All People Making a Difference
- Difference MakerGerard and Beatrice Barras reopened a wool mill and helped save a town
They spun their interest in an old wool mill into an unconventional business that revived a French village.
- Cynthia Kersey helps girls become 'unstoppable'
She founded the Unstoppable Foundation, which concentrates on getting girls in Africa into school and keeping them there.
- Isis Dallis Keigwin supports youths who 'age out' of foster care
Her Camellia Network provides a way for former foster kids to share their stories and connect with mentors, job training, and internship programs.
- Out of the fog: how a startup harvests water from thin air
PHOG Water has developed a net, based on ancient technology, that catches water from fog.
- Nobel Peace laureates mentor youths through PeaceJam
Punk rocker Ivan Suvanjieff and his wife, economist Dawn Engle, founded PeaceJam to help Nobel Peace Prize laureates share their stories with youths around the world.
- Difference MakerAarne Saluveer helps meld an alienated Russian minority into Estonia’s culture
The conductor is on a mission to bring Estonia’s Russian- and Estonian-speakers together in the way he knows best – through song.
- Why Target stopped asking job applicants if they've been convicted of a crime
More than 60 counties, cities, and states – and some corporations – are reducing discrimination against former offenders by 'banning the box' from job applications.
- Good Samaritans fix a wheelchair on the spot
When Michael Sulsona's wheelchair broke down while he was shopping at a home improvement store, four employees dropped everything to help.
- A hashtag that refuses to see Israelis and Arabs as enemies
An Israeli student living in the US has started the online campaign #JewsAndArabsRefuseToBeEnemies. While many have applauded, he says, others have been afraid to join in.
- 'Cafeteria Man' champions fresh foods in schools
Tony Geraci has transformed the food program in Baltimore's public schools, replacing 'mystery meat' and canned foods with fresh, local produce and introducing students to how food is grown and prepared.
- Texas longhorns may come to the rescue in desert lands
The Israel Longhorn Project wants to introduce Texas longhorns into desert areas of East Africa and Israel. The hardy species eats invasive shrubs and is resistant to diseases rampant in hot climates.
- Maria Shriver launches service program to honor her dad
The Shriver Corps, named after Sargent Shriver, who founded the Peace Corps, will train volunteers to help poor Americans.
- Difference MakerMike Domitrz developed 'Can I Kiss You?' to promote healthy dating
He crisscrosses the country speaking at colleges and on military bases, blending humor, audience participation, and how-to advice to prompt people to think through a sometimes daunting subject – dating.
- Abbe Museum takes 'greening' seriously
The museum, which tells the stories of native American peoples in Maine, has 'loudly retrofitted' to reduce oil and electricity consumption.
- Saving soil: digging for solutions beneath our feet
Agriculture doesn't have to degrade soils – it's possible for food production to enrich the earth, restore nutrients, conserve water, and prevent erosion.
- Difference MakerDeb Socia helps the disadvantaged learn essential computer skills
Boston-based Tech Goes Home provides computer training for inner-city students, the very poor, those with disabilities, seniors, and immigrants.
- Tara Books opens a new page for tribal artists in India
Gita Wolf collaborates with India's women tribal artists to create award-winning books and help the women step across the gulf that divides them from the modern world.
- Wilma Melville turns rescued dogs into rescuers
The Search Dog Foundation partners dogs rescued from shelters with firefighters to help find victims buried in the wreckage of disasters.
- Sri Lanka tea plantations go greener
Growers in Sri Lanka with small tea plantations are seeking certification with an international conservation organization in order to boost their brand and learn conservation techniques.
- Why Barbara Bush started Global Health Corps
Barbara Bush, the daughter of former President George W. Bush, welcomes the sixth class of Global Health Corps fellows for two weeks of training. The Global Health Corps places young professionals and recent college graduates in fellowships with health organizations in the United States and Africa for a year of service.