Today’s Solutions: December 17, 2025

Education

Great minds lead to great solutions. Our education section features solutions and innovations directed at strengthening educational systems around the world.

Have to make a tough decision?

Have to make a tough decision? This “ladder rule” strategy can help

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM At least occasionally, we’ll find ourselves in a high-pressure situation where we must make a difficult decision quickly. Major life decisions deserve our undivided attention, but the business of life tends to get in the way and we end up feeling frazzled Read More...

Kenyan woman stands outside with pot

This ATM helps Kenyans switch from charcoal to eco-friendly fuel

In Kenya, most people use wood or charcoal to cook in small homes without proper ventilation, and exposure to charcoal smoke causes a myriad of health problems for users and their families. On top of the grave health issues, charcoal use is also to blame for deforestation, another contributor to Read More...

Two young girls looking at an iPad

17-year-old develops app to bring the magic of movies to young deaf viewers

For deaf viewers, open captioning makes movies and television more accessible, but for younger viewers who cannot read very quickly, subtitles aren’t very helpful. Fortunately, a new app, developed by 17-year-old student Mariella Satow, is making children’s movies more accessible with sign Read More...

three hands demonstrate the domestic violence hand gesture

Teen saved thanks to domestic violence hand signal circulated on TikTok

Last year, the Canadian Women’s Foundation introduced a hand gesture that is meant to communicate a plea for help due to a violent home environment. This hand gesture was subsequently circulated on the social media platform TikTok and adopted by women around the world who must discreetly inform Read More...

Damp spider web against blue background

Machine vision software reveals how spiders weave their web

How does a spider make a web? You’ve probably accidentally wandered into a spider web and wondered how they make these creations right under your nose without you noticing. This is because most spiders do their web weaving at night, away from prying human eyes. However, research from scientists Read More...

A large group of minority skateboarders pose with their skateboards outside

Meet the woman on a mission to diversify the world of skateboarding

The world of skateboarding has been dominated by the typical “white boy” skater, which is what Marie Mayassi, who introduces herself as “born in Paris but originally from Congo,” noticed when she first took up the sport four years ago. Determined to change the scene’s lack of Read More...

Book Excerpt: ‘Aspire Hi

Book Excerpt: 'Aspire Higher' - Becoming a solutionary and upholding your truest values

“Being a solutionary will make you feel even better than being an astute constructive decision-maker, because you’re taking others’ feelings, concerns, and ideas into account when crafting your solutions and actions.” - Ken Lindner As we head into the holiday season, the themes of love, Read More...

woman sits in front of chalkboard with imaginative drawings

Why the lost art of daydreaming is good for your mental health

When was the last time you indulged in a good daydreaming session? These days, whenever there are idle moments in the day when humans would have previously had nothing but their imaginations to occupy them, such as waiting in line at the grocery store or standing in an elevator, our devices keep us Read More...

The case taking for ‘mem

The case taking for 'meme breaks'

Social media tends to get a bad rep for several reasons, like its addictive qualities and negative impact on our mental health. While social media does have its downfalls, a new study reveals that a certain facet of the internet, memes, actually helps us, especially in terms of alleviating stress Read More...

English swimmer and climate activist Lewis Pugh swims in glacial waters

A few extraordinary ways ordinary people are responding to COP26

The long-awaited COP26 climate summit is garnering media coverage from across the globe, however, it’s not just the big names in politics and business that are sounding the alarm on the climate crisis. The global climate summit has inspired the public to think of innovative ways that they can Read More...