base, with seeds and mushroom spores within the dough. After a few days, your food is ready to eat. Chloe is one of numerous food designers working to print food, but her focus is creating sustainable, healthy food. Check out her website for more info. I’m not sure how I feel about this, but I’m amazed at the creativity and would be willing to try some samples. How about you?
Helping Students Find Purpose
I love this project that helps students find their purpose. I could have used this guidance at a much earlier age! They define purpose as the intersection of our gifts, what we love to do and what the world needs. Patrick Cook-Deegan from Stanford’s d.school has been working on creating models to help high school students find their purpose and be more prepared for the changing work world. He suggests seven principles helping students find purpose.
Dignity Village is a thriving community of tiny houses built to house former homeless residents in Portland, Oregon. It started as a tent camp protesting the city’s regulations regarding homeless camping. After much negotiation and two moves, Dignity Village has a long-term lease on city land in east Portland. The village houses 60 residents who are finding stability and dignity. It’s a great start for the current residents, but painfully inadequate for the growing homeless problem in Portand and many other cities.
Coping with War
One man’s efforts to beautify his home and garden have inspired a whole neighborhood to add color, flowers and creativity. That alone would be a great story, but the really inspiring part is they live in a war zone of Gaza City, Palestine, and this has been a creative way to cope and “wage life in war zone.” Watch the video of how Mohammad Al Saedi started a movement that is spreading beauty and good feelings throughout the area.
There is a growing movement to move schools for young children outdoors. The premise is that learning about nature from direct experience bridges the gap between education and environment. These are not just learning enrichment programs, but classrooms moved outdoors to farms and gardens, immersing the children in how nature works. I love the idea for kids of all ages. There are numerous programs birthing a new way of teaching such as Discover Gardens, Living Learning or Nursery Fields Forever. Why not plants seeds of love for nature early so they can grow deep roots that might help both our kids and our planet.
What moves you to rise and shine? Please do more of it. The world needs our light!