Upworthy

Aaand we're back! In episode 2 of My Favorite Teacher, acclaimed actress and director Bryce Dallas Howard reunites with her favorite high school English teacher, Mr. Scotch, for a conversation full of tears and laughter. Together, they reflect on Bryce's early writing, believing in herself, and the lasting impact a great teacher can have. So many lessons stay with us long after we leave the classroom — and through DonorsChoose, you can help teachers get the resources they need to make that kind of impact in their own classrooms. 📝📚 Watch episode 2! https://lnkd.in/g3dUQm9z

It takes a certain kind of person to be universally loved by everyone. This was Dolly Parton, the fullest embodiment of good, who repeatedly used her resources to help people and make the world a better place. In light of her passing, we wanted to highlight the many amazing ways she impacted people outside of the spotlight. We will always love you, Dolly, and commit to carrying your legacy of good forward. ♥️ Read the story: https://lnkd.in/geCDHNyY

This Back-to-School season, we’re excited to share My Favorite Teacher, a new series that reunites incredible people with the teachers who helped shape who they are today, giving them the chance to say thank you. Our first episode features Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles, who returns to her former high school to surprise Ms. Patti, the teacher who was always in her corner, both as a student and an athlete. We loved helping make this special moment happen alongside our friends at DonorsChoose, the nonprofit that makes it easy for anyone to directly fund public school classroom projects. Every donation helps teachers get the resources their students need to thrive—in thousands of classrooms you’ll never see on camera. 📝📚 Click below to watch! https://lnkd.in/gyWDWbXz

Still thinking about Engage for Good and all the meaningful conversations that we had with impact leaders across different industries, who are building a more welcoming world. One of those conversations was with Jaymes Black from the Trevor Project, where we learned so much about the future of youth mental health. The biggest takeaway? AI shouldn’t replace therapists, and human connection will always remain important. The Trevor Project is the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization dedicated to young LGBTQ+ people. Learn more about their incredible work at thetrevorproject.org.

We're thrilled to welcome Amanda Farrand as Upworthy's new CEO! 🎉   Bringing over 20 years of experience in pioneering media that drives tangible impact, Amanda hails from incredible organizations like Imagine Entertainment & Television, Hello Sunshine, Participant Media, and more. At Upworthy, our mission is to share stories that remind us of our shared humanity -- 99% of our audience says they feel better about the world after engaging with our content-- and we couldn't be more excited to have Amanda lead the charge into this next chapter. "The world has never felt more divided and chaotic, so stories that connect us are more important than ever. This is exactly the moment that Upworthy was built to meet." Watch this space. Welcome, Amanda! 🙌 https://lnkd.in/eMhtgeyb

Shouting out the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards winners for the SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE 2026 🌍 🌱 ♻️ Tommy Trenchard for his photo series “The Great Green Wall” and Mariah Wilson for her short film, Bear Guardians. In “The Great Green Wall,” Tommy explores the trials and tribulations of Africa’s Great Green Wall, a major initiative to fight desertification and boost food security. Bear Guardians depicts a sanctuary for bears saved from trafficking and injury. At the heart of this refuge are Mr. Heng, who has raised more sun bear cubs than anyone in the world, and his daughter, Sorphea, a dedicated wildlife veterinarian. Creo, Sony, and United Nations Foundation created the Sustainability Prize to celebrate photographers and filmmakers who amplify the important stories exploring social and environmental issues. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gzui2D7N

Shouting out the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards winners for the SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE 2026 🌍 🌱 ♻️ Tommy Trenchard for his photo series “The Great Green Wall” and Mariah Wilson for her short film, Bear Guardians. In “The Great Green Wall,” Tommy explores the trials and tribulations of Africa’s Great Green Wall, a major initiative to fight desertification and boost food security. Bear Guardians depicts a sanctuary for bears saved from trafficking and injury. At the heart of this refuge are Mr. Heng, who has raised more sun bear cubs than anyone in the world, and his daughter, Sorphea, a dedicated wildlife veterinarian. Creo, Sony, and United Nations Foundation created the Sustainability Prize to celebrate photographers and filmmakers who amplify the important stories exploring social and environmental issues. Read more at the link: https://lnkd.in/gzui2D7N

Still feeling the glow from last week's Engage for Good conference, where brands and nonprofits gathered to share insights and strategies around creating meaningful, measurable work in the impact space. We *engaged* in myriad ways — from a postcard-writing pop-up where folks sent notes to people who changed their lives, to conversations with incredible changemakers like Carol Cone, to a lively session in collaboration with Carolline Kim of the Levi Strauss & Co. Foundation and Sarah Sheffer, Kate Brick and Dulce Valencia Sanchez on crafting impact messaging that actually sticks. Thanks for having us to the amazing Engage for Good team -- Muneer Panjwani, Patti Kurtz & Henry Zhu 🌴☀️🦩

Incredible to see this year’s Global Citizen Prize winners being recognized 👏 Diana Virgovicova (Xatoms), Anoushka Sinha,FRSA (Anupam Foundation), Dysmus Kisilu (Solar Freeze Ltd), Krystal Mwesiga Birungi (Target Malaria), and Tawonga Nyirenda (SeedBiz Mw) — Each of your work is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when innovation meets purpose.

We were so honored to be in the room last night to witness amazing organizations being celebrated for their impact work at the Engage for Good Halo Awards in Palm Springs. ☀️🦩🌴 From LA wildfire relief (PayPal x World Central Kitchen x GoFundMe.org x LA Fire Department Foundation,) to coral reef conservation (Samsung Electronics x Seatrees) to girls' body confidence (Girl Scouts of the USA x Flamingo) the work covered some of the world's most pressing issues. Huge congratulations to the winners!! See the whole list below. ⭐⭐⭐ https://lnkd.in/dCqi7ri2