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The best good news stories from April
April was filled with so much good news, it’s easy to overlook some of it!
Today, we’re highlighting some of the most popular stories from the past month — to help make sure you catch all the good news you might have missed.
Courtesy of CrunchLabs
A YouTuber and former NASA engineer is investing $60M on STEM curriculum — it’s completely free for teachers
Part of his mission to “get kids stoked about science,” Mark Rober launched Class CrunchLabs, an online STEM curriculum program tailored to grades 3 through 8 that “exceeds” state science standards.
Activists are selling symbolic ‘stock’ in national parks to remind Americans to ‘protect what’s yours’
Through May 30, people can support their public lands by claiming a free, symbolic “share” of their favorite public lands, like major national parks, local trails, protected forests, and other natural spaces visited every day.
Comedian Caleb Hearon hosted a $15K matching campaign for Transgender Day of Visibility
Donations supported the Trans Justice Funding Project, which distributes funds to grassroots groups confronting racism, economic injustice, transmisogyny, ableism, immigration, and other “intersecting oppressions.”
Stephen Colbert raised over $1 million for World Central Kitchen with “Late Show” t-shirts and a charity auction
In addition to more than 33,000 shirts sold, the auction has generated over $400,000, selling memorabilia like some of Colbert’s neck ties, an interview guest chair, prop pillows, and more.
A nonprofit invented modular playgrounds for kids in war zones — and refugee children helped design them
London-based photographer and tinkerer Alexander Meininger built his own sons an indoor treehouse, but it wasn’t until he saw children displaced by the war in Ukraine that he realized the importance of play.
Taylor Swift is donating royalties from her new ‘Elizabeth Taylor’ music video to the late actress’s AIDS foundation
Swift has been vocal about her admiration for Taylor, and the lyrics in the song paint parallels between the high level of fame both women have experienced.
Florence + The Machine is partnering with Planned Parenthood on tour amid a “life and death” fight for abortion rights
In 2023, Florence Welch received life-saving reproductive health care for an ectopic pregnancy that caused her to miscarry, and the experience informed her latest album.
Idaho banned Pride flags at government buildings, so Boise wrapped flag poles in rainbows instead
In addition to the new flag pole accessories, large white signs emblazoned with the Progress Pride colors were displayed in City Hall windows alongside the phrase “creating a city for everyone.”
A megachurch in Virginia donated $1M to stop over 300 families from being evicted
Congregants had raised the money earlier this year during its annual SEEK action, a time of fasting and prayer, and Wesley said the donation was “connected to what we understand the purpose of fasting to be.”
A Texas elementary school installed an ASL playground sign to honor a deaf student lost to cancer
It has the alphabet in ASL, as well as the hand signs for phrases like “friend,” “play,” “tag,” “share,” and more. Since its installation, hearing students have been able to play with their deaf classmates more freely.
Forbes announced a new ‘True Net Wealth’ ranking that incorporates how much billionaires give away
The list takes into account money given away by billionaires: “True Net Worth is your regular net worth, combined with the money you’ve donated, that we appreciate like you still own it.”
Big Bend National Park staffers photographed and discovered a new plant species while on the job
Further investigations concluded that the plant is so distinctive that it is not just a new species, but is best classified as an entirely new genus within the daisy family.
A New Orleans aquarium rescued and rehabilitated 35 of the world’s most endangered sea turtles
Audubon Aquarium Rescue of New Orleans released 29 cold-stunned sea turtles back into the Mississippi Gulf Coast, while the others are continuing their recovery at the aquarium.
A study found that school gardens lead to more positive attitudes about the environment
Gardening also builds agricultural literacy, increases physical activity during the school day, and improves hand-eye coordination in young children, which is linked to success in handwriting, math, and reading.