Spring Break Sanctuary: Away From Digital Dramas, Peer Reality Shows

Mar. 25, 2016 Just back from a 'spring break' social media hiatus reprising our unplugged trip to Catalina Island, albeit only day tripping vs a leisurely week away, as we tried to 'recreate' and rediscover the digital detox and slow pace of the beach bungalow backstory. In 'that was then this is now' mode, it was interesting to see how my now collegiate daughter longed for … [Read more...]

Spring Break 2010: Service Learning from Teens Turning Green

April 3, 2010 While media reports often churn out attention-getting stereotypes of spring break scenes of rowdy youth antics under the auspices of ‘what sells,’ to feed the money machine, we all too often don’t see the coverage of ‘alternate spring breaks’ and a major shift that’s taking hold in the cultural zeitgeist of service learning and youth. As I head out on spring … [Read more...]

Deconstructing Gaga: Through the Lens of 100 Youth

Mar. 29, 2010 Whether you’re Gaga for Gaga or your emotions run toward dropping the last letter (ahem, cough) there’s no doubt her one billion online video views ascending her from bland to brand have given this top selling recording artist much to celebrate beyond LadyGaga's 24th birthday yesterday. Mea culpa on missing the mark for a full-fledged youth roundup of “lil’ … [Read more...]

Socially Responsible Picture Books: Dream Village Part 2

Mar. 23, 2010 Today I was honored to be the guest speaker at SFSU Professor Betsy Blosser’s Media & Social Change class, and brought a gazillion examples of cool work being done in the digital sphere ranging from Beth Kanter’s social media fundraising for Cambodian orphans to our own collaborative global effort with The Age of Conversation co-authors to benefit Variety the … [Read more...]

Saved By The Well and Dream Village: Perfect For World Water Day

Mar. 22, 2010 Awhile back I wrote about the ‘virtual walk’ for World Water Day to raise awareness of those in water-stressed regions who often walk six miles or more to bring water to their villages. When kids brush their teeth with gushing faucets on, or we wash our pets, cars, hair and dishes with ease, it’s hard to remember that over a billion people don’t have access to … [Read more...]