The Innovation Issue 2018
Why Do Kids Love Video Games — and When Do Parents Need to Take Control; DIY Halloween Costumes; Teen Home Builders; Smart Toy Tips;
Mind the Gap
The Vermont Women’s Fund supports programs that provide at-risk young women ages 12 to 25 with opportunities and experiences that expand their vision for the future. Reshma Saujani knows more than a little about this. Six years ago, Saujani started Girls Who Code, a national nonprofit aimed at closing the gender gap in technology by…
Star Struck
On October 26, the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains host a Star Party at the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium in St. Johnsbury, featuring a 50-minute planetarium presentation; hands-on activities, including paper rocket construction; and models showing the Earth and moon’s orbits and the layers of the atmosphere. The event is part of…
Boston Bound
Since it premiered in 2015, the Tony-winning Broadway musical Hamilton has drawn throngs of theatergoers to its sold-out performances. In November, Poultney High School students will get their shot to see the touring production of Hamilton at the Boston Opera House, thanks to a grant from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Poultney is…
Editor’s Note: Plugged In
When my son, Theo, was 6 years old, he started playing Minecraft. He quickly became hooked. The video game became a frequent topic of conversation with his friends, and he spent more time than I’d care to admit down in the basement — often in the company of my husband, who also caught the Minecraft…
The Art Of… Do-It-Yourself Costumes
What better time for mummies, daddies, boils and ghouls to let their imaginations run wild than in the weeks leading up to Halloween? For our October 2014 issue, we asked readers to share their favorite homemade costumes from years past. It was so fun, we decided to do it again. Via email, parents discussed their…
Why Is It Important to Encourage Kids to Innovate— and How Do We Do It?
Innovation is a popular buzzword, particularly as it applies to tech and business. While the internet offers literally hundreds of definitions of the word, according to Merriam-Webster, it means “the introduction of something new” or “a new idea, device or method.” Every parent knows that kids start innovating at a young age. Children pile up…
Somewhat Scary
On a Megabus trip to Boston last year, author Katherine Arden paid extra for a prime upper deck seat, anticipating an awesome view. But when dense fog surrounded the bus, the writer turned her disappointment into creativity. During the ride, she scribbled notes that became “the bones” of a spooky middle grade novel, Small Spaces,…
What Do Parents Need to Know About “Smart” Tech Toys?
Robots, play telephones and speaking toys have long been part of the children’s toy landscape. However, never before have electronic toys been as sophisticated as they are today. Many so-called “smart toys” now include built-in computers, digital cameras, microphones, Wi-Fi capability and even artificial intelligence that remembers, learns and alters its behavior based on interactions…
Destination Recreation: Ten Obscure Places to Visit
Want to know more about the fanciest public restroom in New York City? An Egyptian temple featuring one of the first drawings of medical and surgical instruments? An angel sculpture in England made from more than 100,000 knives? Look no further than Atlas Obscura. Founded by author Joshua Foer and documentary filmmaker Dylan Thuras, the…
Home Schooled: Teens Build Houses in Essex Tech Program
When they graduate from high school, students enrolled in the residential building class at the Center for Technology, Essex, will have something other than a diploma to show for their work: a 2,900 square-foot, four bedroom, two-and-a-half bath colonial. They’re installing Sheetrock in it now. The house, at 28 Taft Street in Essex Junction, is…
Maple-Apple Tarte Tatin: A Vermont Spin on a French Classic
In July, I traveled to Toulouse in southwestern France with my mother and sister to celebrate a family wedding. My father’s cousin and his daughter live there now, and she was getting married. None of us speaks much French, but we do speak food. When people rave about French cuisine, they are not just talking.…
Mom Takes Notes, October 2018
It wasn’t until I was 16 that one of my friends got a Nokia 3110 phone. It was essentially useless for months, as no one else in our friend group had a cellphone and service was very expensive. Eventually, more and more friends got cellphones and we were able to send 160-character messages back and…
Real Intelligence: A Teen Tackles Tricky Questions on a New Tech Task Force
Name: Milo Cress Age: 17 Town: Shelburne What should the government’s role be in regulating artificial intelligence technologies? Should self-driving cars prioritize protecting the lives of their passengers at the risk of pedestrians? What is artificial intelligence, really? These are tough questions, and 17-year-old Milo Cress is helping to find the answers. The Champlain Valley…
Parent as Patient: How a Major Surgery Taught Me What My Daughter Needed
This summer, I stumbled upon a surprising discovery: My major hip operation — and the arduous recovery that followed — had a positive impact on my 5-year-old daughter, Poppy. I’d struggled with leg pain all my life, but a year after Poppy’s birth, when I was 34, the sharp pain in my hip became excruciating.…
Child’s Play: Why Do Kids Love Video Games — and When Do Parents Need to Take Control?
Eleven-year-old Gabe Little is an articulate, polite sixth grader with a purple streak running through his dark brown hair. He’s a Boy Scout, a football player for the CSSU Buccaneers and a saxophonist in the Shelburne Community School band. Gabe is also an avid and enthusiastic video game player. His game of choice these days?…
