Behind the Bright Lights of Vegas: How the 24-Hour Party City Is Greening Up Its Act, The Guardian
It may be known as Sin City, but that doesn’t mean the indiscretions taking place in the Nevada desert must include harming the planet. A new leafy oasis now offers vacationers a respite from the bright-as-the-sun neon lights that illuminate the Strip all night long. The Park, which features native Southwestern plants, a 40-foot-tall statue originally from the Burning Man festival and large metal structures that keep visitors shaded and cool, might be the only actual green space amongst the seemingly-endless stretch of casinos, but it’s one of many ways that Las Vegas is reducing its environmental footprint.
How to Bet Big on the American Dream, The Atlantic
Despite politicians’ proclamations, the American Dream isn’t dead or even on its last legs. But how much philanthropic investment is necessary for low-income residents to have a shot at upward mobility? The nonprofit advisor Bridgespan Group examined how impactful $1 billion dollars invested in each of 15 different philanthropic ventures would be at reducing poverty. As with any investment, the payout isn’t certain. But with returns estimated at being between $3 and $15 for each $1 spent (not to mention a high probability of drastically increasing program recipients’ lifetime earnings), these are bets that seem to be worth taking.
New MOOCs for Rising Leaders, Stanford Social Innovation Review
Why is it that things are usually out of reach to those most interested? Social entrepreneurs often can’t afford or get to leadership development programs. But now, educational seminars are going to them, thanks to the release of two new MOOCs (massive open online course). Free video classes from Philanthropy U provide students insights from social enterprise greats such as the cofounder of Kiva.org; Leaderosity, which charges tuition, touts among its instructors leaders from The Presidio Institute. Both programs provide access to personnel development that’s desperately needed in this sector.
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Tag: MOOC
Want to Change the World? This Free, Online Course Will Show You How
We are all capable of changing the world; we just need to learn how to do it. For the first time, Wesleyan University, in partnership with the 92nd Street YMCA in New York City, is going to instruct students on the art of social change with their free MOOC (massive open online course), “How to Change the World,” hosted on Coursera. The six-week course, which launched on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, focuses on the world’s most challenging problems, and examines how we can develop “social goods” — which will be defined during class — to create networks of progressive change. Each week, attendees will be instructed on topics ranging from poverty and climate change to education, social networks and activism. Classes will be structured around the following questions: 1. What do we know? 2. Why should we care? 3. What can we do? “Our aim is simple and bold: to put together the facts, the energy and the actions to make a real difference in addressing some of the major problems confronting the world today,” says Wesleyan President Michael Roth, the course instructor. So how can we change the world? Log on to find out.
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