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Nonprofit Campaigns to Make Boston Happier

A suicide-prevention group is generating smiles to the faces of commuters and pedestrians in Boston with their Happier Boston Campaign, which involves social interventions such as singing in elevators and asking everyone in the baseball stadium to give high-fives to everyone nearby.

Recent Posts
Final Steel Beam Lifted at 4 World Trade Center

Gospel singer BeBe Winans sang God Bless America and more than 100 workers signed the final steel beam that was lifted into place at the new World Trade Center skyscraper, the first expected to be open for business since the twin towers were decimated on 9/11. Workers raised their hardhats in tribute as the mammoth beam rose slowly into the Manhattan sky at the ceremony Monday to mark the completion of the structure at 4 World Trade Center.

Vast Urban Farm Grows Fish, Food In Old Chicago Meat Plant

On the third floor of an old meat-packing plant is a humid hothouse filled with rows of greens and sprouts, even exotic white strawberries. Nearby, in large barrels swim dozens of tilapia, fish native to tropical regions. The Plant is a leading example for urban vertical farming using old warehouses, where plants and fish are raised symbiotically, with a closed-loop system that uses all waste toward the production of food.

Do Good Mayor Cory Booker Strikes Again, Saves Woman From Fire

The Newark, New Jersey mayor -- already lionized in some corners for his good deeds -- added to his list of praiseworthy actions on last night when he raced into a burning home to help save a woman trapped inside. Cory Booker said he contemplated jumping from a second story window, but escaped down a staircase instead.

Newest Subway Hero: 'Snackman' Casually Breaks Up Fight

24 year-old Charles Sonder got on a New York Subway with a bag of cheddar Pringles chips, and a knack for peace. As the train rolled toward its next stop, a fight between a man and a woman broke out; curses were uttered, and punches and kicks were thrown. At that moment, Sonder moved toward where the man was standing, and parked himself there, calmly munching on his chips.

Ottawa Bus Passengers Sing for Silenced Driver

Passengers on Ottawa buses were breaking into song Friday to show their support for a silenced singing bus driver. The transit sing-song was organized by passengers who were upset when driver Yves Roy was told earlier this month to stop belting out songs along his route.

Hardware Store Recreates Van Gogh's Starry Night With Door Knobs

Looking at a warehouse full of discontinued door knobs, the folks at Union Hardware in Maryland wondered what they could possibly do to put all those products to better use. So, in 2011 the third-generation, family-owned business began a project to bring to life Vincent Van Gogh's masterpiece Starry Night using the tools of the hardware trade -- door knobs, levers and plates.

Las Vegas Principal Goes Door to Door Hoping To Beat The Odds

Nevada has the lowest high school graduation rate in the country. But now a multi-million dollar federal grant is helping one district turn its schools around. Host Michel Martin speaks with a principal who spent last Saturday knocking on the doors of students who dropped out, encouraging them to come back to school.

Turning Graffiti into a Public Art Education Program

Philadelphia's mural art project has changed the face of the city from grim and gloomy to colorful, cultural and spirited. As a bonus, the kids who have joined the program to paint the run-down walls of urban buildings racked up a 100% record of graduating from high school.

CodeNow Teaches City Kids Coding, Sparking Lifelong Interest

Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Steve Jobs changed the way we live. All had one thing in common: Access to technology at an early age. A DC-based nonprofit called CodeNow is teaching underrepresented youth the fundamental skills of computer programming. While taking free courses, the city kids -- almost 40% are girls -- build robots, Twitter apps, and a better future.