Slopes and Wheels.
From the cold wilderness of Alaska to the inner workings of the heart, Preston Pollard is helping kids rethink the way they approach life.
Preston Pollard grew up in Alaska. Not exactly a mecca for skateboarders. But Preston isn’t one to follow in anyone else’s footsteps. Read Story
Tolstoy and the Power of Kindness.
“The more intelligent a person is, the more he discovers kindness in others,” Tolstoy once wrote. In all his great works that explore the indignity and misery brought upon the human race, this one truth stands out brightest in his writing.
Leo Tolstoy, the great Russian novelist, explored the deepest workings of the human spirit. His sprawling epic, War and Peace, depicts the Napoleonic invasion of Russia through five aristocratic families. Read Story
Disagree Better. Have More Friends. Be Happier.
Marianne Viray worked for nonprofits for years. She saw what worked and what didn’t, but at heart, something was missing. What she discovered in her research is that opportunities for people to improve their lives naturally follow when they have the skills to understand another’s perspective and work together.
Learning how to get along seems elementary to most of us. Conflict is unnatural and unwanted, but it seems to be the default when we feel threatened. If not defused, the conflict can widen, and we all suffer the consequences. Read Story
The Baseball Player you’ve Never Heard of is the Player we Should All Aspire to be.
David Ross played for three MLB teams, winning two World Series, hitting a home run to cinch the championship for the improbable Cubs, and solidifying his place in sports history as a great teammate.
Many of us dream of being the hero in a baseball game. Bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, the world championship on the line. The pitch. The swing. The hit … and it’s gone! Read Story
Surgery Without Anesthetic?!
Before the mid-1800s, surgery was performed without painkillers. That is, if you were brave enough to even opt for surgery. Then came along William T. Morton, a dentist who was troubled by the pain his patients felt and set out to do something about it. Read Story
Diamond Girls.
Nearly half of the young men in America — 16.5 million Americans — served in World War II. They left behind a lot of work to be done in fields and factories. And when families wanted to relax and enjoy a game of baseball, many of the clubs couldn’t field a full team. Read Story
The Autobiography of a Horse that Changed the World.
Anna Sewell wrote “Black Beauty” toward the end of her life. It was her homage to the beautiful animals that carted her around when ailments prevented her from walking. She died shortly after the book was published, not seeing the international success and sales of over 50 million copies. Read Story
On the Wings of Angels.
Angel Flight has picked up 7-year-old Itzy in her home in a small Kansas town and flown her to Colorado to see cancer specialists over 60 times — at no cost to Itzy and her family.
Drive into the parking lot of any major cancer hospital, and you will be greeted by a small village of RVs. Families bring their siblings and children to the hospitals for weeks-long treatments. Read Story
Challenge, Change and Complexity: The Big 3 Cs.
The three Cs seem to make us miserable, but they ultimately lead to greater life fulfillment and happiness. Dr. Taryn Marie, a leading expert in resiliency, teaches us that the hard things in life are not to be avoided, but to be embraced for what they teach us.
Dr. Taryn Marie was a determined 8-year-old. Early on, she struggled to read, but instead of letting her failing grades detour her, she allowed them to motivate her to do better. That’s the first life lesson: Never let anyone else tell you that you can’t do it. Read Story
Capturing Determination and Strength.
John Singer Sargent is noted for his ability to capture the essence of a person’s character. In his portrait of Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler, we discover the strength of a woman who has suffered tragedy, borne heavy responsibility and developed great character.
John Singer Sargent was born in the mid-1850s in Florence, Italy, to American parents. His elevated position in society allowed him to pursue the arts, not as merely a decorator, but as a painter determined to capture the essence of his subjects. Read Story
A Whale of a Story.
How Moko the dolphin led a disoriented mother whale and her calf through a treacherous channel and back out to sea.
Dolphins have long been recognized for their good deeds in the ocean, often rescuing stranded sailors or playfully surfing the waves behind fishing boats. Many cultures view dolphins as symbols of good luck and protection. Read Story
The Long Walk.
In rural Sierra Leone, where distance often stands between children and their dreams, Mustapha's journey from shoeless schoolboy to education pioneer began with a two-mile walk to school. Decades later, he's still moving forward.
As a young boy, Mustapha’s father gave him a choice: The little money they had could go to a pair of shoes or to school fees. Mustapha chose school, and every day he walked two miles to class, barefoot. Read Story
The Cellist of Sarajevo.
In the grips of war, the people of Sarajevo waited anxiously for some kind of resolution. Much of the city had been reduced to rubble. Life hung by a thread. The notes of hope cut through the air for 22 days straight as cellist Vedran Smailović risked death to fill the air with music.
In 1992, the country of Yugoslavia was being torn apart. Warring factions created chaos in this otherwise beautiful city. Read Story
From Humble Dishwasher to Mega-star.
Without the help of an elderly waiter, Sidney Poitier might never have become the actor that he is.
Sydney Poitier, the charismatic actor with the smooth-toned voice and intense gaze, rose to stardom in the 1960s. Honored by the Screen Actors Guild, winner of an Academy Award and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Poitier became a household name. But he got his start as a dishwasher. Read Story
It’s Okay to Admit When You are Wrong.
A cancer survivor and his best friend live through an avalanche and preserve their friendship. A StoryCorps story.
Longtime friends Alex Lewis and Matt Koch hiked into the Colorado backcountry in December of 2016, planning to spend four days in the wilderness, miles away from the nearest town. Read Story
