New York City schools commit to nurturing mental health through mindful breathing
Every student in the city will engage in two to five minutes of daily mindfulness, a tactic that has shown positive effects in schools around the world.
Education
Massachusetts adopts universal free school meals
All public school students grades K-12 will be entitled to free lunches regardless of their financial status. It’s estimated to save families about $1,200 a year per student.
Taiwan to provide period products in all schools and universities
The Ministry of Education announced that over NT$100 million (US$3.18 million) would be invested in the provision of menstrual care products in all educational institutions and 10 other venues throughout Taiwan.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library celebrates gifting 200 million books
Launched in 1995, the program spans five countries and reportedly gifts over 2.4 million free age-appropriate books each month to children around the world.
Apple has contributed over $200M to Racial Equity and Justice Initiative since 2020
Apple has reported that REJI’s education grants have reached more than 160,000 learners, while committing over $50 million to HBCUs and Hispanic-Serving Institutions, since it launched in 2020.
Yale, University of New Haven partnership celebrates first degrees awarded to inmates
In 2021, Yale partnered with UNH to give student-inmates a path to two and four year college degrees. The program is now part of a consortium that includes 15 schools and prison systems across the country.
California expands Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to provide universal access to free books for young children
With this expansion, all California children under 5 will be eligible to receive a free book in the mail every month, as the program scales over the next several years.
Illinois set to become first U.S. state to end book bans
Governor Pritzker is expected to sign a bill that would block essential state funding for public libraries and public schools in Illinois that ban books.
Boston expands tuition-free community college program to all residents
Starting this fall, any city resident will be eligible to pursue an associate’s degree or certificate at one of six partnering local institutions without paying to attend.
New project to bring education to 10 million girls in rural India
Working in partnership with the government, Educate Girls operates in over 20,000 villages serving adolescent girls and young women who have permanently dropped out of school.