Fall has arrived and, with it, more distance learning! To those who are still participating in 优蜜视频 online offerings like and , it鈥檚 been great to see you. To those who we haven鈥檛 seen in a while, we hope you鈥檙e hanging in there!

There鈥檚 a lot to juggle right now, so here are some ways for kids who love to learn to expand their knowledge without adding another Zoom meeting to their busy calendars:

1. Listen to a Podcast

There鈥檚 a podcast for every interest and they鈥檙e a perfect way to learn while on walks or car rides! If you鈥檇 like to listen to a podcast about giftedness, check out our from last year.

2. Start a Garden

Whether you start with a cactus or a vegetable garden, testing out your green thumb has plenty of learning opportunities.

3. Conduct a Survey

If you鈥檙e looking to gain some number sense and analytical skills, try sending a survey to family and friends, then drawing conclusions from the results. You can even display your family鈥檚 favorite animals or ice cream flavors in a pie chart!

4. Watch a Documentary

Not only are documentaries great antidotes to stress, but you can learn something while you watch! There are engaging documentaries available about nature, space, history, musicians, and more.

5. Observe an Animal

Go outside and find an animal 鈥� a bird, insect, squirrel, or otherwise 鈥� and watch it for several minutes. What is it doing? Does it have cool adaptations? What do you think it eats?

6. Write (or Draw) a Story

We all have a story to tell! Whether you write about something that happened to you, your favorite historical figure, or something entirely fictional, flex your brain by thinking about how to tell the story in the most interesting way. Is there information you can wait to reveal to build suspense? Is there a joke that could make your readers laugh?

7. Learn a New Art Form

Now is a great time to learn how to weave, embroider, macrame, or paint. Anything can be art, and it鈥檚 so nice to take a break from screens to make something with your hands. Look online or head to a local craft store for inspiration!

8. Play a Strategy Game

优蜜视频 students love to play Connect 4, Sequence, Settlers of Catan, and Set. These and other games can help boost your logic skills even while you鈥檙e enjoying time with your family.

9. Cook or Bake

The culinary arts are full of chemistry and math! Pick out a recipe that uses ingredients you already have on-hand, then start measuring and mixing. What kind of physical and chemical reactions happen as you complete each step? How would you double the recipe?

10. Take a Virtual Museum Tour

We all miss walking around museums, but the next best thing is safely touring them from home. The , Amsterdam鈥檚 , and have virtual tours online.

How else have you been learning this year? Let us know in the comments!

In July of last year, I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy, an ethnomusicology professor at UCLA, at Apsara Media. I helped Dr. Amy with her work with the Sidi people, an African, Sufi minority in India. In particular, I was involved with the Sidi Literacy Project, a program that sets out to better the Sidi community through education, editing Dr. Amy鈥檚 footage from her last visit to India. Aside from working on the project, I had the opportunity to read books and watch documentaries on the group every day in an effort to understand the music and customs of the Sidi people.

During this externship, Dr. Amy has shown me that in order to serve my community and improve the world that I live in, it is imperative to understand life from the point of view of others. In understanding more about Sidi culture, I realized that the pressing matters discussed in the footage I was editing began to make more sense, as it not only presented conflict but also posed an answer to the question, 鈥淲hy is this happening?鈥� Many social injustices and violations of human rights look to 鈥渃ulture鈥� as its scapegoat. Just because actions are justified in the name of culture, in the name of a god, does not make them just.

Still, there is much value and beauty in culture. Cultural practices help shape our world into a conglomerate of individuals, not a group that enforces uniformity. In order to be true to our roots, learn from mistakes of the past, and embrace where we come from, culture must be preserved. To resolve conflict in our country and in other nations, it is important to find a balance between innovation and tradition. That balance can only be established with widespread education and a genuine interest to understand another group of people.

How are we supposed to reach resolution when the question of 鈥渨hy?鈥� hasn鈥檛 been answered yet? I realized that, at times, many social injustices originate from varying cultures; however, I believe that the reason they still exist and continue to spread is because of our inability to look at culture as a viable inhibitor for basic human rights. It is only when we understand this idea and step into the shoes of others that we can find a balance between culture and progress. In doing so, we can find a solution to inequality that does not impose our own value system on others, a solution that holds both culture and social justice equal to each other.

Last summer, I realized that there is a way that I can be a force for good in my community. Through the many days she鈥檚 spent watching documentaries with me, through the days she spent translating Gujarati into English with me, through the visit she brought me on to the ethnomusicology department at UCLA, and through the Sidi Literacy Project and her other research, Dr. Amy taught me that. I鈥檝e realized that the most effective mentors are those who have challenged me to wonder why things are the way they are, to allow my passions to guide me, and to inspire others to want to do better for the world that we live in. I am so thankful to Dr. Amy for her encouragement and for opening up a different world to me.

Want to experience a hands-on externship under the guidance of an experienced mentor this summer? ! Applications for the 2019 program are due April 9, 2019.

Read Part 1 of this series .