Two new television series have hit the mainstream with a dose of reality for the 1 in every 68 people in the United States who are diagnosed on the autism spectrum, and their families, friends, and colleagues.
Back in July, we told you we were working on an innovative philanthropic initiative aimed at high school students. Now, ThePurpose Challenge is live and online at purposechallenge.org. A partnership between ProSocial and UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, with support from the John Templeton Foundation, the project draws on decades of research into the roots and benefits of purpose, which is linked with health, longevity, success, and life satisfaction.
“Last Flag Flying” isn’t your typical Hollywood military drama. There are no explosions or intense battle scenes. In the classic fashion of director Richard Linklater (“Boyhood,” “Before Sunrise,” “Dazed and Confused”), the action revolves around the main characters’ stories, shared history, and banter with one another.
ProSocial has consulted on social impact campaigns on behalf of a slew of issues related to health and well-being, education, the environment, women’s empowerment, and more. Recently, something unusual happened: We were asked to help a documentary film about a social issue that we not only had never worked on before…but also had no idea was an issue.
The new film Crown Heights is a crime story, a legal drama, a love story, and a tale of enduring friendship all rolled into one. It’s a true story, yet it’s scripted. More than anything, it’s a strong commentary on what President Obama described as “one aspect of American life that remains particularly skewed by race and by wealth, a source of inequity that has ripple effects on families and on communities and ultimately on our nation—and that is our criminal justice system.”
Lately any discussion of being environmentally green seems to get into the topic of red vs. blue. Whereas in 1991, 78% of both Democrats and Republicans considered themselves environmentalists, a Gallup poll from last year found that now “27% of Republicans think of themselves that way, compared with 56% of Democrats, a partisan gap of 29 percentage points.”
The documentary film Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman offers a fresh take on conservation.
As this newsletter lands in your in-box, Meredith (ProSocial Founder & CEO) is sitting with thought leaders from around the globe excitedly listening to dozens of accomplished speakers deliver 18-minute talks on “ideas worth spreading.” Exhausting and rewarding, the TED Conference is the world’s flagship annual Technology, Entertainment, and Design convening. It is an extraordinary meeting of ideas, minds, networks, and institutions and a catalyst for a better future.
Scientists have found an important factor that links people who are healthier, happier, more satisfied and successful at work, and even live longer—and we’re not talking about diet, exercise, or sleep. So why don’t more people know about the importance of purpose?
“If I were running a school, I’d have one standing assignment that would begin in the first grade and go all the way through school, every week: that each child should bring in something said by an authority—it could be by the teacher or something they see in print, but something that they don’t agree with—and refute it.” —Jane Jacobs
In March, I got to meet one of my idols, Jane Goodall. Although she is famous for her pioneering work with chimpanzees, discovering their commonalities with humans, and becoming an champion for conservation, most people don’t know her incredible backstory: the determination that took her from a girl who loved a chimpanzee stuffed animal and animal books like Dr. Doolittle to a young woman waitressing to pay for a ticket to Africa.