A necklace that fights homelessness and 30 other holiday gifts with a bigger purpose.

At Upworthy, we believe a little generosity can go a long way. And that’s especially true during the holidays. So naturally, we wanted our 2016 gift guide to be tailored just for you — our big-hearted readers who can appreciate a great gift that also makes the world a better place. We rounded up the…

At Upworthy, we believe a little generosity can go a long way. And that’s especially true during the holidays.

So naturally, we wanted our 2016 gift guide to be tailored just for you — our big-hearted readers who can appreciate a great gift that also makes the world a better place.

We rounded up the hippest, neatest, most unique products we could find that give back to a variety of worthy causes in important ways. From empowering women in the developing world and keeping our planet pristine, to helping pets in need and fighting human trafficking, you and your loved ones can feel great about their presents this year knowing your purchase went to a cause near and dear to their heart.


Here are 31 holiday gifts that give back, separated into three sections — gifts for grown-ups, for kids, and for your four-legged friends.

NOTE: Upworthy has no official business partnerships with the companies and nonprofit organizations featured in this guide. We just think they have fantastic gifts that give back.

1. The lounge pants of your dreams: $54

Inspired by the Sanskrit word “Sundara,” which means “beautiful,” these comfy jammies are just that. Made of 100% cotton with side pockets, these pants are perfect for lounging the day away. Each pair you buy is also handmade by women who are survivors of human trafficking and now work as seamstresses. Get some Punjammies.

2. A dashing tie that helps military families: $95

When you buy one of these stylish ties, you’re helping the families of fallen soldiers through the Folded Flag Foundation. According to the company’s website, each purchase helps fund scholarships for the children and spouses of those who’ve lost their lives in service, with $5 donated for every tie. Get the tie.

3. A power source that spreads the light: $79

The adventurous techie on your list is going to love this. The WakaWaka Power+ is a solar charger and flashlight in one. It provides 150 hours of bright LED light with a single charge from the sun. It can also charge a smartphone, camera, and any other gear with a USB port. Every purchase will also provide solar light to a family in crisis or living without electricity through International Rescue Committee. Get a WakaWaka.

4. A colorful cardigan to keep them warm: $128

This soft cardigan is made from Peruvian Alpaca wool, and it’s guaranteed to keep your loved ones feeling warm and fuzzy all season long. 25% of each item sold goes to UNICEF, and those funds help to provide vaccines, oral rehydration salts, and nourishment to children in need. Get the Blue Chakana cardigan.

5. A bracelet for your BFF: $76

For your conscientious bestie, look no further. Article22 utilizes the talents of skilled local artisans in Laos to turn Vietnam War shrapnel into stunning jewelry as part of their Peacebomb collection. These friendship bracelets are helping to clear out some of the 80 million unexploded bombs still littering Laos.  Get your friendship bracelet set.

6. A selfless statement cuff: $64

Your fierce and fashionable loved one will appreciate this bronze statement cuff by Raven + Lily. The cuff is sustainably made made from upcycled metal by female artisans in Kenya. Each cuff sold helps provide women in the Kibera slum area of Nairobi, with a way to earn a sustainable living. Get Raven + Lily’s statement cuff.

7. Socks with a message: $45

Give your loved one the gift of a right step forward by gifting them these Conscious Step socks. The trio of socks provides two schoolbooks through Room to Read and 18 months of clean water through Water.Org. Want even more of a good conscious? The socks are created in fair trade conditions with organic cotton.  Get a Conscious Step box of socks.

8. An everyday necklace with great impact: $56

The Giving Keys employs people transitioning out of homelessness to make these meaningful keys, inscribed with messages like “hope” and “dream.” The wearer is encouraged to embrace the word on their key and then pass the key on to someone who needs it more. Get a mini-key necklace.

9. Beanies that help Mother Nature: $20

Perfect for your friend who loves the Great Outdoors. To celebrate 100 years of the National Park Service, Pendleton has launched the National Park Collection, which includes towels, shoes, and accessories like these classic beanies. A portion of proceeds from the collection will benefit two park restoration projects from the National Park Foundation. Get the Pendleton beanies.

10. A vibrant clutch: $35

It holds all your necessities — and gives back to girls who need an education. This beautiful clutch from Bloom & Give is made of durable cotton and comes in four bright prints. Each purchase will also help a girl go to school. To date, Bloom & Give has enrolled over 100,000 girls in school. Get a Kayva Clutch.

11. A worldly windbreaker: $80

This windbreaker might be reminiscent of the 1980s, but it’s actually all about the future. Made by Cotopaxi, a certified B-corporation, purchasing this jacket will help fund grants that focus on alleviating poverty, health care, education, and livelihood development around the world. Get the windbreaker.

12. Girl Power T-shirt: $35

1973 was a historic year for women’s rights. It was the year the Supreme Court decided on Roe versus Wade — that every woman should have the right to safe, legal abortions. For every 1973 T-shirt sold, Prinkshop will give 30% of the profit to the National Institute for Reproductive Health. Get the T-shirt.

13. Sunglasses that help give sight to others: $149

TOMS has been at the forefront of “one-for-one” giving, and their sleek, new sunglasses line is no exception. We love this throwback design mixed with the modern TOMS feel, a hand-finished frame, and 100% of all the UVA/UVB protection you’ll ever need. With every purchase TOMS will help give sight to a person in need through sight-saving surgery, prescription glasses or medical treatment. Get the glasses.

14. Guilt-free sneakers: $130

These minimalist kicks are from Veja, which sources its materials from organic cotton farms and wild rubber producers and production takes place in fair trade factories in Brazil. Bottom line: When you purchase these sneakers, you’re buying eco-friendly and fair trade footwear. Get Veja’s Velcro Pierre sneakers.

15. A pin to take on the future together: $10

Pins are everywhere this season so why not gift one that gives back? This lovely Together pin from Just Peachy stands up for women’s rights and health care for all. When you purchase the pin,  50% of total sales will be donated directly to Planned Parenthood. Get the Together pin.

16. An umbrella that fights for freedom: $23

When it rains, it pours, so protect those who need it. The ACLU is more crucial than ever right now to help defend the rights and liberties of people across the country. Every umbrella purchase supports the ACLU. Get the freedom umbrella.

17.  Earbuds that help others listen: $70

For the music fan in your circle. LSTN created a pretty pair of rose gold earbuds that provide high quality audio. The wireless ear buds have a battery life of over 10 hours and come with a nifty vegan leather pouch. Even better: Your LSTN purchase helps give hearing aids to someone in need through the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Get the rose gold earbuds.

18. The perfect pouch for bookworms: $15

Because we all have a Jane Austen fanatic in our lives. 100% of proceeds from this purple pouch will help fund the renowned New York Public Library. NYPL is the largest public library system in the country, so your purchase is helping a grand institution keep people reading. Get the library pouch.

19. Sweet treats: $30-$120

Get freshly baked cookies delivered in flavors such as lemon sugar, peanut butter chocolate, and triple chocolate chunk. A Cookies for Kids’ Cancer purchase will support research at the best pediatric cancer centers across the country. Get the cookies.

20. Body lotion with heart: $8-$28

‘Tis the season for dry skin, so keep your friends protected with body lotion. The ingredients in Lush’s Charity Pot alone will make them feel amazing with fair trade olive oil and shea butter. And Lush donates 100% of proceeds from the lotion to environmental, animal, and human rights orgs. To date, they have donated over $17 million to great causes. Get the Charity Pot body lotion.

21. A book written by girls, for girls: $20

Girls Write Now is after-school initiative that just published its newest installment of poetry and essays — “(R)evolution: The Girls Write Now 2016 Anthology” — written by the young women who participate in the program. Proceeds from the book help empower underserved teen girls by pairing them with mentors who are professional writers. Previous anthologies have won awards and have been praised by literary figures such as Roxane Gay, Janet Mock, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Gloria Steinem.
Get “(R)evolution: The Girls Write Now 2016 Anthology.”

22. Art fighting hate: $10 (and up)

Illustrator Jeff Couturier wants you to donate to some important charities, including ACLU, NAACP, and Planned Parenthood. When you make a donation, email him the receipt and he’ll create an original illustration for you. “When it comes to hate and intolerance, I don’t want to make a little dent with my small donation. I want to kick the door down with a few million friends,” he said of the project. 100% of what you donate goes directly to the cause of your choice and you’ll receive handmade art for your friend. It’s truly a win-win. Get the original art.

23. A bottle of wine that helps feed the world: $59

OneHope is an award-winning Napa winery, so you know this bottle of sparkling wine is going to taste great, as well as give back. In the last six years, OneHope has donated over 1.1 million meals to children, along with providing monetary donations, shelter, and vaccines. Every Bottle of OneHope gold sparkling wine equals 15 meals for children in need. Get OneHope gold sparkling wine.

24. A cool cat that fights hunger: $45

Maximus the Cat from Cuddle + Kind is peak kitten cuteness, hand-knitted with cotton yard. His favorite quote — “Start each day with a grateful heart” — is a perfect holiday reminder to all of us to stay thankful, even during the toughest of times. When you buy Maximus, you’ll be providing 10 meals to children in need through the World Food Program’s School Meals Program. Get Maximus the Cat.

25. A ukulele that keeps America informed: $40

What’s more charming than a kid playing a little four-string Hawaiian guitar? NPR’s DIY wood ukulele kit is super easy to assemble and made-ready to stain or personalize, whichever way you please. This gift’s proceeds will benefit NPR, a public radio station that provides all Americans with thoughtful programming known for broadening horizons. Get NPR’s ukulele.

26. A baby hat that helps Haiti: $25

Silky and snug, Haiti Babi’s hat is made from the same warm pima cotton as the company’s blankets — yet it’s durable enough to survive the three Ts: “teething, tumbles, and tantrums.” When you buy this hat, you’ll be helping provide a living wage to the Haitian women who make them. Get Haiti Babi’s baby hat.

27. The fire hydrant that fights for dogs: $20

Your pup will be all over this smiley toy from PrideBites. It squeaks, it floats, and its sales help fund the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, a group fighting back against animal cruelty and neglect in all its forms. Get the dog toy.

28. “Ugly” holiday doggy T-shirt: $16

Don’t forget — your pets aren’t immune to the changing seasons either. Bundle up your little furball with this “ugly” holiday T-shirt (that looks like a sweater). Proceeds from the sale benefit the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization. Get your pup’s “ugly” holiday sweater.

29. Veggie toys good for your (cat’s) soul: $9 each

Your cat might not like eating veggies but will definitely enjoy these eggplant- and radish-shaped toys, which are handmade in California using 100% organic catnip. Like the dog shirt above, your purchase of these toys helps PETA fight for animal rights. Get the veggie cat toys.

30. Delicious dog peanut butter: $10

Dogsbutter — yep, peanut butter for dogs — is a healthy way to take your treat-giving game up a notch. It’s made from peanuts and flaxseed, minus any sugar, salt, or hydrogenated oils you may want to avoid, and it works wonders when you’re trying to get your pup to swallow some medicine. What’s more, for each item you buy, an equal amount of food is provided to a pet shelter, so dogs in need will also benefit. Get Dogsbutter for your four-legged friend.

31. Starchaser cat toy: $23

Is your cat slowly destroying your sofa? This scratch pad with catnip — which comes with a motion-activated LED ball on a circular track — will keep your kitty occupied for hours (instead of ruining your furniture). Your purchase will help the Animal Rescue Site provide food and care for our furry friends in need. Get the Starchaser cat toy.

  • Brilliantly simple website gives users a small taste of what it’s like to read with dyslexia
    Website lets users experience what it's like reading text when you have dyslexia.Photo credit: Canva Photos

    Brilliantly simple website gives users a small taste of what it’s like to read with dyslexia

    Try reading this text and your empathy for folks with dyslexia will grow by leaps and bounds.

    If you stumbled upon Victor Widell’s website, you might think your computer was experiencing some technical difficulties. But you’d be wrong.

    The letters within each word on the site are scrambled and moving around erratically, and although you might be able to read each sentence if you slow down and focus, it’s no walk in the park.

    Widell designed it that way on purpose. It’s a glimpse into what someone who has dyslexia might have to deal with every day.


    dyslexia, reading, books, fonts, disabilities, developmental reading disorders, accessibility
    Dyslexia is underdiagnosed and very misunderstood. Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

    “A friend who has dyslexia described to me how she experiences reading,” Widell writes on his site which has spread far and wide across the Internet. “She can read, but it takes a lot of concentration, and the letters seem to ‘jump around.’”

    Seeing letters “jump around” is a common experience among (the very large number of) people who have dyslexia.

    The condition — which you might also hear referred to as developmental reading disorder (DRD) — isn’t a defect in a person’s ability to think or focus, nor is it at all reflective of someone’s intelligence (an unfortunate misconception).

    Dyslexia occurs when there’s a problem in the area of the brain that interprets language, as the National Library of Medicine points out. And it may affect more people than many of us realize.

    Dyslexia is still underdiagnosed and kids in communities of color are disproportionately affected.

    About 20% of the total population is affected by dyslexia according to The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, yet many remain undiagnosed and secretly battle this “hidden disability” without proper help.

    “While there are numerous curricula and programs designed to increase literacy, dyslexia is often overlooked when searching for causes of illiteracy,” the center explains, noting black and Latino students are more likely to go undiagnosed, seeing as the disorder flies even more under the radar in urban schools.

    Given that about 1 in 5 of people live with dyslexia, it’s no wonder Widell’s website is striking a chord with plenty of people online.

    His work to help nondyslexic people empathize with those who have DRD isn’t the first empathetic take on dyslexia to go viral though.

    Back in 2014, Dutch designer Christian Boer created a dyslexic-friendly font for folks like himself.

    The font, called Dyslexie, not only helps people with dyslexia, it also helps those who don’t live with it to better understand how similar-looking letters within a standardized alphabet can be a big bottleneck to those who do.

    dyslexia, reading, books, fonts, disabilities, developmental reading disorders, accessibility
    At first glance, Dyslexie doesn't look all that different from a regular font. By studiostudio graphic design – Fair Use

    The letters in Dyslexie may look like any other letters, but they have key characteristics, like exaggerated stick and tail lengths (on letters like “j” or “b”) and heavy base lines. These subtle but important factors help to differentiate letters that may seem similar in appearance to someone who has dyslexia.

    Take the letters “h” and “n,” for example. They sort of look a bit alike, right? Dyslexie’s “h” has a longer ascender and its “n” has a shorter one.

    “When they’re reading, people with dyslexia often unconsciously switch, rotate, and mirror letters in their minds,” Boer told Dezeen magazine in 2014. “Traditional typefaces make this worse because they base some letter designs on others, inadvertently creating ‘twin letters’ for people with dyslexia.”

    In the same vein as Dyslexie, Widell’s site aims to help those without the condition know what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes.

    Widell’s website, of course, doesn’t give someone the authority to know what dyslexia is like if they don’t have the disorder themselves.


    dyslexia, reading, books, fonts, disabilities, developmental reading disorders, accessibility
    Dyslexia is different for everyone. Photo by Matias North on Unsplash

    As The Independent noted, people who have dyslexia experience it differently and through various symptoms. Widell’s site can’t possibly simulate the one and only experience of someone who has dyslexia because there isn’t a one and only experience.

    Still, the outlet notes, it’s “a great way to give people a taste of the difficulties faced.”

    “Nothing will ever show [people who don’t have dyslexia] exactly how it truly feels to read while dyslexic,” one Redditor who claims to have the disorder pointed out about Widell’s site. “But this is damn close.”

    To learn more about how Dyslexie works, check out the video below:

    This article was originally published in 2016. It has been updated.

  • Young artist who sold $7 million worth of paintings before she was 14-years-old
    Autumn de ForestPhoto credit: Autumn De Forest

    When Autumn de Forest was 5, she picked up a paintbrush for the first time.

    It wasn’t long before she was ready to show the world what she could do.

    After a year of practice, the then-6-year-old asked her father if he could get her a booth at a local art-in-the-park program. “People would come up to the booth, and they would talk to my father, and they’d say, ‘This is great!’” she said. “Apparently they thought it was Take Your Daughter to Work Day.”

    Almost everyone thought the artwork was her father’s. And when they found out that tiny Autumn was the artist, people couldn’t believe their eyes.

    Colorful abstract painting with splashes of pink, yellow, purple, and green.
    Autumn created this piece when she was just 5 years old. Autumn de Forest

    Soon, Autumn rose to national fame.

    When Autumn was 8, she was featured on the Discovery Health Channel. There was a slew of media attention in the years that followed. There was Disney. There was The Today Show. There was Wendy Williams.

    She was called a child genius, a prodigy, and an expert painter.

    Woman kneeling beside Butler Institute sign with


    Suddenly, Autumn de Forest was everywhere.

    But not everyone was so accepting of the young artist and her work. Some people in the art world had … questions. Sure, she was good for a kid. But was her art actually good? Others wondered if the whole thing might be an elaborate hoax.

    Autumn decided not to listen.

    By 14 she developed a startlingly organized daily routine that went far beyond a 9 to 5.

    Somehow, as the focus on her age begins to wear off, Autumn’s work ethic and art only grow stronger. She said that most days, she’d wake up in her parents’ Las Vegas home at 7:30 a.m. After breakfast, she’d break out her supplies for a one- or two-hour painting session.

    From there, she dove into her school work. Most brick-and-mortar schools can’t accommodate her travel schedule, so she did the majority of her schooling online.

    Before dinner, it’s back into the studio.

    “That session can last much longer, that can be three or four hours when I really get into it,” she said. “Then I probably have dinner and go to bed.”

    Silhouette of a person painting a colorful landscape with mountains.


    The results? They speak for themselves.

    Abstract face sketch in red and black, with flowing lines on a gray background.

    Her work has been displayed in galleries and exhibitions all over the world.

    Autumn held a public demonstration before a showing at The Butler Institute of American Art.

    Abstract painting with a heart shape, white, blue, and brown swirls, resembling cosmic energy.

    In 2015, Autumn received the International Giuseppe Sciacca Award in Painting and Art.

    The award took her to the Vatican for a private showing of her artwork with the pope.

    Pope Francis looking at painting


    She’s also worked with the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, headed up by Michelle Obama.

    As part of the program, de Forest traveled to underprivileged schools around the country and led painting workshops.

    Oh, and if you’re looking for some hard numbers to attach to Autumn’s talent, she’s got those, too.

    Her paintings raked in over $7 million at auctions by the time she was a teenager — fetching as much as $25,000 each — much of which has gone directly to charities and disaster relief funds.

    painting colorful abstract art on canvases.


    At 22 years old now, what’s Autumn de Forest up to lately?

    A lot!

    The transition from child prodigy to respected artist has kept her busy.

    In 2017, the Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center in Hendersonville, Tennessee hosted a major solo exhibition for de Forest titled “Her White Room: The Art of Autumn de Forest.”

    That same year, de Forest was listed as one of Teen Vogue’s “21 Under 21.” In her profile she was praised for her talent as well as her commitment to art education.

    “In dis­advantaged schools, they consider the arts an extracur­ricular activity,” she told Teen Vogue. “It’s devastating, as there could be child prodigies in these schools, but they don’t know that they have this God-­given gift because they’re not given the opportunity because there’s nearly no art programs in schools.”

    In 2018, de Forest was featured in the music video for the song “Youth” by best-selling recording artists Shawn Mendes and Khalid. The video highlights exceptional young people working to change the world, including de Forest, Emma González, and Elias and Zion Phoenix.

    The video has over 17 million plays on YouTube.

    And of course, Autumn continues to share her absolutely incredible artwork on Instagram and in shows and exhibitions around the globe.

    The Autumn de Forest Foundation, helps her keep track of the kids she’s met throughout the years and to continue to help them with their art careers.

    A portion of the foundation’s money goes to a 529 account set up for the students while 10% goes to them directly.

    “A lot of these kids that I work with, they’re not very old, they’re in second grade, third grade, fourth grade. Maybe in 10 years, they may only have four or five thousand dollars but that could be the difference between them going to college or not,” Autumn told Teen Vogue.

    Autumn’s incredible rise in the art world is an astonishing feat for someone who’s still in her teens. But that accomplishment is easily matched by her generosity and commitment to helping develop tomorrow’s prodigies as well.

    For more information, visit the Autumn de Forest Foundation.


    This article originally appeared eight years ago.

  • Teacher’s viral ‘baggage activity’ brought her students to tears
    ArrayPhoto credit: Karen Wunderlich Loewe/Facebook

    Update from the author: I wrote a follow-up to this article sharing a trauma-informed perspective of the activity. You can read it here.

    Karen Loewe has been teaching for more than years. Clearly, all of that experience has given her a solid bead on what her students really need.

    The middle school English teacher from Oklahoma shared an activity she did with her students for the first day of school on Facebook and it’s gone insanely viral. In just three days, her post has already been shared more than 335,000 times.

    What has caught people’s attention is something we all have in common—emotional baggage. We live in an era of rising mental health awareness, but also increased social pressures to appear as if you have all of your sh*t together. For kids in the turbulent middle school years, whose their bodies, minds, and spirits are growing at breakneck pace, having a place to share their emotional turmoil can be incredibly helpful. But many kids don’t have a safe, supportive place to do that.


    Ms. Loewe’s classroom just became that place.

    Loewe shared a photo of a plastic sack filled with crumpled up paper, with the story of what transpired in her classroom:

    This starts my 22nd year of teaching middle school. Yesterday was quite possibly one of the most impactful days I have ever had.

    I tried a new activity called “The Baggage Activity”. I asked the kids what it meant to have baggage and they mostly said it was hurtful stuff you carry around on your shoulders.

    I asked them to write down on a piece of paper what was bothering them, what was heavy on their heart, what was hurting them, etc. No names were to be on a paper. They wadded the paper up, and threw it across the room.

    They picked up a piece of paper and took turns reading out loud what their classmate wrote. After a student read a paper, I asked who wrote that, and if they cared to share.

    I’m here to tell you, I have never been so moved to tears as what these kids opened up and about and shared with the class.

    Things like suicide, parents in prison, drugs in their family, being left by their parents, death, cancer, losing pets (one said their gerbil died cause it was fat, we giggled ) and on and on.

    The kids who read the papers would cry because what they were reading was tough. The person who shared (if they chose to tell us it was them) would cry sometimes too. It was an emotionally draining day, but I firmly believe my kids will judge a little less, love a little more, and forgive a little faster.

    This bag hangs by my door to remind them that we all have baggage. We will leave it at the door. As they left I told them, they are not alone, they are loved, and we have each other’s back.

    I am honored to be their teacher.

    [iframe https://www.facebook.com/v2.10/plugins/post.php?app_id=122204924841048&channel=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticxx.facebook.com%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter.php%3Fversion%3D44%23cb%3Df20117ca3b656c%26domain%3Dwww.upworthy.com%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.upworthy.com%252Ff3032ec5b6cab24%26relation%3Dparent.parent&container_width=0&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F502559948%2Fposts%2F10151312837249949%3Fs%3D754553191%26sfns%3Dmo&locale=en_US&sdk=joey style=”border-width: initial; border-style: none; visibility: visible; width: 552px; height: 732px;” title=”fb:post Facebook Social Plugin”]

    Seriously, what a fabulous idea. It gives students a chance to get their troubles off their chest and heart, but also maintain anonymity if they want to. It gives classmates a chance to hear what’s going on in each other’s emotional worlds, to understand what everyone is going through, and to know they are not alone in their struggles.

    Good teachers go beyond textbooks and curriculum, knowing that education is more than just acquiring information and memorizing facts. When students feel seen and heard, it’s easier for them to learn. And when kids have empathy for one another, a classroom can become a safe place for learning to take place.

    Well done, Ms. Loewe. Let’s hope other teachers and students benefit from your wisdom.

  • 15 100-year-old photos that prove beauty is timeless
    ArrayPhoto credit: Array
    , ,

    15 100-year-old photos that prove beauty is timeless

    This album is full of exquisite photographs from around the world

    A vintage post-card collector on Flickr who goes by the username Post Man has kindly allowed us to share his wonderful collection of vintage postcards and erotica from the turn of the century. This album is full of exquisite photographs from around the world of a variety of people dressed in beautiful clothing in exotic settings. In an era well before the internet, these photographs would be one of the only ways you could could see how people in other countries looked and dressed.

    Take a look at PostMan’s gallery of over 90 vintage postcards on Flickr.


    Vintage erotica c. 1920

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556876/original/CArd_1.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    Japanese woman c. 1913

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556877/original/Card_2.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    Maude Ewing Adams Kiskadden an American stage actress c. 1895

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556878/original/Card_3.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    Cambodian girl c. 1906

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556879/original/Card_4.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    Vintage erotica  c. 1913

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556880/original/Card_5.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    Beduinin woman c. 1919

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556881/original/Card_6.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    Japanese woman c. 1920

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556882/original/Card_7.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    Gypsy girl with Mandolin c. 1911

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556883/original/Card_8.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    Luzon Woman c. 1909

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556884/original/Card_9.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    Nepalese lady c. 1905

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556886/original/Card_10.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    Vietnamese woman c. 1908

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556887/original/CArd_11.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    Vintage erotica  c.1919

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556888/original/Card_12.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    Actress Anna May Wong  c. 1927

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556889/original/Card_13.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    English actress Lily Elsie c. 1909

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556890/original/Card_14.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    Two women from Bou-Saâda c. 1911

    Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/82293232@N03/">Flickr user Post Man</a> <a href="https://assets.goodstatic.com/s3/magazine/assets/556891/original/Card_15.jpg=s900x900">assets.goodstatic.com</a>

    This article originally appeared on 6.4.19

  • Florida teacher fired for giving zeros to students who didn’t turn in their work
    ArrayPhoto credit: Array
    ,

    Florida teacher fired for giving zeros to students who didn’t turn in their work

    The lowest possible grade that teachers can give students is a 50, even if they don’t turn anything in.

    A Florida teacher has been fired for giving her students zeros for missing assignments.

    Diane Tirado has been a teacher for years. Most recently, she was an eighth-grade history teacher at Westgate K-8 School in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

    Diane recently gave her students two weeks to complete an Explorer notebook project, but several students simply didn’t hand it in. Since there was zero work done, Diane gave them zeros.

    She got fired for it.

    The elementary school has a rule called the “no zero policy.”

    The lowest possible grade that teachers can give students is a 50, even if they don’t turn anything in.


    A letter from fired teacher Diane Tirado
    A letter from fired teacher Diane Tirado Diane Tirado/Facebook

    It’s a rule that Diane, unsurprisingly, does not agree with. After she was fired for disobeying, she left her students a charming goodbye message on the whiteboard.

    “Bye kids. Mrs. Tirado loves you and wishes you the best in life. I have been fired for refusing to give you a 50 percent for not handing anything in. Love, Mrs. Tiado”

    The scale, as outlined by the school, reads as follows:

    A = 90 to 100

    B = 80 to 89

    C = 70-79

    D = 60-69

    F = 50-59

    Diane later shared the story on Facebook, hoping to spread awareness about the school’s policy.

    “A grade in Mrs. Tirado’s class is earned,” she said.

    “I’m so upset because we have a nation of kids that are expecting to get paid and live their life just for showing up and it’s not real.”

    Diane’s post has gone viral, and most commenters agree with her position – it’s not fair to hand out grades for work that doesn’t exist.

    “The reason I took on this fight was because it was ridiculous. Teaching should not be this hard,” Diane said.

    This article was originally published on 7.26.19 by our partners at Wimp.

  • Tired of being humiliated, these girls fought the sexist school dress code. And won.
    ArrayPhoto credit: Deanna Wolf/Facebook
    , , ,

    Tired of being humiliated, these girls fought the sexist school dress code. And won.

    “In a way, you’re telling [a girl] that boys are more entitled to their education than she is.”

    Four middle-schoolers sat at the podium. Poised. Confident. Ready to challenge the Portland Public Schools board on its dress code.

    Four teenagers stand at a wooden podium at a school board meeting
    Four students from Portland, Oregon, testified in front of the board in May 2015 Image via PPS Communications/YouTube.

    AnaLuiza, a seventh-grader, told a story of a friend who was pulled aside one day for wearing a skirt deemed to be too short.

    The friend sat in the principal’s office for hours while the staff tried to get ahold of her parents. She missed important classwork, and worse yet, felt humiliated by the ordeal.


    “The only reason I go to school is to get my education,” AnaLuiza told the board. “When I get dressed in the morning, my intention is not to provoke or be sexualized. My intention is to feel comfortable in my own skin.”

    Sophia, also in seventh grade at the time, spoke last.

    My problem with the dress code is that 100% of the students that get sent home are female. … In a way, you’re telling [a girl] that boys are more entitled to their education than she is. And I don’t think that’s acceptable.”

    They were absolutely right. Because if you’re a preteen or teenage girl in America, you can get a dress code violation for almost anything: showing your midriff, shoulder, collarbone, leg, bra strap, or, in some cases, for just wearing something as harmless as spaghetti straps.

    Girl with blonde hair wearing a tank top and sweater and jeans
    Stephanie Hughes of Kentucky was cited for a dress code violation for this outfit, which sometimes shows her collarbone. Photo by Stacie Dunn/Facebook

    Girls who violate their schools’ dress codes are accused of being distractions and are often humiliated in front of their classmates.

    They’re then either sent home to change (missing valuable class time) or forced to cover up with “shame clothes,” like old sweatpants that have been lying around the guidance counselor’s office for who knows how long.

    This has been a problem for years, and a particularly frustrating one to solve. Almost everyone agrees schools need some kind of dress code, but almost no one can agree on what that should look like.

    A girl at school wearing loose fitting shirt and black leggings
    Deanna Wolf of Alabama says her 15-year-old daughter missed an entire class period simply for wearing leggings and a loose-fitting shirt. Deanna Wolf/Facebook

    But now, thanks to these brave Portland students and a couple of key community members, we might finally be making some progress.

    The school board, to the surprise of many, agreed the dress code needed fixing. But that didn’t mean it would be easy.

    A committee was formed, including Sophia (one of the girls who testified in front of the board), parents, teachers, and other community leaders. Lisa Frack, president of the Oregon chapter of the National Organization of Women, and a parent, was one of them.

    Frack said some issues were easy to fix, like the ban on spaghetti straps. That was quick to go. Others? Not so much.

    There was plenty of back-and-forth. Are short shorts OK? How about cleavage? What about all of the subtle (and not-so-subtle) policies that unfairly target students of color?

    A girl in yellow shirt smiling at the camera
    Marian Wilson-Reed of Texas says her 9-year-old daughter was pulled out of class because school administrators thought her natural hairstyle looked like a mohawk, which was against the rules. Marian Wilson-Reed/Facebook

    Then there was the issue of enforcement. Although hopefully, with the new dress code, there would be fewer violations, the committee wanted to find ways to eliminate shaming and missed class time for students who broke the rules.

    Despite debate on some of these specific issues, Frack said, the conversation always came back to the same basic point.

    Some board members “felt like they wanted a little line in there reminding everyone that this is a learning institution. But that’s exactly what we’re trying to get away from,” Frack said.

    We don’t want to link clothing and learning. … You can’t learn math better or worse whether you have a tie on or a collared shirt or a tank top.”

    “We’re going to basically have people covering what you have to do to not be naked.”

    The final approved dress code, one of only a few like it in the U.S., was a major improvement. But perhaps just as important was the conversation sparked by the process.

    Gone was phrasing that specifically targeted bare midriffs, “plunging necklines,” or “sexually suggestive clothing.” The new, gender-neutral code essentially asks that students wear a top and a bottom (or a dress), and that their clothes not show profanity or reference drugs.

    It’s pretty simple. But the conversations that led to this point were anything but.

    “It raised the issue of people’s discomfort with how girls are objectified in this country. Is it a solution to tell them to cover up?” Frack said. She even recalled some of the adult members of the advisory committee having trouble talking about things like breasts and sexuality with a straight face — which, she said, is part of the problem.

    For now, though, Frack just hopes this code can serve as a model to other districts looking to get with the times. Portland just rolled out the new policy in the fall of 2016, so it remains to be seen how it’ll fare — especially when the weather gets hot again.

    But so far, Frack said, all she’s heard from parents is how happy their kids are to be free to be themselves without judgment.

    This article originally appeared on 9.1.16

  • Immigrants explain why they personally celebrate the Fourth of July each year.
    Some different perspectives on the American experience.Photo credit: Photo collage created from Pixabay

    Some 300 million people live in the United States. And over 40 million of them are immigrants.

    Now, some people might have you believe that too many immigrants might cause us to lose our identity as Americans or that we ought to be fighting and clinging to “the way things were.”

    But if you look around, you’ll see that more than 1 in 10 Americans were born somewhere else — meaning they have their own unique set of amazing experiences to share and their own amazing stories about why they’re here.


    They each have their own ideas about what being an American means to them, too. And they each have their own reasons for celebrating American independence on the Fourth of July.

    So if you want to feel proud, excited, and maybe even a teensy bit emotional about being an American, this one’s for you.

    Meet five immigrants from all over the country (and all over the world!) who are showing their American pride in many, many shades of red, white, and blue this year.

    Mexican American experience, traditional, celebration
    Traditional food the celebrate the Fourth of July. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@briewilly?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Chad Montano</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    1. Nayeli Ruvalcaba’s Fourth of July is full of traditional Mexican food and mariachi music.

    Ruvalcaba, who was born in Mexico but moved to Chicago when she was 4, spent her early childhood in a mostly caucasian neighborhood called Lakeview. There, she says the Fourth of July was pretty much what you’d expect.

    “Everyone would be making ribs and burgers and mac and cheese. And my dad would be drinking Budweisers and Coors Light,” she said with a laugh.

    Nayeli with her parents.

    But when she was 16, she moved to a more diverse area of the city filled with families from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Poland.

    There, she says, their holidays are much more vibrant. Neighbors gather in the alleys and share their customs and cultures with one another. They sing along with music (her boyfriend, who is in a mariachi band, often gets the party going). They play games. And then there’s the food: Nayeli says she loves to chow down on delicious Fourth of July dishes like arrachera (a Mexican skirt steak), polish sausage, guacamole, and, of course, burgers.

    “I know it’s an American holiday,” she says. “Buteveryone has their own culture. You just mix it in with what everyoneelse does.”

    Nayeli and her boyfriend in full mariachi get-up!

    watermelon, English tea, mishmash of culture
    Celebrating with a U.K. twist on the Fourth of July. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@cajugos?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Caju Gomes</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    2. Johanna Dodd and her family celebrate their Fourth of July the “old fashioned way” but with a small U.K.-based twist.

    A one-year work contract for her husband brought the Dodds to Connecticut from the U.K. years ago. 12 years later, they’re still here.

    The Dodds!

    On their Fourth of July, she says, “We tend to do what everyone else in town does. We’ll head to the fireworks display with our cooler packed full of food, and, occasionally, we’ll sneak in some alcohol.”

    Sounds pretty American to me!

    Johanna’s young daughter watches the fireworks.

    “The kids run around, there’s lots of glow sticks, lots of football (both kinds) being played, lots of fun stuff happening. As it gets darker, there’s the national anthem, and then out come the fireworks.”

    But there is one slightly British twist to the Dodds’ holiday: “We don’t really do the tailgating thing. We bring what we would call ‘an English tea.’ There’s watermelon, yogurts, cheese sandwiches. Kind of a mishmash of both cultures.”

    grilling, fish, Liberia, American experience
    Bringing home country traditions to the American experience. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@clintbustrillos?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Clint Bustrillos</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    3. Martin Matthews says he never misses a Fourth of July parade and for a powerful reason.

    Matthews was 8 years old when he first came to America to escape a civil war in his home country of Liberia. One of his first memories? A huge Fourth of July parade in New Jersey.

    “I had never seen anything like that. The flags, the drums, everything. I remember watching in awe.”

    Martin with his wife.

    He returned to Africa later on but came back to live in America again when fighting broke out in his home country. And when he returned, that big parade stuck in his memory.

    “I always loved that about America. It was a place I could be safe. A place I could enjoy freedom,” he said. “To celebrate the independence of the United States holds a deep place in my heart.”

    These days, Martin is big on having barbecues with friends to celebrate Independence Day. There are a lot of burgers and hot dogs, but he’ll sometimes mix in traditional African dishes, too, like African-style kabobs, to introduce his friends to his heritage.

    “It’s a big thing in Africa for people to put fish on the grill, like the whole fish,” he added. “You put the whole thing on there. It was the first time some of my American friends had ever tried fish on the grill that wasn’t salmon.”

    But his favorite thing about the holiday is still the parades. “We get there early and wave our American flags. Every year I always wear some kind of American shirt. We sit there and watch everything. It’s my way of saying thanks to my adopted country.”

    cricket, India, celebrating holiday, University of Michigan
    Changing the rules to make it work. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@alken?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Alfred Kenneally</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    4. Jay Pockyarath mixes cricket with an American-style barbecue on Independence Day.

    “Ever since I was in eighth grade, all I wanted to do was come to the United States,” he told Upworthy. After finishing college in India, he finally got the chance when studying nuclear medicine at the University of Michigan. From there, he married an American woman and started a family.

    “The thing that works [in America] is that it’s a meritocracy,” Pockyarath said. “July Fourth is a celebration of that, in my mind. Of independence. Of the freedom to succeed.”

    Jay, who was born in India, proudly flies an American flag outside his home for July Fourth.

    Pockyarath has lived in the United States for over 40 years, so it’s no surprise that his holiday celebration looks pretty familiar: steak, hamburgers, and hot dogs on the grill. To him, what’s really important is spending time with family.

    “Usually we make up games,” he laughed. “We play cricket — not the way it’s supposed to be played, but with a tennis ball. We make up our own rules.”

    American flag, Fourth of July, friends and family, decorating
    Embracing the traditions and bringing your own flare to it. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@genefoto?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Gene Gallin</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    5. Natalia Paruz is originally from Israel, and she decorates everything in red, white, and blue.

    Natalia is now a musician in New York City.

    “First I came here with my parents [about 20 years ago] for a year. At the end of the year, they went back to Israel, and I wanted to stay here,” she told Upworthy.

    Now she works as a musician in New York City. And she absolutely, positively loves the Fourth of July.

    “It’s a really fun day. It’s a day where you can put politics aside. It’s a day for celebrating the joy of this country.”

    Natalia and her husband host friends every year for a big meal. “I love decorating the house for the holiday with the flags. There’s always a big flag hanging from the flagpole. In the back, that’s where I really go all out. Every tree gets some kind of decoration!”

    “We make hot dogs, hamburgers — how can you not?” she said. “We also make tahini, which is a traditional Israeli food. It’s made of sesame seeds and it becomes a paste and you spread it on pita bread. Our friends here love it.”

    Natalia says an overabundance of food “as if you’re going to entertain a bunch of soldiers” is a nod to her Israeli roots.

    This year, she’s going out with friends to watch fireworks. “I wear a T-shirt that has an American flag on it and a bracelet with the colors of the flag. If you’re celebrating, you might as well go to the maximum.”

    It turns out, celebrating America means different things to different people. And that’s kind of the point.

    In my mind, the only thing better than a Fourth of July party filled with burgers, steaks, beer, and fireworks is a Fourth of July party filled with all of those things plus Mexican food and African music and “English tea” and tahini and mariachi bands and more.

    So whether we choose to embrace the “American way” of celebrating Independence Day (red meat and fireworks) or to use it as a chance to celebrate the unique melting pot of culture that is our country today or something in between, I think we can all agree that the America we have now is already pretty great.

    This article originally appeared on 07.01.16

  • A shelter made online dating profiles for 22 animals. The results are adorable.
    ArrayPhoto credit: Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash
    , , ,

    A shelter made online dating profiles for 22 animals. The results are adorable.

    Anyone who’s ever been on Tinder knows having a cute animal in the photo is usually a big hit. But what if Tinder profile photos only featured that cute animal? And what if, instead of a millennial would-be hooker-upper, it was the adorable dog or cat itself looking for true love? That’s an idea some…

    Anyone who’s ever been on Tinder knows having a cute animal in the photo is usually a big hit.

    But what if Tinder profile photos only featured that cute animal? And what if, instead of a millennial would-be hooker-upper, it was the adorable dog or cat itself looking for true love?

    That’s an idea some animal shelters are toying with.


    “We are always trying to come up with … creative new ways to get our shelter dogs out in front of potential adopters,” says Karen Hirsch, public relations director at LifeLine Animal Project in Georgia.

    Animal Profile created by Mark Wales Photo from Pixabay

    And experimenting with online dating for dogs and cats might just be working.

    The harsh world of pet adoption is extremely competitive: About 6.5 million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters every year, each seeking a good forever home. It’s too big a need for shelter operators to just sit back and hope they all get adopted.

    That’s why you see adorable dogs on display outside the grocery store, partnerships with Uber that will bring puppies directly to you for playtime, and aww-inspiring social media campaigns like dogs in pajamas.

    An estimated 50 million people worldwide use Tinder. So LifeLine and other shelters and rescues figure why not give it a shot?

    After all, people using online dating apps are already looking for love and companionship — just maybe a slightly different kind.

    Hirsch says they recently created profiles for 22 of their dogs and cats.

    Animal profiles are also showing up on Bumble, which is home to another 20 million users or so.

    Like sweet Duke here.

    Animal Profile created by Mark Wales Original photo from Pixabay

    Each pet is assigned to a volunteer who creates the profile and handles the conversations after a match

    “In a crowded shelter, pets often get overlooked, but on a dating app, the animal becomes an individual,” Hirsch says. “People learn about them and form a ‘virtual’ attachment.”

    Plus the witty banter is oodles of fun.

    For LifeLine, the experiment is still new. But Hirsch says people are responding to it incredibly well so far.

    At the very least, Tinder and Bumble have proven to be great for word-of-mouth awareness-building on the importance of adopting shelter pets. The animals are getting dozens of matches. Hirsch says there have been more than a few online adoption inquiries, as well as people coming into the shelter to meet their “match” in person.

    She also notes that one of the matches even became a regular volunteer at LifeLine.

    This new animal dating idea has another upside for apps — and the people using them, too.

    Dating experts are finding that people are getting burned out by online dating. Between “ghosting,” “cushioning,” “the slow fade,” and a bunch more of those annoying slang terms, humans out there are wondering if dating apps are even worth the effort.

    For romantic love, who knows?

    But now that you might just meet the dog or cat of your dreams, that’s not a bad reason to keep on swiping.


    This article originally appeared on 01.10.18

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