Neighborday Recap: The 10 Best Things That Happened This April 27th
- Hannah Wasserman wrote in Culture, News and Communities
This past Saturday, April 27th, marked the first annual Neighborday. In 22 countries around the world, thousands of people reached over their fences and got to know their neighbors. Like many of you who hosted Neighbordays, we found out that the community really wanted and needed this excuse to get together. We were floored by the enthusiasm, creativity, and doing we saw from the GOOD community. Thank you all so much for your participation. You truly made Neighborday a success!
Here at GOOD HQ we do a lot of top 10 lists, so I’ve crafted an initial top 10 best things that happened on Neighborday 2013. These are in no particular order and I am still getting in a bunch of pictures and stories, so don’t be surprised if this becomes a top 100 list by the end of the week. Have your own top moments? Share them in the comments and/or send to neighborday@goodinc.com
View the full list 10 Best Things from Neighborday on good.is
Infographic: Improving the World, One Patent at a Time
- GOOD Partnerships and FFunction contributed in Technology, Innovation and Infographics
This content was produced by GOOD with support of IBM
Every Tuesday, thousands of patents are issued in the United States, with more than 250,000 issued in 2012. Patents recognize inventors and protect the originality of their ideas, so they can continue to create the innovations that power the world around us. From the technology you carry in your pocket to the type of flowers in your garden, they’ve all come from patents. For 20 years running, IBM has been awarded the most U.S. patents with 6,478 issued in 2013 alone. Check out some of their patents in the infographic above.
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Also: Check out IBM’s tumblr, IBMblr. We’re big fans.
Learn About Your Local History
- Stef McDonald wrote in Building Blocks Of Citizenship and Neighboring
How much do you know about your neighborhood’s history? This week, take time to uncover the secrets of the town or city you call home. Find out who that park is named after and who else roamed the halls of the high school. Finally stop to read the plaque on the side of that building you walk by every day. Start with your local library, search Google and Wikipedia, check in with your local historical society, or slide up and bend the ear of the bartender serving cocktails at your local dive. You can come away with a more solid sense of place with what you learn about your local history and may just be inspired by those who have come before you.
Illustration by Jessica De Jesus
Starting a New Tradition: Georgia Students Hold School’s First-Ever Integrated Prom
- Liz Dwyer wrote in Education, Race and Georgia
A group of high school seniors at Wilcox County High School in rural south Georgia made history this past weekend by bucking their community’s longstanding tradition of racially segregated proms—yes, one prom for white teens and one for black teens. Indeed, thanks to the inspiring students behind the Integrated Prom movement, for the first time ever, black and white students in the community dressed up and danced the night away together.
How does a community get around having a prom that’s open to everyone without violating any civil rights laws? Easy. You just don’t let the school sponsor it. After the courts integrated the schools in the area, proms became private, invite-only events. White parents began raising funds for an all-white senior prom, leaving black families with no choice but to follow suit and host proms for their children.
Yes, this still goes on on 2013, and not just in this town, either. And yes, some white Wilcox students still attended the all-white only prom. But as you can see from the video above, what happens when students say they’ve had enough and take action is truly inspiring.
Roar of the Crowd: Social Media Cheers of Encouragement for Jason Collins
- Stef McDonald shared in Sports and Living
When news broke that pro basketball player Jason Collins came out as gay, supporters—from fellow athletes to a former President—flocked to Twitter to send him words of support and thanks. In his Sports Illustrated story, he wrote, “I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, ‘I’m different.’ If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.” In this case, tweets of support are like virtual high-fives. Way to go.
Intermission: Heavy Metal Quilter is Coolest Neighbor Ever
- Pete(r) Karinen wrote in Art, Creativity and Intermission
Agency Charlie started the “Neighbors Film Project,” an ongoing series of documentary shorts about San Francisco’s creative community, from the perspective of individual members.
This short profiles Ben Venom, a uniquely badass quilter.
Hang out with your neighbors on the last Saturday of April (a day we’re calling “Neighborday”). Click here to say you’ll Do It, and here to download GOOD’s Neighborday Toolkit and a bunch of other fun stuff.
Why Good Fences Make Bad Neighbors: Annie Leonard’s Backyard Commune
- Annie Leonard wrote in Living, Cities and Communal Living
When we were younger we all lived together in a big house in Washington, D.C. One couple moved out west for grad school at UC Berkeley, and over the next two decades, as other houses on the block became available, we all migrated. We tore down the fences in our back yards to have one huge shared garden; because so many in the community are avid gardeners (I’m not), I like to say that I live in a Monet painting with my best friends.
We share Stuff all the time. We only need one barbecue, one table saw, one lawn mower, one fax and scanner. Because we share so much, we buy and consume and throw away less Stuff. Sure, we save money and conserve resources, but the real benefits are not material.
Playborhoods: Why Children Playing Street Games Is the Best Measure of a Healthy Neighborhood
- Mike Lanza wrote in Education, Living and Cities
Many decades ago, neighborhoods were bustling with life. They were also bustling with children playing in groups, with no adults supervising them. Today, most neighborhoods are dead boring, and it’s difficult, if not impossible, to find children playing in them.
All this is no mere coincidence. Children have always been the most prominent people in neighborhoods. In fact, in many ways, children have always acted as the catalysts for neighborhood life. In my childhood neighborhood in the Pittsburgh suburbs back in the 1960s and 70s, my activities with friends were constantly pulling my parents and my friends’ parents together. They’d call each other to discuss one kid eating or sleeping at another’s house, and then they’d end up chatting about other things.
![[Updated: Challenge #3] Let’s Make a Neighborday Documentary Together- GOOD HQ wrote in Neighboring, Community and Film
Hey GOOD Community,
We want your help documenting the awesomeness that is Neighborday. We’ll be issuing four video challenges leading up to the big event, in an effort to chronicle all the cool ways you’re gearing up for April 27th. Then, once we’ve collected all the footage, we’ll use it for a documentary we’re releasing in May about Neighbordays across the globe that you can share with your friends and neighbors.
Capture yourself going to invite a neighbor to Neighborday. Okay, we know, this one might be a little awkward, but Neighborday is all about getting out of your comfort zone. We want to see your nervousness, your excitement, and some authentic moments of you interacting with your neighbors. Brainstorm some activities, plan a menu, or compare playlists with that guy who you’ve seen a million times but never had the nerve to say hello to!
When you’re done, remember to Go HERE to submit your video!](http://24.media.tumblr.com/04b8e959e375acda1f855d92cdb709eb/tumblr_mlgvdfhLQv1qjq5r9o1_250.jpg)
[Updated: Challenge #3] Let’s Make a Neighborday Documentary Together
- GOOD HQ wrote in Neighboring, Community and Film
Hey GOOD Community,
We want your help documenting the awesomeness that is Neighborday. We’ll be issuing four video challenges leading up to the big event, in an effort to chronicle all the cool ways you’re gearing up for April 27th. Then, once we’ve collected all the footage, we’ll use it for a documentary we’re releasing in May about Neighbordays across the globe that you can share with your friends and neighbors.
Capture yourself going to invite a neighbor to Neighborday. Okay, we know, this one might be a little awkward, but Neighborday is all about getting out of your comfort zone. We want to see your nervousness, your excitement, and some authentic moments of you interacting with your neighbors. Brainstorm some activities, plan a menu, or compare playlists with that guy who you’ve seen a million times but never had the nerve to say hello to!
When you’re done, remember to Go HERE to submit your video!
The Home Team: In an Age of Virtual Niches, In Praise of Opening Doors to Unfamiliar Neighbors
- Frank Chimero wrote in Living, Creativity and Cities
I’ve never had a door that wasn’t next to someone else’s. Growing up, my bedroom was nearest to my sister’s; after that, I left home for college and dorm life, then greeted adulthood with successive apartments in the city. Chicago, Portland, then Brooklyn—with each move, I gained more neighbors on each side.
10 Days Till Neighborday: How Are You Celebrating?
- GOOD HQ in Culture, News and Cities
On April 27, GOOD community members everywhere (in 34 states and 12 countries so far, but our list is growing!) will be celebrating Neighborday. From potlucks to street clean-ups, people have inspiring plans to be social the old-fashioned way—spending quality face-to-face time with the friends and neighbors in their communities.
Will you join us? With only 10 days left, we’re hoping you’ll sign up and create your own Neighborday with our toolkit. It’s easy—check out the map above to see where people all over the country are celebrating and read on for inspiration to create your own.
Illustration by Tyler Hoehne
Illuminating Brooklyn’s Sky in Solidarity With Boston
- Lucky Tran wrote in Community, Creativity and Boston
After the bombings in Boston yesterday, the security response was huge in New York. Manhattan was in lockdown, with police swarming everywhere, and people were told by the authorities to run and hide inside their homes. So we decided to stay in Brooklyn and project on one of it’s most iconic and most loved buildings: the Brooklyn Academy of Music. BAM didn’t know about it, and at first security was suspicious, but as soon as they saw the message, they embraced us with approval. Even police officers who drove by gave us a warm nod and beep. It was a sweet moment when we saw a plea for peace trump the rules…
Offer Spare Room to Someone Displaced by Boston Bombing
- Zachary Slobig wrote in Living, Pray For Boston and Cities
Join the massive and inspiring list of folks opening up their homes in a time of crisis.
Let’s Get Neighborday in All 50 States
- Hannah Wasserman shared something to do in Neighboring, Neighborday and Living
Hey GOOD Community!
Help us get Neighborday celebrations in ALL 50 states. Right now we in are 32 different states, which is pretty good, but we can do better. Below are the states which don’t currently have celebrations planned, so if you have friends in these places, tell them about Neighborday. Have them click “to-do” here and fill out the form linked to this post. We’ll be updating this Do as we check states off the list, so you can keep up with how we’re doing.
States that have yet to host a Neighborday:
