第16届年度夏季阅读比赛

邀请学生告诉我们他们在《泰晤士报》上读到的内容以及为什么,今年以书面形式或通过90秒的视频。

比赛日期:6月6日至8月15日

今年夏天,为了庆祝比赛的第 15 个年头,为了改变现状,我们将尝试一些新的东西:学生可以像往常一样通过提交简短的书面回答来参赛——或者他们可以制作一个长达 90 秒的视频。

以下是您需要了解的内容:

挑战

规则和准则

常见问题解答

挑战

在《纽约时报》上选择一些引起你注意的内容,并通过简短的书面或视频回复告诉我们原因。

以下是比赛的运作方式:

从 6 月 6 日开始的 10 周内,每周五,我们都会发布一篇帖子,询问同样的问题:“本周《泰晤士报》关注的是什么? 您应该在下周五上午 9 点之前的任何时间提交回复。东部,当我们关闭该帖子并打开一个提出相同问题的新帖子时。8 月 8 日,我们将发布夏季的最后一个问题,开放至 8 月 15 日上午 9 点。

整个夏天,你可以每周或任何一周提交,但你每周只能提交一次。

您始终可以在此页面顶部找到指向提交地点的正确链接,该链接每周更新一次。

您可以选择 2025 年在印刷报纸或 nytimes.com 上发表的任何您喜欢的内容,包括文章、观点和客座文章、视频、图形、照片和播客。要了解获奖者多年来回应的各种主题,请阅读此专栏。

然后告诉我们你选择了《纽约时报》的哪篇文章,以及为什么它通过一篇250字的文章或一个90秒的视频引起了你的注意。 请参阅下面每种类型的响应的完整规则和指南。我们有一个竞赛标准,以及一份学生指南,其中详细介绍了四种简单的方法,使你的回答脱颖而出。

我们每周都会选出获胜者,从 6 月 24 日开始,在比赛期间的每个星期二,我们都会在单独的帖子中发布他们,您可以在此处找到。 所有书面和视频参赛作品将一起进行评判。我们还将在 Facebook 上庆祝获奖者。

规则和准则

书面答复准则

您的书面回复应告诉我们您在《纽约时报》上阅读、观看或收听的内容,以及它引起您注意的原因。您可以在本专栏中找到许多示例,重点介绍我们以前的获奖者的工作。

以下是一些需要牢记的准则:

书面答复不得超过 1,500 个字符,或约 250 个单词

确保包含您选择的《纽约时报》文章的完整 URL 或标题。例如,“照顾章鱼特伦斯的乐趣和挑战”或 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/11/us/tiktok-octopus-pet-oklahoma.html。是的,这包含在字数中。

视频回复指南

与书面回复一样,视频回复应该解释您选择了《纽约时报》的哪篇文章以及您选择它的原因。本指南中的建议虽然最初是根据书面回复创建的,但也适用于视频。

我们希望您能发挥创意,但这并不意味着您的视频必须复杂或使用特殊效果;有时简单是最好的。您所需要的只是您自己和手机上的摄像头,即可做出出色的视频响应。

以下是指南:

使用手机垂直拍摄视频(使其看起来像您可能在 TikTok 或 Instagram Reels 上看到的视频)。

您的视频时长必须不超过 90 秒

请务必说出或展示您正在讨论的《纽约时报》文章的标题

您的视频不得使用任何图像、视频剪辑、音乐或声音效果,除非出现在您正在讨论的《纽约时报》文章中或您自己创作的内容。如果您的视频使用了任何受版权保护的图像或声音(包括 TikTok 声音),我们将无法发布您的视频。

确保我们能清楚地看到和听到您的视频。注意照明,如果背景噪音不是视频中故意的一部分,请尽量限制背景噪音。

请不要在视频中包含任何其他人。在大多数情况下,我们建议只拍摄你自己、无生命的物体、动物或你的《纽约时报》作品。您可以在公共场所拍摄人群,但为了保护人们的隐私,请尽量避免任何特写镜头。

一些附加规则

这些规则适用于书面和视频回复:

您可以每周参加一次,但我们每人每周只允许提交一次

邀请世界上任何地方任何 13 至 19 岁的青少年加入我们,只要您是初中或高中,或者 2024 年高中毕业但尚未上大学。有关详细信息,请参阅下面的“如何提交”。

《纽约时报》员工的子女和继子女没有资格参加本次比赛。与《纽约时报》员工住在同一家庭的青少年也不符合资格。

你提交的作品从根本上说应该是你自己的——它不应该是剽窃的,不应该是由别人创造的,也不应该是由人工智能产生的。

您的作品必须是本次比赛的原创作品。这意味着在提交时它不应该已经发表,无论是在你的校报上,还是在另一个比赛中,还是在其他任何地方。

请记住,你寄来的作品应该适合《纽约时报》的读者——也就是说,可以在家庭报纸上发表的东西(所以,请不要说诅咒的话)。

对于这次比赛,您必须独自工作,而不是成对或小组。

参赛作品必须在东部时间每周五上午 9 点的截止日期前收到,才能被考虑。

常见问题

Q.您在寻找什么样的回复?

一个。 主题并不重要;你爱它还是恨它也无关紧要。我们关心的是你对你为什么选择它有什么看法。

如果您不相信我们,可以浏览以前的获奖者作品

无论主题是什么,您都会看到,年复一年的最佳回复与新闻建立了个人联系,并讨论了该主题提出的更广泛的问题和想法。我们甚至创建了一个指南,概述了您可以做的四件简单的事情,以使您的响应更加有力。我们将使用这个标准来评判参赛作品。

因此,无论你是被一篇文章感动,被一篇文章激怒,被一张照片打动,还是被一段视频所启发,只需在《纽约时报》上找到一些你真正感兴趣的东西,并尽可能诚实和原始地告诉我们原因。

Q.既然您现在提供了以视频方式回复的选项,您是否正在寻找这种格式的不同内容?

简短的回答:不。更长的答案:我们很高兴看到你想出什么!我们特意没有对您可以创建的内容进行大量指导,因为 a) 现在是夏天,我们希望这是随意的,b) 我们希望您能给我们带来惊喜并向我们展示什么是可能的。

虽然一开始我们所有的比赛都集中在写作上,但近年来我们一直在努力鼓励其他形式的作文和表达。我们希望您能冒险,在今年夏天至少提交一次视频。

Q.谁来评判我的作品?

一个。 学习网络的工作人员,一个由《纽约时报》记者组成的团队,以及来自全国各地的教育工作者。

Q.“奖品”是什么?

一个。赢得我们任何比赛的奖品是将您的作品发表在学习网络上。

Q.我应该什么时候检查我的提交是否获胜?

从 6 月 25 日到 8 月 27 日的每个星期二,我们都会在单独的文章中公布前一周的获奖者,您可以在此处找到。我们还将在 Facebook 上庆祝获奖者。

Q.我如何向我的老师证明我参加了?

如果您在美国和英国的年龄在 13 到 19 岁之间,或者在世界其他地方的年龄在 16 到 19 岁之间,并且正在通过发表评论来提交您的书面回复,请务必选中询问您是否希望在评论发布时收到电子邮件的框。如果你这样做了,系统会给你发送一个评论链接,你可以用它来向你的老师、你的父母、你的朋友或你想留下深刻印象的任何人展示。(请注意,在评论获得批准之前,您不会收到电子邮件,周末可能需要更长的时间。

如果您要提交视频回复,或者成年人通过帖子底部的嵌入式表格代表符合条件的学生提交书面回复,如果学生需要证明他们正在参加比赛,请截屏。您将不会收到确认电子邮件。

另一种方法?一些老师要求学生保留他们所有提交的 Google 文档,而另一些老师则指示学生在点击“提交”之前截取他们的回答。

Q.教师、图书管理员和家长如何应对这一挑战?

我们这次比赛的目标包括一些出现在许多教育工作者名单上的目标。我们希望帮助学生更加了解世界及其在其中的位置;学习如何驾驭复杂的非虚构作品;并在课堂之外为真正的观众创作。但最重要的是,我们只是想让学生意识到阅读报纸可以很有趣。

多年来,成年人一遍又一遍地告诉我们,参加这个比赛让他们的学生对世界上正在发生的事情更加了解和感兴趣。许多人认为这是一种帮助青少年开始养成阅读新闻习惯的低风险方式。

而且,在一些教育工作者对聊天机器人为他们完成学生工作的能力感到震惊的时候,这是一场奖励人情味的比赛。作为我们参与节目的分步指南,我们正在寻找的是与新闻的真正个人联系,通过声音、风格和个性进行探索——这是人工智能还不能做到的,接近我们听到的青少年的神韵。

另一个原因?对于一些教师来说,在暑假期间分配比赛有助于他们在开学时快速了解新学生。在我们的相关网络研讨会中,马萨诸塞州拜菲尔德州长学院英语系主任凯伦·戈尔德(Karen Gold)详细介绍了她如何以这种方式使用比赛。

但也许分配这个比赛最令人信服的理由是学生自己对它的评价。2017年,来自伦敦的学生艾玛·韦伯(Emma Weber)发帖说,多亏了比赛,“我感到自己的观点扎根,了解世界上正在发生的事情。令人惊讶的是,每周 1,500 个字符会带来多大的变化。2020 年,我们邀请了 Emma 帮助评判参赛作品,以下是她在第 10 周后所说的话:

我亲身体会到,暑期阅读比赛有能力改变人们参与新闻的方式——我从被动阅读到主动思考和提问。你越是反思世界上正在发生的事情,你对它感兴趣什么,你就越能理解你在其中的位置。我敦促所有喜欢参加这个夏天的人继续阅读、反思和写作。

感谢您让这个比赛年复一年地大受欢迎,请宣传它第 16季又回来了。

祝你好运

Q.如果我对本次比赛有疑问或提交参赛作品时遇到问题,我可以联系谁?

咨询更多赛事详情、提交问题,均可扫码添加顾问老师咨询

2024 NYT夏季读写竞赛即将开启!夏季读写竞赛有何优势?

纽约时报系列写作竞赛的含金量极高,许多获奖者成为了藤校、约翰霍普金斯大学、加州大学伯克利分校等排名前30的顶尖名校的宠儿。NYT Summer Reading Contest是每年暑期发起的一项竞赛,旨在为全球7-12年级学生提供一个平台发表他们的“声音和选择”。

2024 NYT夏季读写竞赛

(2024赛程未更新,参考2023赛程)

比赛时间:2023年6月9日-8月18日(仅供参考)

参赛对象:7-12年级学生(已经毕业但尚未开始大学生活也可参赛)

夏季读写竞赛有何优势?

试错机会与反复冲奖:

与其他学术活动不同,夏季读写学术活动允许参赛者在比赛期间的10周内多次投稿,这为学生提供了多次尝试和改进的机会。即使第一次投稿未获奖,学生们可以不断改进自己的作品,直到获得成功。

低年级友好的“读后感”写作:

相对于需要深刻评论时事或科普专业知识的学术活动,夏季读写学术活动更注重学生对文章的理解和个人感悟。这对于低年级的学生来说更容易把握,是一个很好的学习和提升写作能力的机会。

系统学习美国主流报刊观点和写作手法:

尽管相对容易冲奖,但要在夏季读写学术活动中获得成功,同学们仍需系统学习美国主流报刊的观点和写作手法。这将有助于他们更好地理解文章,提升写作水平,并增加获奖的几率。

获奖策略

获取专业指导:

寻求专业的写作指导和辅导是至关重要的。这样的指导可以帮助你组织思路,构建句子,传达深刻的观点和见解,并使你的文字更具说服力和力量。

精细打磨作品:

优秀的作品需要反复推敲和修改。注重逻辑性、观点清晰性、文章结构和语言流畅性,确保你的作品读起来通顺流畅,能够轻松说服读者。

结合现实,深入思考:

除了写作技巧,深入思考和观察社会现象同样重要。优秀的作品应该展现出独到的见解和深度思考,剖析时事热点,并展现你的独特观点。

锤炼语言表达:

避免直译和语法错误,精心选择词汇和用法,使你的语言更具吸引力和说服力。频繁练习、积累语言素材、参加写作培训都是提升语言表达能力的有效途径。

扫码咨询一对一备赛规划,免费领历届优秀获奖论文!

纽约时报公开信竞赛进行中!就揭秘获奖秘籍!

纽约时报的公开信竞赛正式拉开帷幕,这是一次难得的机会,参与是免费的!获奖者的作品不仅有机会在《纽约时报》官网上署名发表,赢得无可比拟的荣誉,还能为未来的学术之路增添重要的砝码!

《纽约时报》的Student Editorial Contest已经持续举办了十年,在2024年迎来了重大更新:要求参赛者以公开信的形式、利用同样的技能和热情来阐述观点。

比赛时间:2024年3月13日-4月17日

参赛对象:全球范围内13-19岁的中学生

今年的社论写作竞赛有些新变化?

参赛者需要以针对个人但面向公众的公开信形式,提出论点,呼吁读者关心自己所论述的问题。

读者必须是一些特定的目标受众或群体。可以是老师、父母,可以是市长、国会议员,又或者是公司CEO,也可以是“硅谷”或“克里姆林宫”等隐喻的对象。

在写这封公开信的过程中,同学们得想清楚自己为什么关心这个问题,能够解决这个问题的特定群体是谁,如何能够让这个特定群体听从自己的建议,做出改变。而且还需要在针对特定读者的同时兼顾普通读者

写作建议

展示个性化:

写作中的真实性和个性化非常有必要。在竞赛中,与其泛泛地追随热点或迎合评委口味,不如挖掘内心的独特声音。只有在表达真实想法的同时,才能打动读者,展现出自己的独特魅力。

合理借鉴:

通过借鉴他人的经验和观点,可以加深对写作主题的理解,同时学习到优秀的写作技巧。然而,关键在于保持独立思考,不被他人观点所左右。这样才能在借鉴他人精华的同时,保持个人观点的独立性和独特性。

反复润色:

完善和提升是写作过程中的重要环节。通过反复修改和雕琢,可以使文章的逻辑更为清晰,观点更为深刻。这种精益求精的态度和不断追求卓越的精神,是打造优秀作品的关键。

扫码咨询一对一备赛规划,免费领历届优秀获奖论文!

2024年“How to”竞赛获胜者

超过2,200名青少年提交了 how to do everything 从修理厕所到与袋鼠搏斗的所有事情的文章。学生们以《纽约时报》的“ Tip ”专栏为本次比赛的灵感来源。

Winners

按作者名字的字母顺序排列

“How to Befriend an Introvert”: Ashley Zhang, 14, Collingwood School, West Vancouver, British Columbia

“How to Do the Worm”: Camille Gonzales, 18, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Houston

“How to Find Your Balance”: Chelsea Hu, 18, Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass.

“How to Make Bubble Tea”: Hanyi Zhou, 14, Chinese International School, Hong Kong

“How to Make the Perfect Sandwich”: Jackson DeNichilo, 15, Fallston High School, Fallston, Md.

“How to Wrap a Dumpling”: Jacob Wang, 16, Charterhouse School, Godalming, England

“How to Conduct a Podcast Interview”: Matthew Jeong, 17, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Houston

“How to Be a Kid Forever”: Raniya Chowdhury, 17, John Fraser Secondary School, Mississauga, Ontario

“How to Become Friends With a Wild Bird”: Shannon Hong, 16, Herricks High School, New Hyde Park, N.Y.

“How to Host Unexpected Guests”: Sofia Fontenot, 18, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Houston

“How to Make Fear Your Friend”: Zoe Brown, 14, Summit High School, Bend, Ore.


Runners-Up

“How to Recover After Yet Another Disappointing Season by Your Favorite N.F.L. Team”: Alden Comes, 13, Briarcliff Middle School, Mountain Lakes, N.J.

“How to Tell the Ugly Truth”: Alex (Hayoung) Jung, 16, Seoul Foreign School, Seoul

“How to Remember Names”: Anahita Driver, 13, Gregory Middle School, Naperville, Ill.

“How to Find Gratitude in Everyday Life”: Andrew Coraggio, 16, Arrowhead Union High School, Hartland, Wis.

“How to Antique Shop”: Callisto Lim, 17, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Houston

“How to Build an Optimal Environment for Your Fish”: Chasity Rolon, 16, Deer Park High School, New York, N.Y.

“How to Snowball Attack Your Sister”: Harper Mooney, 14, Marblehead High School, Marblehead, Mass.

“How to Achieve Inner Peace by Washing Your Dishes”: Jackson Cooke, 18, Briarwood Christian High School, Birmingham, Ala.

“How to Spot Counterfeit Currency”: Kaylie Milton, 17, West High School, Iowa City, Iowa

“How to Pee On a Hike”: Lauren Acker, 17, Lakeside High School, DeKalb County, Ga.

“How to Mimic an Accent”: Michael Noh, 14, Korea International School Pangyo Campus, Seongnam, South Korea

“How to Speak Like a British Person”: Owen Wilde, 16, Maynard High School, Maynard, Mass.

“How to Ask a Teacher for Help”: Sarah Harris, 15, Boothbay Region High School, Boothbay Harbor, Maine

“How to Spin Pens”: Siddharth S., 16, Peepal Prodigy School Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

“How to Make Kids Excited About History”: Vivian Wenan Chang, 17, BASIS Chandler, Chandler, Ariz.

“How to Ride a Roller Coaster Without Fear”: Wang Ziyun, 16, Raffles Girls’ School, Singapore

“How to Make a Three-Point Shot”: Will Peña, 17, Academy at the Lakes, Land O’ Lakes, Fla.

“How to Play Darts”: Xizhe Yang, 15, Shanghai High School International Division, Shanghai


Honorable Mentions

“How to Survive Middle School Hallways”: Alice Liang, 13, Islander Middle School, Mercer Island, Wash.

“How to Learn a New Language”: Andrew Chen, 14, International School of Beijing, Beijing

“How to Let Go of Someone”: Ariel Ting, 16, Taipei American School, Taipei, Taiwan

“How to Cope With Your Anxiety”: Ava Cho, 18, Daegu International School, Daegu, South Korea

“How to Live Openly As a Lesbian”: Ayco Phlypo, 17, Atheneum Gentbrugge, Ghent, Belgium

“How to Make Homemade Pasta”: Bella DiBernardo, 16, Alta Vista Middle College, Santa Barbara, Calif.

“How to Prepare for Running a Marathon”: Brett Barker, 17, Arrowhead Union High School, Hartland, Wis.

“Keep the Sandman at Bay”: Bryant, 18, Bandung Independent School, Bandung, Indonesia

“How to Fix a Toilet!”: Carla Lopez, 16, Jose Marti STEM Academy, Union City, N.J.

“How to Order at a Specialty Coffee Shop”: Cassandra Garcia, 16, home school, Portland, Texas

“How to Trip Gracefully”: Eileen Kim, 15, Urbana High School, Ijamsville, Md.

“How to Drive Your Siblings Mad”: Elaine Kim, 15, West Ranch High School, Stevenson Ranch, Calif.

“Being Objective”: James Yi, 17, Orange County School of the Arts, Santa Ana, Calif.

“How to Accept Failure”: Jamie Park, 16, Yongsan International School of Seoul, Seoul

“How to Cope With a Panic Attack”: Jason Kim, 15, Georgetown Preparatory School, North Bethesda, Md.

“How to Escape a Night Market”: Joyce Chang, 16, Stella Matutina Girls’ High School, Taichung City, Taiwan

“How to Overcome Assault: A Survivor’s Guide on Trauma-Related Shame”: Juliana Segal, 17, The Montessori School of Raleigh Upper School, Raleigh, N.C.

“How to Play Out of Tune On the Flute”: Kavya Muralidhar, 13, Islander Middle School, Mercer Island, Wash.

“How to Write a Poem”: Lareina Yuan, 14, YK Pao School, Shanghai

“How to Make Tanghulu”: Lehan Gu, 15, Northwood High School, Irvine, Calif.

“How to Be When Meeting New People”: MaryEden Rall, 13, Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School, Montgomery, Ala.

“How to Make the Perfect Playlist”: Rachel Wieland, 17, Arrowhead Union High School, Hartland, Wis.

“How to Talk to Your Crush Without Sounding Like a Talking Potato”: Roxanne Wu, 16, International School of Beijing, Beijing

“How to Help a Child With Autism”: Sarah Zeng, 15, Victoria Park Collegiate Institute, Toronto

“How to Deal With Nerves”: Sasha Luhur, 14, Northwood School, Lake Placid, N.Y.

“How to Watch Clouds”: Shio Kim, 14, North London Collegiate School Jeju, Seogwipo, South Korea

“How to Discuss Controversial Issues With Parents”: Siyao Feng, 18, Linden Hall School for Girls, Lititz, Pa.

“How to Write a Song”: Sophia Kim, 15, Chadwick International School, Incheon, South Korea

“How to Write a Song”: Stephanie Ma, 16, The Webb Schools, Claremont, Calif.

“How to Be a Good Dukjil-er”: Suevean (Evelyn) Chin, Asia Pacific International School, Seoul

“How to Win an Argument”: Suri Boryang Kim, PTGMS, South Korea

“How to Tie a Shoe”: Vivian Olivera, 17, Academy at the Lakes, Land O’ Lakes, Fla.

“Grilling Pork Belly For the Best Flavor”: Yoonseo Cho, 17, Portola High School, Irvine, Calif.

How to Make Fear Your Friend

This essay, by Zoe Brown, 14, of Bend, Ore., is one of the Top 11 winners of The Learning Network’s new “How To” Informational Writing Contest for Teenagers.


How to Make Fear Your Friend

“The best part about fear is that it’s the only emotion that will bring out your true potential,” says Matthias Giraud, a big mountain skier and BASE jumper. His “ethos” highlights the shift in perspective that occurs when one refuses to let fear dictate one’s limits.

Giraud, otherwise known as Super Frenchie, is an extreme athlete who skis off mountains, such as the Matterhorn for fun. Not only is he an expert at leaping off mountain peaks in the Alps Trilogy — the Matterhorn, Eiger, and Mont Blanc — he’s also an expert on harnessing fear.

“I try to breathe in fear,” explains Giraud, 40, who talked to me from his home in Bend, Oregon. Giraud, originally from Evreux, France, spent his childhood at a ski academy. Now he regularly attempts death-defying feats that seem to require fearlessness but actually he uses fear to his advantage. “You have to listen to your fear, not overcome it,” says Giraud.

Fear is not a bad emotion, says Giraud. Rather than ignoring one’s instincts, a systematic analysis of your environment and the factors involved will help you move into a better place. “It’s not about talking yourself into doing what you’re afraid to do,’‘ says Giraud. It’s about understanding personal limits and accepting the risks.

Once you understand that fear is a result of uncertainty, you can embrace it as a tool, according to Giraud. The action is less “fearful” if you assess the unknown variables and make an informed decision to accept specific risks. For example, on numerous occasions, Giraud has spent a lot of time, money, and effort in planning ambitious expeditions but turned around due to unacceptable risks such as bad weather.

When you shift your paradigm to understand fear is an advantage instead of an obstacle, “fear will unleash super powers,” says Giraud. It can change how you see the world. His philosophy allows one the freedom to set ambitious goals and give opportunities to move out of one’s comfort zone.

“Once you push through your fear enough you are able to reach a place of serenity where your experience and confidence in yourself is high enough that you reach a ‘quiet’ in your mind,” says Giraud. “Breathing becomes easy and you have achieved serenity.”

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How to Host Unexpected Guests

This essay, by Sofia Fontenot, 18, from Houston, is one of the Top 11 winners of The Learning Network’s new “How To” Informational Writing Contest for Teenagers.


How to Host Unexpected Guests

“It’s a little delight, a little bonbon of a thing,” says Miah Arnold, the 51-year-old co-founder of Grackle & Grackle, a business hosting creative writing classes out of Arnold’s backhouse in Houston. Visitors drop in often at the dual business/residence; sometimes guests walk directly into Arnold’s living room by mistake. From childhood, Arnold’s home has always been a public space. She grew up behind a bar in small-town Myton, Utah, where her father owned a saloon, and she learned how to listen to — and ask for — the stories of unexpected guests.

First, don’t let your house be too clean. Don’t let it be filthy, either. “Having that in-between state of a house puts people at ease,” Arnold says. “Your house is in a certain state of the world. And that helps you decide the stories that you’re going to tell.” You want your guest to have a place to sit, but you also want enough tchotchkes and knickknacks strewn on side tables and hung on the walls that there’s always something to talk about. Offer your guest tea, snacks, leftovers, water at the minimum. “Go in and find whatever crackers you have,” advises Arnold. “Then ask them what stories they have.”

Be open to letting guests into your home at a moment’s notice. You may not always have the dishes cleaned or your schedule cleared, but saying “Yes, and,” to these social situations opens the door to once-in-a-lifetime relationships and experiences. “You have to let yourself be thrown off course,” says Arnold. “The guests can feel you make that decision and that makes them happier.”

In today’s world, when productivity and “the grind” are so highly prioritized, it can be difficult to dedicate a half-hour or hour of your schedule to building a new relationship, but it brings casual connection and a change in routine that we’ve been missing since the pandemic started. “When someone new comes, it turns everything off balance in a way that it needs to be,” Arnold says.

To post-guests and potential guests, remind them that they are always welcome. “You have to let people know that you enjoy it when they stop by,” says Arnold. “Just reiterating it. Just to remind each other that you live in a world together.”

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How to Become Friends With a Wild Bird

This essay, by Shannon Hong, 16, of New Hyde Park, N.Y., is one of the Top 11 winners of The Learning Network’s new “How To” Informational Writing Contest for Teenagers.


How to Become Friends With a Wild Bird

“I think the greatest gift a wild bird can give to you is friendship,” says Alexandra Rösch, author of the How to Befriend a Wild Bird series on her YouTube channel, Krari The Crow. Through many years of maintaining friendships with birds, Rösch has been able to find tranquility in the beauty of nature amidst the busyness of the world. Although it may seem like having a bird friend is something only Snow White can accomplish, developing a heartfelt connection with these feathered creatures is within your reach, whether outside your home or at a park.

“Familiarize yourself with the bird species you want to attract,” says Rösch. Although you can make friends with many types of birds, it’s easier to make friends once you lay the groundwork. Figure out what species you’re interested in and research its tastes. For example, while blue jays like to eat crushed peanuts, peanuts are too big for house sparrows, so if you want to attract house sparrows, try putting out bird seeds.

Once you’ve found a way to attract a bird species, let the birds come to you. Remember that most birds are not used to human interaction, so gentle persistence is key. Don’t act frustrated, as you may startle the bird. You can tell how a bird is feeling about you by the look of its feathers. “If a bird is relaxed, it will sit down and look all puffy,” says Rösch.

In the wild, birds recognize each other by their voice. If you want a bird to remember you, try talking to it. Some birds, such as crows, are even capable of facial recognition. Overall, if you spend enough time with the bird, it’ll be able to “recognize you regardless of what you wear,” says Rösch. Over time, a bird will be able to put its trust in you, just like people in human relationships.

You can tell if a bird sees you as a friend if it visits you frequently and comes close to you without fear. They will realize that you’re someone who is trying to help them.

Once you’ve built a friendship with a bird, you can continue to maintain this bond by spending time with your new avian companion. You just might notice how calming it is to just spend some quality time watching your bird friend. “It is a very beautiful experience,” says Rösch.

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How to Be a Kid Forever

This essay, by Raniya Chowdhury, 17, of Mississauga, Ontario, is one of the Top 11 winners of The Learning Network’s new “How To” Informational Writing Contest for Teenagers.


How to Be a Kid Forever

“The best part of being a kid is getting candy when you’re sad,” says eight-year-old Lolia Almasri, who is a Mickey Mouse-loving third grader living in the sleepy suburbs of southern Ontario, and a leading expert on all things kid-related. For many teenagers like myself who dance on the cusp of “adulthood” — in the legal sense, anyway — grappling with growing up has felt like an impending apocalypse of responsibilities. To those counting down the doomsday clock of turning 18, you might be hoping to hold onto the feeling of youth and postpone the inevitable. Or maybe you’ve already been a grown-up for some time and long to reclaim that balmy, magical, wide-eyed wonder of childhood.

Well, according to Lolia, it’s not hard to keep being a kid, as it revolves around the core tenets of remembering the value of kindness and having fun. Empathy is the bedrock of her ethos and she expresses its importance through a personal anecdote: “When my friend needed scissors, I gave him mine and got another one.” The economy of kids is barter-based (e.g. if you give me your Pokémon card, I’ll give you my strawberry-scented eraser). Their transactions are exchanges of happiness, so a good place for you to start is by sharing things with others, even though that grows difficult with age.

Once you’ve mastered this, it’s time for the fun part. “Kids have to behave nice and also play,” Lolia says, which is a facet of childhood that I wonder why we ever let go of. A return to playing outdoors is imperative. Suspend your disbelief. Instead, make-believe! Don your light-up sneakers and search the woods for fairies, play hopscotch in the backyard, kick a ball around — allow yourself to sincerely enjoy it, the little things.

But, truly, what strikes me most about Lolia’s philosophy on living life like you’re in Neverland is her final step: a gentle reminder that “even if you’re a grown-up, if you’re scared at night you can still snuggle your parents.” After all, in Lolia’s world, there is no reality in which there won’t be someone to console her after a nightmare. To her, unicorns and dragons exist, and so does love, always. Ultimately, the best advice Lolia gives on being a kid forever is to have faith that you aren’t alone in life and to turn to someone when you’re afraid of the dark.

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How to Conduct a Podcast Interview

This essay, by Matthew Jeong, 17, from Houston, is one of the Top 11 winners of The Learning Network’s new “How To” Informational Writing Contest for Teenagers.


How to Conduct a Podcast Interview

“You’ve got to do the homework,” says Brian Sebastian, podcast host of Movie Reviews and More, which has garnered millions of views on IHeartRadio, Comcast and Apple TV. Conducting an interview for a podcast isn’t just your standard Q&A or casual chat. It requires preparation and practice. “It seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t do that. It’s not a recommendation, it’s a requirement.”

The interview should never be your first exposure to the subject. Your job is to broadcast your interviewee’s story, so it’s necessary to know enough about the subject to hold an informed conversation. Have a list of questions loosely based on the subjects you want to cover. This means making yourself familiar with their work. “If it’s a producer, well, you have to watch the movie. For an author, read their book. You have to stay as knowledgeable as possible, because if you haven’t seen it or read it, your audience will know,” Sebastian says.

An interview isn’t just about research; it’s a story tailored to the speaker. Your role is to pull it out of your guest one question at a time. Prepare more questions than you’ll need just in case, but be prepared to skip over them during the interview. Match the intensity and personality of your guests. “For me, it’s about the energy given and taken, cause and effect,” Sebastian says. A loud, boisterous speaker may need something a bit more calm, while someone quiet and reserved may need more spirit to pull them out of their shell.

On the other hand, over preparation can cause your interview to feel artificial and the conversations too stilted. “Be fluid, be adaptable. Most of all, ask about what you’re really interested in,” Sebastian says, warning against memorizing a script. Don’t be afraid to improvise during the interview. Keep the conversation flowing through unique and genuine questions. An interview should feel not only in depth, but interactive. “It’s like a book, really — only you get to choose what content the pages will cover.”

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How to Wrap a Dumpling

This essay, by Jacob Wang, 16, of Godalming, England, is one of the Top 11 winners of The Learning Network’s new “How To” Informational Writing Contest for Teenagers.


How to Wrap a Dumpling

“Any successful dumpling’s dough must be as soft as an earlobe,” says Andy Ma, the Chef de Cuisine for 12 years at the Michelin-starred Bo Innovation. Start with store-bought dough until you’re ready to make your own. Having a “Q texture” (the Chinese’s al dente) keeps it together when wrapping, which, in Ma’s words, “is the most important part!”

The consistency of the dough makes or breaks your dumplings, literally. Only flour and water are needed. First, measure out your ingredients into a large mixing bowl. General rule of thumb is one-part water, two-parts flour. The water should be lukewarm; the flour should be all-purpose. “Don’t let its simplicity fool you,” Ma adds.

Dumpling dough is like no other: it’s not as stretchy as pizza dough, nor as chewy as pasta dough. To knead it together, only use your hands. Toss it; twirl it; toy with it. “Dig your fingers in, like a claw machine,” Ma says, until the dough feels smooth and tacky. Put it into a covered container to rest for no longer than an hour.

Unlike their dumplings, chefs have little time to relax. As Ma says, “Dumplings show a chef’s experience.” Novices tend to over-roll the dough. The kneading should be intuitive, but the portioning should be numerical. Sculpt the dough into a log, then segment off equal pieces.

To make the wrappers, you’ll need a rolling pin. Dust your table with flour; palm the dough into a circle, then, hold the pin with one hand and the wrapper in the other; roll halfway through, all while spinning the dough. Repeat, repeat, repeat: “Eventually you will get a flat round circle at around 2-3mm thick.”

Finally it’s time to seal the deal … and the dumpling. Put a tablespoon of filling in the middle of your wrapper. Kiss each side into a half-moon. Pinch from the top to fold pleats with enough pressure to seal the dough, readying them for the next stage: boiling.

However, there are countless types of dumplings, each with countless folding techniques. “It’s like trying to count all the stars in the sky,” says Ma.

Yet, Ma figures he has made thousands of dumplings: not at Bo Innovation, but at home. Such careful dumpling wrapping fosters his deep appreciation for the food that most people take for granted. “Wrapping dumplings brings all the components together,” he says. “They’ve brought my family together, too.”

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