Education Good News

Stories of increased access to education and using education for progress

On the left, two tiny hands hold up to icees amidst a pile of food. On the right, Wail Alselwi speaks into a microphone behind the front counter of a bodega

NYC bodega owner inspires kids to get good grades by giving out free food: 'My dream is to bring my own children here'

2026 marks the beginning of three years since bodega owner Wail Alselwi began giving away free food to kids in his community who bring in good report cards.

A group of college graduates throw their caps up in the air.

New study: Every extra year of school leads to a longer lifespan

Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology have found a connection between education level and lifespan.

A bald-headed teacher stands at the front of the classroom (his back facing the camera) as young children smile up towards him

These taxpayers overwhelmingly voted for a tax hike. It went toward boosting teacher paychecks

Taxpayers in one county in Florida overwhelmingly voted in support of a new tax hike after they found out it was going towards local teachers.

Close-up of a little boy reading a book about a fox losing his socks as he sits in his grandmother's lap

US literacy rates plummeted during the pandemic. Then these teachers stepped in

Across the country, teachers are stepping in to reverse the course of low literacy rates that dropped significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A young boy reads a comic book as a hand points along a page.

Comic books about immigrant heroes inspire new classroom curriculum

Since 2006, the Carnegie Corporation of New York has issued a series of comic books titled “Great Immigrants, Great Americans.”

A child sits at a desk, bored, resting his head on his hand

Screens have made it easier than ever for kids to avoid boredom. But here's why it's good for them to have nothing to do

Boredom serves a useful purpose, scientists say. It motivates people to pursue new goals and challenges.

A group of students raising hands in class as a teacher leads.

8 real college classes that seem too strange to be true — and remind us that learning should be fun

From the world of Taylor Swift to surviving zombie apocalypses, these are some of the most bizarre college courses in the country.

A close-up of hands leafing through a stack of twenty dollar bills

This teacher gives her students $20 each year, with one requirement on how they spend it

The Pennsylvania teacher’s tradition stretches back a decade.

Dolly Parton stands in front of a wall of children's books with her arms outstretched

Over the last 30 years, Dolly Parton has donated more than 270 million books to children in need

Dolly Parton created the Imagination Library as a tribute to her father, who never learned how to read.

A photo collage of 2 bikers biking on a bicycle lane, a statue of Barbara Rose Johns holding up a book, hero Ahmed el Ahmed in his hospital bed, an aerial view of apartment buildings, and a line of solar panels

Good News This Week: December 20, 2025 - Puppets, Raccoons, & Grandmas

Your weekly roundup of the best good news worth celebrating...

A middle schooler throws a pie in the face of her teacher at a school assembly

Absenteeism rates plummeted at this middle school after incentivizing students with a chance to 'pie a teacher'

The rewards are part of a more robust accountability program, which has seen great success after one year in action.

A teacher smiles with a student who has a 3D printed prosthetic hand

Teacher 3D prints prosthetic hand for 4th grader right in the school's lab: 'It cost about $20'

The elementary STEAM educator knew a traditional prosthetic could cost thousands, so he got creative instead.