Reasons to be Cheerful

Welcome to Reasons to be Cheerful, a place to stay informed about smart, effective solutions that make the world a better place. Stop by at reasonstobecheerful.world to stay informed about positive changes that don't always make the news.

Can we bridge political divides by paying more attention to what’s happening in our own backyards? In Akron, Ohio, through a program called Documenters, hundreds of residents are making local government more accessible — and helping neighbors feel more connected to one another.

Armed with laptops and local pride, everyday citizens are filling the local news void and bringing nuance back to political conversations. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/want-the-news-to-unite-people-let-them-report-it/

In a polarized political climate, the media we consume can either deepen our divides or help us understand the world more clearly. Journalist and author Monica Guzmán has some tips for spotting headlines designed to provoke rather than inform — and why being more intentional matters.

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/paris-student-protests-orchestra-artistic-expression/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-door-to-door-technique-defying-americas-political-division/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/there-are-ways-to-reduce-campus-sexual-assaults-will-more-colleges-use-them/

What happens when we stop seeing people who disagree with us as human beings? Hélène Biandudi Hofer of Good Conflict explores how political polarization can make us see the worst in people on the other side — and overlook their capacity to be thoughtful, compassionate and complex.

Amid student uprisings, an unique combination of passionate protest and artistic expression is “reaching people at the deepest level.” https://reasonstobecheerful.world/paris-student-protests-orchestra-artistic-expression/

Listen to a skeptical voter evolve their thinking on a divisive issue in a matter of minutes. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-door-to-door-technique-defying-americas-political-division/

In West Texas, a fight over the border wall is bringing together an unlikely coalition of Democrats and Republicans, border sheriffs, landowners and business owners. Their efforts appear to be making a difference — and offering a lesson in the power of collective action.

The Cornell rape case is yet another reminder that we need more than just talk about campus assault –– we need solutions. Is there a way to make these incidents more rare? https://reasonstobecheerful.world/there-are-ways-to-reduce-campus-sexual-assaults-will-more-colleges-use-them/

Why do disagreements with the people we love get so heated? It’s easy to assume the other person is irrational, ignorant or acting in bad faith. But what if there’s more going on beneath the surface?

In Big Bend, a nationally divisive symbol has forged an unlikely alliance among Republicans, Democrats and nearly everyone in between. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/behind-the-remarkable-resistance-to-trumps-big-bend-wall/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-library-is-closed-feel-free-to-come-in/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/teenagers-worldwide-are-tackling-the-plastics-crisis/

What does it mean to hold on to hope in a deeply divided country? It starts with how we show up for one another, even when we disagree. This story is part of The Depolarization Project, a series about people defying division with curiosity and courage.

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/young-adults-are-building-safe-spaces-for-unhoused-peers/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/can-students-and-teachers-learn-to-trust-each-other-in-the-age-of-ai/

How does a simple difference of opinion turn into hatred? It’s not always about the idea itself. As Hélène Biandudi Hofer explains, when we start seeing people who disagree with us as morally bad, ordinary differences can turn toxic.

As my dad declined, caring for him made me both softer and fiercer. Across the country, communities are finding the same strength in small acts of care. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/what-dementia-taught-me-about-living-through-a-callous-time/

Not a call to meet in the middle. Instead, an experiment in curiosity. reasonstobecheerful.world/depolarizati...

In communities where workspaces are scarce, libraries are welcoming visitors outside of staffed hours. All they need is a library card. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-library-is-closed-feel-free-to-come-in/

What if the most effective solutions to plastic pollution came from the people who will live longest with its consequences? https://reasonstobecheerful.world/teenagers-worldwide-are-tackling-the-plastics-crisis/

When Brooklyn student Leslie Gomez Rivera noticed classmates avoiding the cafeteria, she surveyed them about their experiences. The results helped spark conversations with school leaders and food service staff and taught her an enduring lesson about civic engagement. https://ow.ly/UQhi50ZXlFY

From campus apartments to church basements, youth-run shelters provide low-cost housing and a sense of belonging. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/young-adults-are-building-safe-spaces-for-unhoused-peers/

Classroom anxiety over A.I. is rising. It doesn’t have to be this way, says one high schooler. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/can-students-and-teachers-learn-to-trust-each-other-in-the-age-of-ai/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/gen-z-is-rescuing-millions-in-medical-supplies/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/how-nyc-students-saved-school-lunch/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-hospital-that-silenced-the-machines/

Hospitals across the U.S. throw away thousands of pounds of unopened medical supplies every year because they're unlikely to be used before their expiration dates. Now, a growing network of student-run organizations is intervening. https://ow.ly/LeYy50ZWcwn

Miss something? We’ve got you covered. We’re rounding up the bold ideas, bright breakthroughs and practical progress that moved the needle. The week’s worth of stories, tied up with a bow — no doomscrolling required.

Discarding desperately needed, sterile medical items? Not on our watch, say young people across the U.S. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/gen-z-is-rescuing-millions-in-medical-supplies/

Teens are reshaping citywide menus, redesigning cafeteria spaces and proving youth advocacy gets real results. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/how-nyc-students-saved-school-lunch/

Welcome to Born Into It, our weeklong series about solutions helping young people thrive in a complex world. This series is supported by UPIC Health.

Hospitals have spent decades trying to reduce noise with softer floors, sound-absorbing ceilings and requests for staff to keep their voices down. A hospital in Cornwall, England, took a different approach: It turned alarms into digital notifications. https://ow.ly/fALt50ZUOlN

One British hospital turned noise into digital data, giving patients back their rest and nurses their focus. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-hospital-that-silenced-the-machines/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/california-fires-seed-bomb-project/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/home-for-denver-homeless-college-students/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/forget-recycling-what-if-we-could-compost-or-reuse-everything/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-spark-the-community-lighthouses/

Miss something? We’ve got you covered. We’re rounding up the bold ideas, bright breakthroughs and practical progress that moved the needle. The week’s worth of stories, tied up with a bow — no doomscrolling required.

In the October edition of our newsletter about creating positive change, we look at community microgrids and volunteer emergency services. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-spark-the-community-lighthouses/

What began as one family’s attempt to heal after the Palisades Fire has become a broader effort to restore community and sow beauty. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/california-fires-seed-bomb-project/

See what stories caught our attention this week, including how to make cities less welcoming to rats and an airport cooled by tropical breezes. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/what-were-reading-rat-rangers-dc/

One out of seven surveyed students are unhoused. A new residence lets them focus on getting their degree without worrying about finding shelter. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/home-for-denver-homeless-college-students/

Rather than just trying to minimize damage, Cradle to Cradle is about designing systems that actually benefit people and the natural world. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/forget-recycling-what-if-we-could-compost-or-reuse-everything/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/what-were-reading-singapore-paying-people-to-read/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/nairobi-libraries-civic-hubs/

Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories.⁠ Read the story behind this stat here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/great-plains-ranchers-prescribed-burns/

Miss something? We’ve got you covered. We’re rounding up the bold ideas, bright breakthroughs and practical progress that moved the needle. The week’s worth of stories, tied up with a bow — no doomscrolling required.