Inspiring People: Stories of Innovation and Service

Why does it seem that so many issues just don’t seem to be getting any better? We think of issues with healthcare, climate change, pollution, education, standards of living, immigration, inequality, and more - does the list end? Our speaker, Mitch Weisburgh, contends that no real progress in any of these areas is going to happen until we have a critical mass of people who understand mindsets and w...

Christine has been a German Rotarian since 1995, elected to become a member of the Rotary International Board of directors for the period of 2025-27. Her passions are peace in all its meanings and Rotary as a network to promote Rotarians to become role models in their communities and join forces to create knowledge and understanding internationally. Claudia is a new member of the eClub of Silicon...

This week, we delve into the innovative realm of electron-conducting carbon concrete (EC^3), a revolutionary material that marries the structural capabilities of traditional concrete with advanced energy storage functions. This next-generation concrete employs a unique blend of hydrophobic nano-carbons, binder, aggregate, and water, resulting in electron-conducting carbon network within the cement...

Protecting our oceans is vital, and robotics paired with AI is making a real impact. Advanced robotic systems tackle pollution, clean hard-to-reach areas, and collect important data on water quality. These technologies empower communities to organize effective cleanup efforts with less manpower. By leveraging innovation, we’re moving toward a sustainable future where our oceans are clean and full...

As the effects of climate change become more severe and widespread, maintaining personal thermal homeostasis becomes both necessary for survival and increasingly energy intensive. In principle, advanced textiles and garments have the ability to leverage light absorption, transmission and/or reflection, in addition to straightforward convection, to heat or cool bodies in extreme temperature conditi...

Team 3482 Arrowbotics is a completely student-led after-school robotics club based out of Westmont High School in Campbell, California. The team competes in FIRST Robotics Competitions against hundreds of other teams with a robot they build in just 8-10 weeks. Members join the club with little-to-no experience, and by the time the robot needs to be designed, these students are skilled in engineeri...

Almost 50 years ago, in the world of wine, there were just three categories: the good stuff (French), the very good stuff (also French), and everything else. Few doubted that anything could be finer than the vines in Burgundy and Bordeaux, and those at the upper end of wine snobbery were unshakable Francophiles. And then an event on May 24, 1976—a notable event that would come to be known by the m...

200 million hours are spent by women and children every day collecting water. UN reports tell how in some countries with crippling water scarcity, girls are spending up to 8 hours a day on the long walk for water. Unity Water is deploying innovative common-sense solutions to reduce the time spent collecting water and to deliver opportunities for sustainable growth and development. By adding the po...

In 2021, freelance journalist Kate Silver got her first assignment for Rotary Magazine: to write about the power of music when it comes to memory, even in those who have Alzheimer’s and dementia. In the years since, Rotary has become a favorite outlet for Kate, because of the rich, inspiring stories and characters she gets to meet, who also happen to be Rotarians. In this Q and A with Rushton Hurl...

Following the outbreak of World War II, most Japanese and Japanese Americans were sent to one of ten incarceration (internment) camps, one of which was Amache, located in the High Plains of Colorado. Inmates there planted trees and created hundreds of gardens to improve the stark institutional landscape. This presentation focuses on two Japanese-style gardens created in the public spaces of the Am...

How did two Rotary clubs come together to sink a Mexican Navy ship to create an artificial reef in the Sea of Cortez? The Rotary clubs of Puebla Gente de Accion and Prescott, Arizona overcame numerous obstacles, created a network of strategic partnerships and implemented a Rotary global grant to improve the health of this vital natural resource. The story is one that centers around friendship. Kev...

Some of the world's most intractable problems – like poor reproductive health and violence against women – are now being addressed through the medium of prime-time serialized dramas. Population Media Center (PMC) uses a special type of serialized melodrama (like telenovelas) for changing behavior on such issues as family planning, elevation of women's status, girls' education, stopping child marri...

First he survived for two months on $1 a day in Guatemala. Soon after, he lived in a tent in a Syrian refugee camp, then spent 10 years documenting the journey of an undocumented boy in New York City. Chris Temple is an award-winning filmmaker and activist who demystifies some of the world's most complex situations, leaving audiences more connected and empowered to make a difference. In this conve...

David Bobanick is the Executive Director of Harvest Against Hunger (HAH) and member of the Rotary Club of Seattle. Since David joined HAH in 2001, the organization has continued to expand its impact at the local, national, and international levels, resulting in the delivery of more than half a billion healthy servings of produce for those in need. Ripple Effect Mapping (REM) is an appreciative inq...

This week, the District 5170 District Governor, Jill Duerig, will share some of her thoughts on how Rotary enriches our lives, and will explore with us examples of Rotary magic. Jill Duerig joined Rotary in 2003. Due to a change in jobs, she left the Scotts Valley Club and joined the Rotary Club of Livermore Valley in 2005, serving as its President in 2019-2020. She was an Assistant Governor for A...

Engage and motivate students by connecting with their excitement about space! You don't have to be a science teacher - or even a formal educator. Space education is important to everyone, and informal educators play a key role. Kids don't have to be science enthusiasts either, as space is for writers, artists, and athletes, too. The talk also introduces elements of space philosophy that are critic...

Adam Greene is an expert on loneliness and social connection, particularly regarding the experiences of older adults. His work has led him to found Klaatch and develop the Social Quotient, a measure designed to quantify and assess social connection and loneliness, and has been informed by his collaborations with institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, Quinnip...

Rotarian Joyce Mercado is author of the book "Save the Planet in Your Spare Time – A Climate Protection Handbook for the Busy Person." The book chronicles Joyce's journey to becoming a climate protection leader in Alameda so others can learn from her experience. Joyce's work covers reducing emissions, writing for the local press, partnerships, and maintaining one's optimism. Leaders influencing ot...

The California Farmworker Foundation (CFF) is a nonprofit organization based in Delano dedicated to empowering farmworkers to have a voice in their communities. The organization's core mission is to enhance the quality of life for California farmworkers through tailored programs and services. Operating at the grassroots level, CFF employs a user-centered approach to customize its offerings to...

MakeGood is on a mission to bridge the gap in adaptive design. With over a billion people living with disabilities daily, it’s time to reimagine our built environment for a more equitable society. We’re a collective of creators, designers, and innovators dedicated to cutting-edge assistive technology. By empowering all voices, we pioneer innovations that benefit everyone. Our design projects prior...

Doctoral candidate Afrah Abdullah discusses the value of heritage tourism in West Africa and the influence such experiences have on cultural and spiritual development of travelers. Afrah shares interesting findings from a pilot field study she recently conducted in which American travelers visited Senegal and Gambia and offered insight about ways the trip deepened their connection to Africa, inspi...

Imagine walking into a classroom and…you are under a tree. Branches, leaves and the sun bursting through, the feeling of being outside. Forty plus years of empirical science developed at the University of Michigan teaches us, viewing trees or images of trees calms us and helps us focus. Nature In The Classroom is a nonprofit bringing this science to life by installing ceiling murals of trees in cl...

Students play an important role in the management of the school which empowers them to bring social and economic development to their communities, as well as learn leadership, empathy and compassion. Students can be taught and empowered to become change-makers. Schools have resources that have been underutilized. Villagers have strong bonds with schools. There are more schools than any other gover...

Betsy Fisher is the US Director of the NGO Talent Beyond Boundaries and a lecturer in international refugee law at the University of Michigan Law School. She is an immigration lawyer and advocates for government policy and technology-based platforms that help refugees and stateless people access lasting safety. She also enjoys watching sports and attempting to garden vegetables. The number of disp...

Starring on a hit YouTube channel, Grandpa Bobby and Grandpa Scott tell the stories of their travels. Travel as Service: Traveling is more than an opportunity to visit important cultural and historic sites, or a chance to sink your toes in the sands of a tropical resort. Travel is an opportunity to create bridges to alternate cultures and traditions. It is an opportunity to learn and to grow from...