In 2023, about one in four students was chronically absent. Schools are going above and beyond to turn those numbers around. That often means having difficult conversations with students and families.

Comprehensive, age-appropriate sex ed has all kinds of social, emotional and academic benefits, researchers say. Here's what that looks like, from K through 12.

With abortion access changing in many states, advocates for sex education say it's more important than ever.

One school returned to last year's drive-in movie theater, while another hosted about 600 personal ceremonies. In New Orleans, families celebrated with a spontaneous second line parade.

Back when school was in person, eighth-grader Josh Secrett was always tired. Now, away from the bias he sometimes encountered in classrooms, he says, "I'm more energized. I want to do more things."

The Great Lakes are one of the world's largest sources of fresh water. But an investigation from American Public Media and Great Lakes Today finds the cost of that water has doubled or tripled.

Migratory birds are flocking to northwest Ohio before they fly across Lake Erie — and so are thousands of birders from around the world.

The Flint water crisis prompted a focus on issues like drinking water infrastructure and on the people left out of the environmental movement. Some environmental groups are trying to change that.

President Trump's 2018 budget plan eliminates millions for Great Lakes restoration. What does that mean for projects across the Great Lakes, including research on harmful algae and Asian carp prevention efforts? NPR looks at the most important programs in each lake that could be targeted.

A technology competition seeks solutions to Lake Erie's biggest problems, including harmful algae blooms and aging water systems. Teams in cities around the region are competing for thousands of dollars in prize money and consulting services to create apps and other tools.

Across the country, many students ride the bus to get to school. But on one Lake Erie island, some students catch an airplane to get to class every day.

High winds and dangerous rip currents make swimming in the Great Lakes unpredictable, and sometimes deadly — most beaches have no lifeguards, and hundreds drown in the lakes each year.

The 120-year-old, 12,000-pound Port Clinton Lighthouse made a half-mile journey — by crane and barge — to its new permanent home on the Lake Erie waterfront.

For our series about off-kilter summer festivals, we go to Avon, Ohio, for their annual Duck Tape Festival to see all the creative uses of the product — from fashion to monuments.

July 24 is Pioneer Day in Utah, honoring the arrival of Brigham Young and other Mormon settlers at Salt Lake Valley in 1847. State offices and banks are closed, employees have the day off, and there are parades and fireworks throughout the state.

Non-Mormons in Utah celebrate the day ...

The actions of two teachers who were in a Louisiana movie theater when a gunman opened fire Thursday night are being praised, as officials say the women's bravery and quick thinking saved the lives of unsuspecting patrons.

Two people were killed in the attack in Lafayette, La.; nine more were ...

How many times have you seen a "lost dog" poster hanging up on a street corner?

John Polimeno was at a coffee shop when he spotted one of those posters. He thought about his own experience looking for a lost pet, with crying children in the backseat, and knew there ...

First lady Michelle Obama spoke to Native youth at the White House last week, saying their customs, values, and discoveries "are at the heart of the American story."

"Yet as we all know, America hasn't always treated your people and your heritage with dignity and respect. Tragically, it's been the ...

Locally Sourced Vegetarian Citrus Fizz? $5.99. Grass Fed Himalayan Tuna Salad? That'll be $9.99. Taking gentrification and a rent hike into your own hands? Priceless.

That's how the neighbors at Jesse's Deli in Brooklyn's Boerum Hill neighborhood are trying to save their local convenience store.

Owner Jesse Itayim opened his ...