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Meet Gitanjali Rao, a 2023 Scholarship Recipient

Meet Gitanjali Rao, a researcher, innovator, inventor, and teacher. Gitanjali has been given opportunities to spend time on STEM projects but recognized that not all students have this opportunity, so she set out to change this by creating an outreach program and writing and publishing a book in hopes of “finding the hundreds of other Gitanjali’s out there” as she puts it. She writes, 

“Today’s education around the world focuses on core skills but doesn’t train students in connecting concepts across disciplines, ideation, and solutions, critical skills that are needed to solve problems of tomorrow. I have found through my experience, children in schools, when trained right, explore ideas better and are not bound by constraints. Also, many of today’s problems, from climate change to privacy, are going to directly affect children when they grow up. It is only logical that they are part of the solution. Hence, I’d like to develop a K-12 curriculum that simplifies the methods and tools of ideation, with the right reward system, so that innovation becomes a learning experience and students can be free to imagine solutions for today’s urgent problems. I see a need to create an innovation movement among school students across the globe, where ideation, innovation, and problem-solving are not limited to science fairs and privileged schools, but are a part of the regular curriculum. I have covered some distance in my journey, but still have a long path ahead, as I build my own skills in research and problem-solving.” 

Gitanjali saw a problem not only in her community, but around our globe, and has taken it upon herself to make a change.

Rob Lacey Photographer Editorial, PR & Corporate Photography Headshots, Conferences & Corporate Events Based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire covering the Midlands, South West & London www.roblaceyphotographer.co.uk T: 01242 861118 M: 07802 542598

“My work broadly involves 2 main areas, research/innovation, & educational outreach. They are symbiotic and complement each other to achieve the end goal of developing my solution. Within my research initiative, I have developed a few products such as a patented lead detection in water, early diagnosis of prescription opioid addiction, and launched an anti-cyberbullying technology service in partnership with UNICEF. While working on these, I developed a process to take a solution from an idea to reality, that is proven and repeatable. In the spirit of developing a community of innovators, I started sharing this with my community peers and received excellent feedback. A peer student-led session proved to be effective in environments across the globe. The workshop supplemented any efforts to introduce innovation and social empathy earlier in a student’s education. I started with 10-12 students and slowly expanded it to 300 students per session. Today I conduct about 3-5 sessions a week with about 200 students weekly. I take feedback on them and have been continuously improving the interactive nature of the sessions so that at the end of it, the students have an idea, solution, and a process with them to refine on their own.”

Gitanjali is building a better future before our own eyes, and bringing others along with her to do the same. We were honored to name her one of our 2023 Build a Better Future Scholarship recipients and we are excited to see where her future endeavors take her. 

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Electronics Have Space on Our Outdoor Adventures

We’re a camping kind of family, it’s our preferred way to spend time outdoors. 

We would go camping here and there just for family events for the first few years of our kid’s lives, but just last year we got really into it. We invested in a camper, good camping supplies, etc., and now it’s easy to get on the road and go when we want to! 

Our camping supply list with kids was simple. It included (but was not limited to): 

Good sleeping gear
Good food
Lots of water
Kid-sized camping chairs
Fishing poles
Sand toys 
Life jackets + water toys (if we ended up near water)

And what felt like the most crucial part of our packing at first? All of the tablets, TVs, cellphones, and extra electronics were left at home or in the truck for the duration of our camping trip. We were going camping as a family to spend time together and enjoy the outdoors, there was no room for electronics! 

The first few camping trips were met with, “Can we watch a movie tonight?!” to which we replied, “No! We are camping! There is no Wi-Fi here, go play in the dirt and rocks!” 

During the next few camping trips, they caught on that movies were not an option, but we found that right before bed they were wild, crazy, and overstimulated. Putting them to bed was a nightmare even though they were SO tired from the day. 

At some point, I came across an Instagram Reel from @thegamereducator and it completely changed my outlook on why my kids were asking about screen time while camping. Watch it here: 

The script is as follows: 

“If you’re having a super fun day or outing or vacation with your kid and they look at you and say this, “Can I watch TV/ play video games later?”, remember what they really mean is this, “Can I rely on our routine today?” 

The caption of the Instagram Reel has a whole slew of more information that I would strongly suggest reading and looking into if you’re curious for more information, as well as the Instagram account as a whole. 

But after learning more from Ash, it made me realize that my kids are simply asking for a movie before bedtime while camping because a movie before bedtime is our routine at home. They’ve just had a really fun day packed full of entertainment and new experiences and what they are craving after a day like that is any sense of normalcy. 

And upon further inspection of my kid’s behaviors, I realized after a long day of camping they were showing signs of overstimulation. But wait! We don’t have any screens while we’re camping, how can they be overstimulated?! The outdoors is supposed to be the fix-all of parenting! If we hike enough and spend all of our waking hours outside, our kids will have everything they need! 

Spoiler alert: screens are not the only things causing overstimulation.

The sun is bright, the river water is cold, camping clothes feel different than our regular at-home relaxing clothes, food can taste different cooked over a campfire, and sand and dirt are in every nook and cranny. These are all different sensory inputs that can cause overstimulation when surrounded by them for extended periods when we’re not always used to them around us constantly. 

The excitement of catching fish can be overstimulating. 

The movement of the camper while walking around or the swishing of the tent in the wind can be overstimulating. 

The unknown of what fun activity or game we’ll come up with for the day can be overstimulating. 

The constant sound of the river running can be overstimulating. 

Screens are not the only overstimulating device out there.  

And after a long day of excitement, adventure, and exploring, my kids are looking for something to ground them, something they can count on, something to help them not feel so overstimulated. And do you know what that something is for them? A show before bed. 

On our most recent camping trip, we packed along fully charged tablets and Nintendo Switch. The first evening we were there we ran around, rode bikes, explored the campground, and did some swimming. Before bed, we grabbed the tablet and watched a movie together. When it was time to sleep, all three kids went down easily, no complaints! I was in awe, but also thought it may have been a fluke. 

On the second day, we had mandated quiet time after lunch for everyone and pulled out a tablet to watch a movie. After quiet time was over it gave us more energy to head outside and enjoy our time again. That evening we lasted outside much longer than normal. 

Later in the evening, we had plans for one parent to take older kids swimming and one parent to stay back to put the baby to bed. I gave my 3-year-old the option, do you want to head back to the camper and play the Nintendo Switch or do you want to come swimming? His initial reaction was to head back and play the Switch! But upon more contemplation, he changed his mind and decided to go swimming. I think he realized that he only had one more evening of swimming but he knew he would have more time with the Switch at home because it’s part of our normal routine. 

After a fun evening of swimming, we went back to camp and everyone joined in on a Mario Kart race on the Switch before bed. Everyone fell asleep without any fighting, yet again. The overstimulation seemed to be at a minimum. 

Our camping trip was full of the outdoors, exploration, swimming, and taking in all that nature has to offer, and it was full of movies, TV shows, and video games. 

And it was the best camping trip we’ve ever had, hands down. 

So now in our camper, electronics are not banned. They have their own shelf space and their own place and time. We enjoy our time in the outdoors and we bring our electronics along. Believe it or not, our world hasn’t imploded yet by mixing the two! It really is beautiful how they don’t have to exist exclusively, but instead, they can coexist. 

Do you bring your electronics on your outdoor adventures? What does it look like for you? 

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Lessons Learned During Distance Learning

Last winter my daughter did a short stint of “distance learning” during her year as a kindergartener. You can read more about our experience here. 

Now that we’re a few months out from this experience, here are some interesting things I’ve learned. 

Just because one on one attention is really great for most students doesn’t mean it’s best for all students. 

This threw me off because when you have a struggling student, what’s the first line of defense usually? One-on-one learning. Pulling them aside and working with the student individually to help them understand the concept. So in my mind, I figured, my daughter will receive 1:1 attention and learning while I’m home with her, she is going to excel! It’ll give her a boost academically! And I was so wrong. Her test scores plummeted. Her reading regressed. And as soon as she was back in school? Her test scores shot up. Her reading improved greatly. Her math skills took a huge leap in what she was able to do. It wasn’t for lack of teaching, she basically had a private tutor every day for several hours at home! 

Now I know there are so many other factors to consider, this would never stand up as a true experiment for so many reasons. However, with mom and teacher intuition included, I know deep down that being back in a big classroom with the energy of her classmates and teachers around her, she truly learned better. I’m sure pulling her aside to work one on one with certain concepts would work for her in some situations! But overall, her brain wasn’t built to sit at the kitchen table with one teacher. Her brain also wasn’t built to work independently out of a workbook. Her brain is built to move and see and interact while she learns.

It gave me a new perspective on those kids in similar situations that ended up doing school from home during the year or two (ish) of covid. I knew it was hard for them, but this gave me a deeper understanding and my heart went out to them. 

Public schools do not get enough credit.

Okay, I already knew this. No one needed to tell me. But the way our principal and my daughter’s teacher stepped up and into action when I was a parent reaching out for support was absolutely incredible. Within an hour or two of sending the email to both the principal and the teacher letting them know our situation and asking for the best way to move forward, they already had a game plan made up and prepared for us. Each week they would both check in to see how we were doing and would ask if we needed any more support or help during our time at home. Public schools can get a bad rap for not caring or supporting, and I’m sure in some cases that is true. But I am extremely grateful we’ve lucked out and ended up with amazing teachers and administration. 

The bottom line is this: all children learn in their own way and teachers are amazing. It’s something we all know, but sometimes having a good reminder is really nice. 

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Why The Arts in STEAM?

Have you seen our post on summer STEAM activities for kids? Which ones have you tried so far? 

While we’re talking about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math), you may wonder… Why the arts? 

The STEM acronym is built around these similar areas, science, technology, engineering, and math. So why throw in something as different and opposite as… Art? 

Short answer- why not? 

Long answer-

Naturally woven into arts are elements of science, technology, engineering, and math. The arts truly are more complicated than anyone gives them credit for! Just by simply participating in art concepts, the exposure to STEM concepts is already there. And the best way for kids to learn? Through play! You can hand out a worksheet on angles. Or you could work on some tape resist art using straight lines and evaluate and work with angles that way. 

Adding in arts also makes the activities naturally more collaborative and promotes teamwork and communication. It’s a simple way to practice being flexible and adaptable because art is naturally something more “go with the flow.” 

There’s also the concept of using both sides of your brain during STEAM activities. Putting arts and STEM together activates the right and left sides of the brain at the same time making the activity more educational and well-rounded. 

Do you practice STEAM concepts in your school? How do you add arts to STEM? 

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Meet Esther Lau and Fiona Lu, 2023 Scholarship Recipients

Meet two of our scholarship recipients, Esther Lau and Fiona Lu. Esther and Fiona live in California and have become advocates for low-income families in need of menstrual products with their project What We All Deserve. Their mission was to give families the ability to purchase menstrual products using SNAP benefits. Both girls come from low-income families that have relied on state services in some capacity, so this bill was very personal and important to them. They write,

“CA’s SB 260, the Menstrual Equity Act of 2023, is What We All Deserve’s first legislative advocacy initiative. If passed, the bill will add $20 in monthly cash assistance for each menstruating CalWORKs recipient. From its ideation to current standing in the CA Legislature, we’ve spearheaded its efforts, gathering support from 12 co-authors, endorsements from the CA Women’s Caucus and Senate Democrats, 13 co-sponsors, and 50+ supporting organizations.”

“Our project has successfully sponsored SB 260 into the California Legislature. SB 260 is currently being voted on in the Senate and has already passed the Senate Human Services, Governmental Organization, and Appropriations committees. Soon, it will head through the Assembly and go through the parallel review process, and eventually be signed into law. We’ve already gained robust legislative support with 12 co-authors across the Senate and Assembly, as well as endorsements from the CA Women’s Caucus and the Senate Democrats Budget Plan. We’ve also rallied strong organizational support with 13 co-sponsors (ex: PERIOD., IGNITE National, URGE) and 50+ supporting organizations (ex: ACLU, NARAL).”

Not only are these girls spending their time working towards passing this legislation, but they’re also involving the community as much as possible, making their project spread and influence as much as possible. 

“What We All Deserve is working to engage the communities most affected by economic inequalities in the fight for economic justice. For example, while recruiting for other youth advocates, we hope to particularly highlight other low-income youth who have directly been affected by social welfare programs and other economic gaps in opportunity. By doing this, we hope to empower underserved communities simultaneously while advocating for progressive economic policy.”

Not only have they worked on SB 260, but they’ve also been actively involved in California’s education policies and they’ve worked on student-written and led policies. 

In an interview held with Fiona and Esther, they both commented on how real imposter syndrome has been during this entire process. They often questioned whether or not they were qualified to do this work. But they both agreed that the hard work pays off when they were able to meet those that the bill would impact and hearing individuals testify why the bill would be beneficial in their state. 

Our team at Honors GradU loved reading more about Esther and Fiona’s work in the community and state. They inspired us by their work and we are honored to have them as our 2023 scholarship recipients. 

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Meet Austin Picinich, A 2023 Scholarship Recipient

Meet one of our scholarship winners, Austin Picinich. Austin resides in the state of Washington and has been utilizing “the power of public art” to educate, promote, and bring the community together. 

“I realized that public art – when combined with a community-focused purpose – could have a much larger impact and inspire others to make a difference. My simple idea grew into a big idea: using my love of art to educate, excite, and engage my community in restoring Juanita Creek. The “Save Our Salmon Mural” was born.”

Austin has worked hand in hand with Urban ArtWorks and North Lake Washington SalmonWatchers to plan and carry out the project of painting multiple murals throughout his community. Austin designed these murals himself, he’s been interested in art from a young age and found an excellent way to connect his love of art, help out the local fauna, and bring the community together in the process. He writes,

“I began sharing my “Save Our Salmon” idea in the Juanita community. I interviewed students, stewards, and neighbors. I spoke with long-time residents who remembered Juanita Creek 50 years ago, describing when salmon “painted the stream red” – and to those who, like me, were previously unaware of Juanita Creek. However, no one knew how they could be part of the solution. While talking with my community, I was introduced to a neighbor who happened to be a “SalmonWatcher” for Juanita Creek. They connected me with Dr. Jeff Jensen, a University of Washington biology professor who teaches a salmon-themed class at UW each fall. Dr. Jensen is the founder of North Lake Washington SalmonWatchers, a volunteer group of students building egg boxes and incubators in Lake Washington’s streams, including Juanita Creek.”

“Although there are local groups like SalmonWatchers that focus on salmon sustainability, efforts have little emphasis on driving awareness among everyday community members. The “SalmonWatchers” team was composed of only a dozen UW students. Because I had been ‘one of those people’ who were once unaware of Juanita Creek, I realized greater community engagement was necessary. I sought to educate everyday residents how they could help restore Juanita Creek too.”

Austin’s project was never about just him as an artist. It was always deeply rooted in helping Juanita Creek, the salmon that call it home, and the community surrounding it. 

“While I might be able to paint a mural by myself, the real power of the “Save Our Salmon Mural” came from engaging community members. My goal was to not just create a mural that’s nice to look at – but a mural that teaches my community to protect salmon, and engages my community in creating it. I truly wanted to involve the entire community. I spoke at Kirkland City Council, Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission, Juanita Neighborhood Association, Kiwanis, and Rotary clubs to rally support. In total, I brought together over 20 community groups for my Juanita Creek SOS Mural.”

“I developed a unique “Community Paint Day” format that was interactive and educational. I first designed, outlined, and color-coded my salmon-themed design onto the blank wall in advance. Then, in April 2022, I hosted a Community Paint Day leading 170+ volunteers, ages 4 to 74, to “paint-by-number” my design – transforming the 112-foot wall into a vibrant mural. I also integrated an educational aspect into the Community Paint Day by partnering with Dr. Jeff Jensen and North Lake Washington SalmonWatchers. NLWSW provided onsite docents educating our 400 community attendees, and many attendees signed up as SalmonWatchers during the event.”

Austin has completed three total murals with the fourth coming this July. Over 350 volunteers will be helping complete the mural. 

In an interview Austin stated, 

“Putting in the work to plan for so many community members to help is challenging. There are a lot of permits we have to work on getting from the city for various things and many other things to plan for, it can take up to six months just to put the event together. I could paint the mural myself to avoid this work, but seeing community members connect with the mural and come together to accomplish the final product is more than worth it. I love that these volunteers are able to drive by the mural every day and say, “Hey! I helped paint that salmon’s tail!” 

Austin will be attending the University of Washington in the fall and plans to continue his work with the Save Our Salmon initiative. He plans to major in marketing, which he will use directly to market the merchandise he designs and sells where 100% of the proceeds are donated directly to SalmonWatchers. The stickers, magnets, t-shirts, etc. can be found in local Washington gift shops and on his online Etsy shop. 

Our team at HonorsGradU was blown away by Austin’s selflessness when he noticed a problem in his community and worked hard to make a change. He is literally building a better future for the Juanita community and we are honored to consider him a 2023 scholarship recipient. 

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Picture Books for Independence Day

Happy Independence Day! We’re celebrating the holiday in our favorite way… With picture books, of course! Here are a few we’ve read this year to learn more about Independence Day and what it means to America. 

Red, White, and BOOM! By Lee Wardlaw

What Is America? By Michelle Medlock Adams

F is For Flag by Wendy Cheyette Lewison

My Fourth of July by Jerry Spinelli 

Stars, Stripes, and Smiles by Tex Stanly 

Cover Photo by: Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/blur-bright-celebrate-celebration-236243/