2 . As Alexandria Country Day School’s sixth-graders created miniature 3D printed villages to address homelessness, they learned lessons far beyond technology.

“It Takes a Village” began as a project for a science class, inspired by life-size 3D-printed homes built by Austin, Texas-based technology company Icon.

No strangers to classroom 3D projects, the students were fascinated by Icon’s use of a similar process to create homes made of inexpensive concrete-like material. Unlike standard construction methods, the process of building these durable homes takes just a few days.

While creating their mini 3D buildings, the students explored how such technology allows design freedom and quick changes. Mathematical conversions helped get the relations right. For example, a real 25-foot-by-20-foot one-bedroom house would be printed as 40-millimeter-by-32-millimeter (about 1 1/2 inch by 1 1/4 inch) for their mini village. Salwa Seman, 11, said that getting the dimensions and settings correct before construction began was challenging as she created a curved-wall amphitheater (圆形剧场).

The tech-focused project quickly evolved into “an exercise in empathy (共情), innovation and cooperation designed to bring about lasting change”. “When most people think of helping the homeless, they think of food and clothing drives,” said Juliet Galicia, 11. “While necessary, those are temporary fixes. Even housing by itself is not a complete solution.”

In designing their leave-homelessness-behind neighborhoods, priorities were shelter, food stores, schools, and health centers. But to build a sense of belonging and purpose, the miniature communities also emphasized areas for frequent interaction among residents. “We wanted to make it feel more like a real community,” said Luke Wazorko, 11. A community garden, a place to raise chickens, an amphitheater for shared events, bus stops for access to jobs, and infrastructure for Wi-Fi and cellphones to help in job searches were important features to offer formerly unhoused residents.

Amber Fogarty, president of a nonprofit organization tackling homelessness in Austin, said, “Housing alone will never solve homelessness, but community will. People need a place where they are known, cared for and loved.”

3 . The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), located in the West Kowloon Cultural District of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was established on June 22 and is scheduled to open to the public on July 2. More than 40,000 tickets were sold or reserved within eight hours on the first day of public sale, and all free visits on Wednesdays in July were fully booked.

The HKPM, not only adds to cultural atmosphere in the city, but also provides a new site for local residents and visitors to learn about the development of Chinese civilization and culture. More than 900 pieces of treasures from the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing will be put on display at the opening exhibitions. From paintings to ancient architectures, the exhibits span the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, covering all categories of the collection of the Palace Museum, including 166 pieces of first-class cultural relics of the country. This will be the largest and highest-level cultural heritage exhibitions of the Palace Museum outside of the mainland since its establishment in 1925.

Prepare work for the exhibitions began in 2018, with the Palace Museum fielding a team of leading experts and scholars, associated with the manage team of the HKPM.

“It is a great thing to display the pieces of cultural relics in Hong Kong, which reflects the central government’s support to the development of Hong Kong’s cultural projects,” said Ng, adding that the exhibits from the Palace Museum will present a cultural feast to Hong Kong residents by telling them about the motherland’s long history and splendid culture.

“Promoting traditional Chinese culture is one of our important tasks,” said Betty Fung, chief executive officer of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. She said the HKPM will actively push ahead with the publicity of the motherland’s culture and history after its opening, enhancing Hong Kong residents’ cultural confidence in the country, especially among youths.

Fung said that the HKPM will actively enhance cooperation with international museums, telling the world the stories of China, including the stories of Hong Kong.

4 . Dallas is known as a cultural center of Texas, with some of the state’s most popular attractions. While these attractions are temporarily closed, you can still wander the halls of top museums, take in the city skyline, learn a little history or check on your animal friends.

Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Check out the “Amaze Your Brain at Home” series to watch your favorite concepts from the Museum come to life. Explore nature and science at home and in your backyard, all while using the most common household objects and supplies. Take a 360 virtual tour of the “Origins： Fossils from the Cradle of Humankind”.

Reunion Tower GeO-Deck

You can still experience Reunion Tower from the comfort of your own home. Color the Dallas skyline, download a game sheet and get video-call ready with Zoom backgrounds. See the 360-degree panoramic (全景的) views with the Reunion Tower virtual reality app or get a live view of Dallas from EarthCam. Find all the fun on the “Visit Me Virtually” page.

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

A historic Dallas landmark, The Sixth Floor Museum is located within the former Texas School Book Depository building and keeps records of the life, death and legacy of President John F. Kennedy. You can explore the online collection to see things like an interactive motorcade map, home movies and photo galleries.

Dallas Zoo

Dallas Zoo is using this time to continue to engage, educate, inspire — and ultimately, bring a smile to your face. Chat with staff, see what the animals are up to, and find activity ideas from the Zoo’s education and conservation teams. Keep up on Facebook and the Zoo’s “Bring the Zoo to You” page.