Maryland lawmakers advance broad school protections, including for trans students

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/maryland-transgender-student-protections

🎉 Hey teachers and presenters! Let's spice up our sessions with some timers ⏳ Use them for focus and fun, keep everyone engaged and on track! Check out ubitimer.com for a free and easy tool to help you out 🚀 #Education #Productivity #Presentations #TimerFun
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RK2uGZpqcnw
Why Timing is Critical in Professional Communication #educationaltechnology #effectivepresentations

YouTube

Did you know that most people in Gaza still can’t access electricity or internet? And that engineered hunger is escalating?

Help provide internet & electricity so people can connect to remote jobs and feed their families. Simple, yet transformative. https://chuffed.org/project/spark-space-gaza

#MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #Gaza #Palestine #Tech #Education #Academia

🇵🇸 Gaza Needs Your Support: Help Build a Lifeline for Students and Remote Workers!

In Gaza, war has destroyed homes, blocked roads, and left countless people without work. Yet, amidst the rubble, hope remains. Students and remote workers face daily struggles—power outages, broken internet lines, and a lack of safe spaces—making education and work nearly impossible. But Gaza’s youth refuse to give up. They just need a chance. And that chance can come from you!

Chuffed

Raising Wild Kids: The Sustainable Parenting Trend Every Family Should Try

This post contains affiliate links which may earn Eco Mom Diaries a commission.

Modern parenting can sometimes feel overwhelming. Between busy schedules, endless activities, and a constant stream of new toys and gadgets, childhood today often looks very different than it did just a few generations ago. Many parents are beginning to ask an important question: Is there a simpler way to raise happy, healthy kids?

One growing answer is sustainable parenting.

Sustainable parenting is not only about buying eco-friendly products or choosing non-toxic toys. It is also about raising children who feel connected to nature, value simple living, and learn to appreciate the world around them. One parenting approach gaining popularity is the idea of raising “wild kids.” This does not mean letting children run completely without boundaries. Instead, it means encouraging outdoor exploration, curiosity, creativity, and hands-on learning in nature.

Many families are discovering that raising wild kids is one of the easiest and most meaningful ways to practice eco-friendly parenting.

What Does “Raising Wild Kids” Mean?

The idea behind raising wild kids is simple: children spend more time exploring the natural world and less time relying on screens, structured entertainment, or endless toys.

In the past, childhood naturally included outdoor adventure. Kids climbed trees, built forts, collected rocks, chased butterflies, and spent long afternoons playing outside with friends. Today, many families are intentionally bringing back this style of childhood because it encourages creativity, independence, and environmental awareness.

Nature-based parenting allows children to learn directly from the world around them. Instead of always being entertained by technology, kids learn how to create their own fun using imagination and natural materials.

This kind of play builds confidence and encourages kids to become curious about how the world works.

Why Sustainable Parenting Encourages Outdoor Play

Parents who focus on sustainable parenting often find that outdoor play becomes a natural part of their lifestyle. Time spent outside supports both environmental awareness and healthy childhood development.

When children regularly explore nature, they begin to develop a deeper appreciation for the environment. A child who has watched caterpillars turn into butterflies or planted seeds in a garden often grows up caring more about protecting the earth.

Outdoor play also reduces the need for constant consumption. When kids learn to entertain themselves outside, they often need fewer toys and gadgets. Sticks become magic wands. Rocks become treasure. A pile of leaves can turn into a castle or secret hideout.

Nature encourages imagination in ways that many modern toys cannot.

The Benefits of Nature-Based Parenting

Encouraging kids to spend more time outdoors offers many benefits for both children and families.

Children Develop Stronger Creativity

Nature play encourages children to think creatively and solve problems on their own. When kids build forts, create obstacle courses, or invent games outside, they are developing important thinking skills.

Kids Learn Environmental Responsibility

Children who feel connected to nature are more likely to grow into adults who care about protecting the planet. Sustainable parenting helps kids understand the importance of caring for plants, animals, and natural spaces.

Outdoor Play Supports Physical Health

Running, climbing, digging, and exploring all help children build strength, coordination, and balance. Outdoor play also supports mental health and helps reduce stress.

Less Consumerism, More Creativity

When families embrace simple outdoor play, they often discover they need far fewer toys and products. This naturally supports a more eco-friendly family lifestyle.

Simple Ways to Raise Nature-Loving Kids

You do not need to live in the countryside or own acres of land to raise kids who love nature. Small changes can make a big difference.

Spend Time Outside Every Day

Even a short walk around the neighborhood or a trip to a local park can help children feel connected to the outdoors. Fresh air and open spaces encourage curiosity and exploration.

Create a Backyard Adventure Space

Instead of filling your yard with plastic toys, consider adding simple natural elements such as:

  • logs for balancing
  • rocks for climbing
  • a digging area
  • a small garden bed
  • a mud kitchen

Children often create their own imaginative games when given simple materials.

Grow Something Together

Gardening is one of the easiest ways to introduce kids to sustainability. Even a small container garden can teach children where food comes from and how plants grow.

Easy plants for kids to grow include:

  • cherry tomatoes
  • strawberries
  • sunflowers
  • herbs like basil or mint

Watching plants grow helps children develop patience and responsibility.

Try a Nature Scavenger Hunt

Kids love searching for things outdoors. A simple nature scavenger hunt can turn an ordinary walk into an exciting adventure.

Look for items like:

  • a smooth rock
  • a feather
  • a yellow flower
  • a butterfly
  • a pinecone

Activities like this help children slow down and observe the world around them.

Why Slow Parenting Is Making a Comeback

Many parents today are realizing that childhood does not need to be perfectly scheduled or filled with constant activities. In fact, many families are embracing slow parenting, a lifestyle that encourages children to have more free time, creative play, and outdoor exploration.

Slow parenting aligns beautifully with sustainable living. Instead of focusing on more activities, more toys, and more entertainment, families focus on meaningful experiences and simple moments.

Children benefit from having space to explore, imagine, and discover things on their own.

Sustainable Parenting Is About Raising Future Stewards

At its heart, sustainable parenting is about more than eco-friendly products or reusable containers. It is about raising children who care about the planet and understand their place in the natural world.

When kids grow up exploring forests, gardens, parks, and backyards, they develop a sense of wonder and responsibility for the environment.

These experiences help shape the next generation of people who will protect and care for the earth.

Final Thoughts

Sustainable parenting does not have to be complicated. Sometimes the most powerful parenting choices are also the simplest ones.

A child digging in the dirt.
A family hike through the woods.
A garden growing in the backyard.

These small moments build curiosity, confidence, and a deep connection to nature.

Raising wild kids might just be one of the most meaningful ways to raise eco-conscious, creative, and resilient children in today’s world.

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"A college instructor turns to typewriters to curb AI-written work and teach life lessons"

https://apnews.com/article/typewriter-ai-cheating-chatgpt-cornell-ce10e1ca0f10c96f79b7d988bb56448b

Favorite bit:

"Without every answer readily available at his fingertips, he asked his classmates for help, which Phelps heartily encouraged."

Made me laugh:

"…the dinging bell signifies the end of a line and the need to manually return the carriage to start the next line.
(“Oh,” said one student, “that’s why it’s called ‘return’ ”)"

#Education #Writing #Typewriters #NoAI

College instructor turns to typewriters to curb AI-written work

Once a semester, a Cornell University instructor requires her students to complete an in-class assignment using typewriters — an exercise to help them understand what writing, thinking and classrooms were like before everything turned digital. The exercise started in 2023, as Grit Mathias Phelps grew frustrated that her German language students were using generative AI and online translation platforms to churn out grammatically perfect assignments. The revival is part of a national trend toward old-school testing methods like in-class pen-and-paper exams and oral tests to prevent AI use for assignments on laptops.

AP News

NOW ON VERDANT SQUARE RADIO ==

NOW PLAYING == Philosophy Talk 4/4/26: The 2026 Dionysus Awards: Best TV Show That Blows Up All Your Theories of Personal Identityhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU39I_TzNDA #arts #culture #history #philosophy #ethics #education #humanities #publicradio #radio #vsn #progressive #left #DiverseSpectrumOfTheLeft #SupportPublicMedia #SupportIndependentMedia #Resist

https://mastodon.social/@VerdantSquareRadio/116349154727293388

#news #arts #left

My husband suggested that once #trump is gone the #USA could quickly turn around its problems. #poverty #infrastructure #medicalinequity #education etc. I laughed.

NOW PLAYING == Philosophy Talk 4/4/26: The 2026 Dionysus Awards: Best TV Show That Blows Up All Your Theories of Personal Identity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU39I_TzNDA

#arts #culture #history #philosophy #ethics #education #humanities #publicradio #radio #vsn #progressive #left #DiverseSpectrumOfTheLeft #SupportPublicMedia #SupportIndependentMedia #Resist

The 2026 Dionysus Awards: Best TV Show That Blows Up All Your Theories of Personal Identity

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#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.

# 299

Heat-stress research indicated not only that female worker #bees struggle more than males in adapting to unusually high temperatures but also wild #bumblebees seem more affected than ‘commercially manufactured’ bumblebees.

#nature #wildlife
#worldbeesanctuary
#insects #pollinators
#science #education
#vegan #climate #environment

https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/01/texas-voucher-applications-demographics/

Advocates for “#voucher” alternatives to public #school, where the state subsidizes private religious or homeschooling, is a nightmare on so many levels. They were successful in getting it through the 2025 #Texas Legislature, and to nobody’s surprise, here’s how it’s shaking out.

During the session, advocates touted vouchers as a benefit for low-income families and students with disabilities. Of all applications, 63% came from middle- to high-income families — 27% of them making at or above $165,000 per year for a household of four, 75% of voucher applicants attended a private school, 45% are white, 23% are Hispanic and 12% are Black. Low-income families make up 37% of applicants — defined by the program as a family of four earning $66,000 or less per year. Children with disabilities make up 16% of applicants.

It’s a scam to steal public education funds, destroy the public system, and revert to a subclass of illiterate people.

#education #USA #texas

White Texans, students previously in private school or home-school make up bulk of voucher applicants

Of the almost 275,000 students who applied for vouchers, 45% are white and 75% attended a private school or home-school in 2024-25, final numbers show.

The Texas Tribune