The Squid Calendar

Today is Family Literacy Day in Canada (November 1st is Family Literacy Day in the USA).

This is a wonderful holiday that reminds us how important it is to read with our kids. A family that reads together promotes a life long passion for learning.

Check out Family Literacy Day by survivorsrock.

Family reading photo by Vimages used under CC. 2.0

Today, January 11, 2012, is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. In a nation that banished slavery so many years ago, it sickens me to say that it is still happening. Perhaps under a different name, and perhaps with a different group enslaved – but it is still here.

Human beings are not for sale. They cannot be bought or sold. They cannot be owned.

Learn more about human trafficking and the fight against it.

Stop Human Trafficking by WhitU4ever
Stop Human Trafficking! by lmicciche
Shop to Fight Modern Slavery by goldenecho
Human Trafficking by BigGirlBlue

We are in the middle of National Braille Week (January 4-11, 2012).

Braille is used in over 140 countries, and allows people who are blind to read.  They can read books, magazines, signs, games, and even music.

Learn more about The History of Braille by Mujjen.

Today begins Anti-Bullying Week in the UK, which runs November 21 – 25 2011.

43% fear harassment in the bathroom at school.  Every 7 minutes a child is bullied. Adult intervention – 4%. Peer intervention – 11%. No intervention – 85%.  (source)

Check out Bullying At Primary School by aj2008

In her own words:

This lens was made as the result of the bullying that my daughter endured during nearly three years at Elementary School. We learned a lot during that time about how some schools do not take the problem seriously and how some parents refuse to acknowledge that their child is a bully.

Everything we learned is now on this lens, which provides help to other parents whose children are bullied.

November has been declared National Native American Heritage Month. Schools around the country incorporate curriculum to help learn more about the Indians and Alaskan Natives and try to dispel many of the myths that people have about them.

November is National American Indian Heritage Month – This  article, by KathyMcGraw,  also includes books on Native Americans that don’t promote stereotypes, and don’t include the erroneous stories that American schoolchildren had been taught. These books were all recommended by, and written by Native Americans.

Photo by Grand Canyon NPS used under CC 2.0.

Today is National coming Out Day.  Living a life of openness and honesty is important, and coming out is a very important moment in the life of a LGBT person.

As Flynn_the_cat puts it: Coming out to children is one of the hardest, easiest and most important parts of coming out.
Hard, because you want to do it right, it’s still socially unacceptable in many ways and a lot of people are just uncomfortable talking about sex, or don’t know how to explain it.   Easy, because most children aren’t really going to care, as they haven’t learnt that it matters yet who you love.  Important, because if you can’t tell your daughter or nephew or younger sibling, or the kids you babysit for – then how are they going to learn?   Check out these Gay Picture Books.

Also check out Coming Out – Oh no, I am a Lesbian! Or am I? by desdemony.

Gay pride photo by Gray Marchiori-Simpson used under CC 2.0.

Today is World Population Day. There are A LOT of people on earth today. There will be even more tomorrow, and more yet the next day. Eventually we will enter such overpopulation that we will face huge problems with food supply, water supply, sanitation, poverty, pollution, etc.

Vexpopuli has a few things to think about in regards to population and conservation: Conservation, Population, and Exponential Growth.

(Photo by Markusram used by permission CC 2.0)

Frogs around the world are facing serious threats to their ecosystems which is lowering the frog population to drop at alarming rates. Learn about the plight of the frog, and what you can do to help:

Save the Frogs Day! (Evelyn_Saenz)

The American Heart Association sponsors National Wear Red Day each year in early February. On this day everyone is encouraged to wear red in support of heart disease awareness, especially awareness of heart disease in women.

Learn more about National Wear Red Day here.

Red dress in wildflowers photo by Michael (mx5tx)

September is World Luekemia & Lymphoma Month.

Living With Leukemia (Leukaemia) by Waxing-Lyrical

Consider making a lens today that donates to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.