【推荐2】When Sarah Harmeyer moved to Dallas before the pandemic, she didn’t know any of her neighbors. So she decided to invite them all to dinner — and was thrilled when 91 people showed up in her backyard.

While COVID-19 has changed how neighbors interact, making helpful connections to people and businesses nearby is more important than ever. For Harmeyer, it started with a simple desire to know others in her community. And the free Nextdoor neighborhood networking app made what could seem like an awesome process easy.

“I went to the Nextdoor app and I said, ‘If you’ve never stepped outside of your house to meet your neighbors, would you consider coming? I would love to meet you,’” she said. After she reached out, Harmeyer discovered others wanted to connect just as much as she did, if not more. “Something is extraordinary when we reach out to each other as neighbors,” Harmeyer said.

Since that first request, Harmeyer has now hosted gatherings with more than 3,500 neighbors in total. She’s had people over for dinner, backyard concerts, holiday parties and more. By posting her invitations to Nextdoor, she continues to grow her community. Harmeyer even shares hosting tips and tricks through Nextdoor for others interested in becoming “people-gatherers” like her.

“By the time I left, I felt like I had new friends,” Jennifer Rylander said after attending one of Harmeyer’s backyard gatherings. Neighbor Travis Brannon added, “It takes a lot of courage to take that next step and get out and meet someone face-to-face.”

Harmeyer’s story shows how one person has the power to strengthen their entire neighborhood. Technology like Nextdoor can be used to promote real — world interactions — and, in return, these gatherings can spark positive change.

【推荐2】It’s 1:30 am in Kenya’s populated north, and 50 people are lying on their backs on the shore of a dried-up river, staring up at the night sky. These stargazers have travelled 250 miles to Samburu to witness the Perseid meteor shower(英仙座流星雨). They are not disappointed: Every few minutes, arrows of light shoot across the sky like silent fireworks.

The Star Safari is organised by a Kenyan astronomer, Susan Murabana, who has brought a 50 kg,170 cm-long telescope to allow the group to view Mars and deep-sky objects. But here in Samburu, where light pollution is minimal, the Perseid meteors—visible with the naked eye (裸眼)—steal the show.

Every two months, Murabana and her husband load their telescope on to the roof of their 4×4 and set off to rural communities, where they give up to 300 children a chance to view the planets and learn about constellations (星座) and the basics of astrophysics. They primarily targets schools in remote areas because of her mission to give girls an opportunity that she wishes had been available to her.

“When I started this work, I didn’t see people who looked like me. I was a lone ranger and I wanted to change that.” says Murabana.

“There is a common misconception in Kenya that astronomy in general is hard, boring, and only for boys,” she adds. “I’d like to teach young girls that astronomy is neither of these things and that they, too, can become astronomers,” says Murabana.

Murabana’s passion for astronomy began in her early 20s when her uncle invited her to join a similar outreach session organized by the Cosmos Education. “That was a gamechanger. If an outreach group had come to me when I was a young teenager, my attitude towards a career in astronomy would have been positive. I ended up studying sociology and economics, but maybe I would have desired to be an astronomer,” she says.

Inspired by the Cosmos Education, Murabana completed an online master’s degree in astronomy with the James Cook University in 201l and set up her own outreach programme. She looked to Dr Mae Jemison, the first black woman in space, as a role model. “I hope that one day, through this work, I will spark a chain reaction that leads to the first African woman in space.”

【推荐3】An 11-year-old boy has become a hero since his quick thinking saved two lives. Davyon Johnson helped save a choking classmate and a woman attempting to escape a fire. On Dec. 8, 2021 the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Department honored Johnson for his heroics at a meeting. At the event, Undersheriff Greg Martin gave the sixth-grader a certificate naming him an honorary deputy for the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office. “We are all so proud of you, Johnson!!” wrote the sheriff’s office in a post on Facebook on Dec. 14, 2021.

The Muskogee Public Schools recognized Davyon Johnson during the meeting Tuesday. Principal Latricia Dawkins considered Johnson a hero in an interview. “He always says that he wants to be an emergency medical technician. So he put that desire into action and immediately saved that young man,” Dawkins said, adding that Johnson “is just a kind soul and liked by students and teachers”.

The first incident happened during the school day. Johnson jumped into action after one of his classmates accidentally swallowed a water bottle cap and was choked (窒息) by it after attempting to unscrew (拧开) it with his mouth. Johnson immediately ran to the child and performed the Heimlich maneuver. Dawkins said, “From the account of the witnesses, when he did it, the bottle cap came out.” Johnson said he learned how to do the Heimlich maneuver on YouTube, and suggested others do the same.

Johnson’s heroism didn’t end there. After school, during the day after he saved his classmate, Johnson spotted a woman attempting to escape from a burning home. He quickly realized the worried woman was moving slowly and ran across the street to help her. “She was a disabled lady and being a good citizen, I should help her leave,” Johnson said.

LaToya, the boy’s mother, said, “I don’t feel surprised at my son’s actions. I’m just a proud mom.”

【推荐2】Jean was a teacher who taught first grade. She drove an old Jetta with dull blue paint and worn seats. It wasn’t the speediest tool, but Jean was never late to work. In fact, each school day she was the first teacher to arrive and the last teacher to leave.

She took great care to plan instruction, create assessments, and decorate her classroom. Parents in the neighborhood would beat down the principal’s door to have their children arranged to her class. Jean could teach a mouse to read, and all her students passed into second grade with advanced vocabularies and language skills.

One August, two sisters in high school did not want to enter foster care. They contacted their first grade teacher, Jean. Jean lived in quite an ordinary home with her son. Yet, she took the sisters in.Packed with children, the little blue Jetta sputtered, but they had a good laugh.

One day, Jean spoke about her car, which she had driven for many years and had been old enough to retire. It was kind of dangerous for students to ride in such a car. She wanted a van. However, a new van was not within her ability. As a good friend, I listened to her concern. Then, an idea came to me. I wrote a letter to The Oprah Winfrey Show, sharing Jean’s story and her wish.

A month passed. Jean was invited to attend The Oprah W infrey Show.Oprah hugged Jean and told the details of Jean’s story. Oprah announced that Jean deserved a new van. Six hundred miles away, I watched the joy from the television. Jean’s big heart taught me many lessons that year. One of them is that the simplest acts can require a strong faith, with which nothing is impossible.