Myrmex: A Comic Ant-thology

Science and education are at their core acts of storytelling. Nature tells her story to scientists and scientists in turn share Nature’s stories with the world."   -Andrew Collins

Science and art are our two most powerful tools for exploring our reality and communicating about it. Myrmex: A Comic Ant-thology is a perfect example of how to harness the potential of these tools for storytelling to effectively engage students in the practice of science. Flip through 60+ pages of artful panels to explore:

• A Day in the Life of an Ant
• When Ants Have Relationships
• Inside Look: An Ant Colony
• Fighting for Turf in the Ant World
• Scientists and Ant Discoveries

These comics were made made by science communicator/educator Andrew Collins and a team of very talented artists, scientists, and illustrators. As a project that fully resonates with HumanCoral's philosophy of interdisciplinary collaboration, we can't wait to see their future publications. Download their comics and inspire the next generation of scientists! 

United Classroom

Howard Zinn said 'The presence of another human being is a powerful fact'. Let us open the walls of the classroom and provide our students the powerful fact of their fellow global citizens." - Zak Ringelstein, Co-Founder of UClass

United Classrooms helps students around the world become critical thinkers with a global vision. The purpose is to provide a platform for students to bring themselves to the learning experience and interact with perspectives that are beyond the four walls of their classroom. Like 21st-cenury pen-pals!

When a teacher signs their class up, students can log in to a secure classroom profile page where they can share content with their own teachers, classmates and parents AS WELL AS collaborate with other classrooms across the globe. It unites students from diverse backgrounds in the creation of a safe and dynamic global community where knowledge, experience and relationship are shared beyond the classroom walls.

UClass is completely FREE to use and has already atracted over 5,500 users in 42 countries in less than one year since it started. If you are a teacher, you will appreciate this (and so will your students)!

Co-Founders Zak Ringelstein and Leah Schrader talk about UClass at TEDx Claremon Colleges

The Story of Stuff Project

Where does everything we buy come from and where does it go after we are done using it?  Is bottled water better than tap water? What is “cap and trade” and can it help us solve climate change?

These simple questions have complex answers, and most people are not familiar with them because they often involve industrial and economic processes kept out of public sight.  This is where the Story of Stuff Project comes in:

Annie Leonard and Free Range Studios have made a series of short, action-packed animations illustrating the social, economic, and ecological stories behind complex subjects. Subjects include: The materials economy and people's consumption patterns, manufacturing demand for bottled water, E-waste and designed obsolescence, the pervasive use of toxic chemicals in our everyday personal care products,  the inordinate power that corporations exercise in U.S. democracy,  the "devils in the details" in current cap and trade proposals, and released today, the broken economy and how to fix it.

Their animations have become more than internet sensations: they are powerful educational tools and seek a to empower the lay person by providing a basic understanding of the inner workings of the economic forces of society and how we can all influence their direction towards a more democratic and sustainable future. 

Subtitles in several languages are provided for most movies. Highly recommended!

Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC)

 The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation’s (CBC) mission is to mitigate critical threats to global biological and cultural diversity by:  advancing scientific research in diverse ecosystems;   strengthening the application of science to conservation practice and public policy;  developing professional, institutional, and community capacity. The CBC currently works in the NY metropolitan area, the Bahamas, Solomon Islands, Mainland Southeast Asia, and the Southwestern Research Station in the Chiricahua Mountains of Southeastern Arizona. 

Annual Science Symposia

The CBC holds an annual symposium designed to foster interdisciplinary discussion of cutting-edge issues in biodiversity research and conservation.

Symposia topics cover a wide range of conservation issues impacting numerous sciences. Access them to learn more about topics including: biodiversity science and policy, the extinction process, the value of biodiversity to human health, conservation challenges in the face of climate change, the impact of urban sprawl on biodiversity, the role of recent technological advances in conserving genetic diversity, and much more. Video and audio podcasts, posters, and presentations are available.

Downloadable Publications

General Interest

• Protecting Nature
• Life in the Leaf Litter (English / Spanish)
• A Seasonal Guide to New York City's Invertebrates
• Kid's Guide to the Birds of Central Park
• Living With Nature: Cooking for Biodiversity
• Healthy Eating for You and the Planet: Select Seasonally
• Healthy Eating for You and the Planet: Avoiding Pesticides in Produce
• Living With Biodiversity Series
• Guidelines for the Ecotraveler
• Biodiversity in Crisis

Policymakers

• Protecting Nature in your Community
• Biodiversity and Human Health: A Guide for Policymakers

Educators

• Lessons in Conservation
• Treasures in the Sea
• Fully-Protected Marine Reserves for the Future of Our Oceans
• Interpreting Biodiversity: A Manual for Environmental Educators in the Tropics (English / Spanish / French)
• Como Desarrollar Exhibiciones Interpretativas en su Comunidad

International Education and Resource Network (iEARN)

iEARN is a non-profit organization made up of over 30,000 schools and youth organizations in more than 130 countries. iEARN empowers teachers and young people to work together online using the Internet and other new communications technologies. Over 2,000,000 students each day are engaged in collaborative project work worldwide. Since 1988, iEARN has pioneered on-line school linkages to enable students to engage in meaningful educational projects with peers in their countries and around the world. Particularly notable is iEARN's Collaboration Center, with over 40,000 teachers and 2 million students participating and collaborating in 200+ Forums in 30 languages!

iEARN Project: Youth Communicating and Networking (YouthCaN)

YouthCaN is a Youth-run organization that uses technology to inspire, connect, and educate people worldwide about environmental issues. Through a network of conferences, activities and events, YouthCaN unites environmentally active youth to exchange ideas about the environment and empower others to make a difference in their own communities. Through the Internet, YouthCaNers around the globe (and their teachers) exchange ideas through the YouthCaN Discussion Forum. Best of all, anyone can Join! (The vagueness of the word “Youth” allows for anyone who feels youthful to feel welcome, regardless of age) Live YouthCaN events take place each April around the world, including in Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Senegal, and the USA. The NYC, USA event takes place at the American Museum of Natural History. 

Opening ceremony at the YouthCaN 2008 World Conference about water issues (Image Credit: Francisco Laso)

GOOD Magazine

 GOOD is an integrated media platform that promotes, connects, and reports on the individuals, businesses, and non-profits who want to live well and do good. Good produces a website, a quarterly magazine, and online video content covering a variety of topics, including the environment, education, urban planning, design, food, politics, culture, and health. GOOD's mission is to provide content, experiences, and utilities to serve this community. Launched in September 2006, the company has garnered praise for its unique editorial perspective and fresh visual aesthetic and is quickly positioning itself as a significant new voice in our culture.

What should be the role of the United States' prison system? GOOD's Alex Gorosh explores the issue, in verse. Listen closely.