The Scout Report -- Volume 26, Number 28

Founded in 2014, She Explores is "a podcast for and about women who are inspired by time spent outside." In its many episodes (more than 150 as of this write-up), the show explores how moments in nature have created memories, impacted careers, and sparked creativity. Host Gale Straub invites guests on the show to share their own stories and experiences on topics like justice, environmental preservation, and feminism. Together, the many contributors delve into conversations on "what's next in the outdoor industry and environmental world." Listeners can stream episodes at the link above or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher. In addition to the podcast, the She Explores website shares the writing, art, and other multimedia content of more than 500 women. Most of this additional content is found on the Stories page. For example, the "Women on the Road" series follows "women road travelers who tell us about their own life on the move, in all its individual complexities." Recently, this series expanded to include a podcast with its own website, linked on the Women on the Road page . She Explores and Women on the Road Podcast are both produced by Ravel Media. [EMB]

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In these uncertain times, many viewers will find comfort in the work of Kathe Kollwitz. The German artist's work shone a spotlight on the suffering caused by poverty, hunger, and war among working people, especially children and mothers, and took a strong stand against violence. The website is divided into five chapters: an introduction, Youth, Wars, and Legacy, as well as a Gallery of Kollwitz's work composed primarily of prints and sculpture. Readers can skip to certain sections using the Chapters button in the top right corner or scroll down the website to move through the sections in order. In the Gallery section, visitors can click on an image to enlarge it and view additional details. After touring Kollwitz's work, readers are invited to the Let's Draw interactive section of the website, where they can create and download their own piece of art. This website, memorializing Kollwitz's life and art, was created by Victor Work and Victor Luis Costa. [DS]

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History buffs will delight in The Treasury of Lives, a "biographical encyclopedia of Tibet, Inner Asia, and the Himalayan region." Launched in 2007, the resource features more than 1,000 biographies from more than 100 contributing authors, and collection is on-going. Recently added content is highlighted on the main page. The project's many resources are also neatly categorized by theme or type at the top of the site: Traditions, Map, People, Images, Resources, and Subscription. While the Subscription services require a fee, the remaining resources are free. Explore centuries of history with interactive timelines (under Resources) or browse the biographies of influential women (under People). The project's Map section adds geographic context to the written work. The majority of the site's content is peer-reviewed and is available in English, Chinese, and Tibetan. Users can change their language preference by selecting the corresponding button at the top of the site. Buddhist Studies scholar Alexander Gardner directs the project and Catherine Tsuji is the editor, with support from academic colleagues worldwide and institutional support from the Buddhist Digital Resource Center, Himalayan Art Resources, and the Rubin Museum of Art. The project receives financial support from a variety of foundations, including the National Endowment for the Humanities. [EMB]

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YouTuber Molly Burke describes herself as "a typical sushi and makeup loving millennial girl who just so happens to be blind." Burke "was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at age four," and launched her public speaking career a year later, advocating for disability rights and sharing her everyday experiences. Burke's videos cover many subjects, including: makeup and clothing, guide dogs, traveling, mental health, and conscious language. No matter the content, her videos encompass themes of empowerment, inclusivity, and confidence. In her words: "Even though I can't see, I know that there are bright spots in everything we face. Let's find them together!" Burke posts several videos each month, so check back often for new content. Since joining YouTube in 2014, she has gained nearly 2 million followers. In addition, Burke has reached millions more through motivational speaking and leadership roles worldwide. You can learn more about Burke on her website, linked on the About page of her YouTube channel. [EMB]

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Publishing daily news stories for young science enthusiasts, Science News for Students is a celebrated resource bringing "age-appropriate, topical science news to learners, parents, and educators." Written by veteran science journalists, the site's stories make research accessible to readers of all ages and technical backgrounds. Pieces are organized into broad science categories (for example, Earth and Space), and some of these categories are further sorted by sub-topic (e.g., Animals, Plants, and Fossils are all under Life). Readers can filter stories by these categories under the All Topics tab or scroll through the home page for the latest scoop. Designed for use in science classrooms, stories are accompanied by resources such as discussion questions, "power words," and follow-up readings. More information about these tools is available on the For Educators page. In addition to science stories, the site hosts other supplemental materials (available under the Sections tab) such as experiments, career resources, and a "word of the week." The nonprofit organization Society for Science & the Public launched Science News for Students in 2003. Janet Raloff serves as the publication's current editor. [EMB]

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Ampersand is an international, open-access journal "serving the breadth of the general and applied linguistics communities." Intended to serve a broad audience from researchers and practitioners to lay readers, the journal publishes articles that span many linguistic realms, including "applied and historical linguistics, phonetics, phonology, pragmatics, semantics, sociolinguistics and syntax." In addition to "traditional" articles, the journal also welcomes more casual pieces, such as blogs and book reviews. The home page tracks some of Ampersand's most popular pieces, including the Most Downloaded and Most Cited. To view all volumes and articles, readers should click the "View Articles" button on the left-hand panel. Here, readers can filter by volume, recency, or conduct a free-form search. First published in 2014, the journal currently has six issues with a seventh in production. Though the current issue is still in progress, several articles have already been released. These articles cover topics such as "English-Dutch code-switched structures," and "a case study of female-coded graffiti." Ampersand is managed by a group of editors and an editorial board from various global institutions and is published by ScienceDirect. [EMB]

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Designed as a space "by, for, and about Women of Color in ELT," this website uplifts and advocates for the work of Women of Color in the English Language Teaching (ELT) field. The organization's "mission is to support and nurture Women of Color in ELT to come together to build collective power for equity and systemic change by providing a platform to give voice and visibility to Women of Color in ELT." The site provides a variety of resources on intersectional feminism, allyship, equity, and disrupting racism in and beyond the workplace. For example, the For ELT Organizations page provides information on creating intentional and inclusive events and the Database of WOC in ELT page offers professionals a space to connect with others in their field. Readers should also explore the Glossary of Terms page, which provides relevant terms, definitions, and videos. Women of Color in ELT was created by "a team of Women of Color committed to disrupting the status quo in ELT and making change happen." You can learn more about each contributor's work and research on the Who Are We? page (under About). [EMB]

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Coined "the online encyclopedia of writing systems and languages," Omniglot has a variety of resources for learning new languages and understanding language systems. The sheer volume of materials may overwhelm readers at first (with information on more than 1,000 languages and nearly 300 writing systems), but the categories on the Home page make the content more manageable. These areas (Writing Systems, Constructed Scripts, Languages, Multilingual Pages, and What's New?) are further arranged into smaller topical sections for easier browsing. For example, the Multilingual Pages section has a segment on "useful phrases in many languages." Here, readers can find translations for popular phrases such as "welcome" and "have a nice day" in more than 100 languages. Many of these translations are accompanied by sound files to ensure proper pronunciation. There is also an FAQ page linked at the bottom of the site for readers who need additional browsing guidance. Simon Ager manages the site and was inspired to launch the site by his background in linguistics (Ager speaks five languages fluently and has conversational abilities in several more). Though first created as a business venture in 1998, Omniglot soon transitioned into a free database for fellow language enthusiasts. [EMB]

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Learn about the link between language and identity and explore "people's everyday linguistic experiences," with Accentricity. Sociolinguistics researcher and educator Sadie Durkacz Ryan created the podcast, which is edited by John McDiarmid with music by Seb Philp. Through its six episodes (and three bonus installments), the show explores questions such as, "Why do we love some accents and hate others?" and "Does learning a new language really teach you to think differently?" Episodes are about 30 minutes in length and can be found at the link above or on your favorite listening platform. The site also has a blog, photo gallery, and teaching resources. The teaching resources section is great for linguistics and language arts educators, as it provides discussion prompts and activities that build off podcast episodes. All the episodes were released in 2019 and 2020, and readers can stay up-to-date on the podcast by following @accentricitypod on Twitter or @accentricity.podcast on Instagram. [EMB]

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Compiling records on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, AUSTLANG is a comprehensive database for linguists and historians. An interactive map highlights many of these language records, and the full database is available just below. Searchable by "language names," "placenames," or geographical code, the database curates information on a multitude of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. After finding a record of interest, readers can click the "View record" button to find additional information, including: locations, speakers, supplementary research materials, and other details. Additionally, the AUSTLANG database links out to other pertinent databases such as MURA from the AIATSIS catalog, "the world's largest collection dedicated to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories." Readers should note that the AUSTLANG database uses "terms and annotations which reflect the creator's attitude or that of the period in which the item was written [and therefore] may be considered inappropriate today in some circumstances." Additional information on the data sources taped for this project is available on the About and Bibliography pages. The database was first released in 2005 and updated in 2018. [EMB]

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Readers looking to expand their linguistic portfolio may wish to return to Coffee Break Languages: Podcasts. Since its original feature in the 09-27-2019 Scout Report, two additional language choices have been added (Swedish and English).

For those studying a foreign language, whether independently or in a formal course, these free podcast series offered by Coffee Break Languages may come as a welcome aid for improving listening and speaking comprehension. Here, readers will find dozens of helpful audio lessons for French, Italian, Spanish, German, Mandarin Chinese, and Swedish, and a new series meant to assist native Spanish speakers learn English. Each podcast series features one or more native speakers teaching their language to Mark Pentleton, the founder of Coffee Break Languages and a self-described "language geek," in an engaging, well-organized structure that builds upon itself and encourages listeners to learn along with Mark. As the name implies, episodes are generally about 30 minutes long, enabling learners to get in a lesson on their coffee or lunch break. Each episode focuses on a specific topic and frequently integrates cultural aspects, such as food, literature, or film, that will likely be alluring both to those with travel plans and to the generally curious. Interested readers can listen and subscribe to Coffee Break Languages' podcasts via RSS feed, Soundcloud, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. Each language has its own separate podcast channel, making it easy for learners to progress through the lessons of their chosen language in the appropriate order.

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