Fall 2022 Story Ideas

For many, fall feels like the start of a new year. Below are several story ideas and topics that may be impacting your audiences as they move from the more carefree days of summer into a hectic fall season.

Is helicopter parenting benefiting your child? How to support children while encouraging independence
Helicopter parenting is a common term for parents who “over parent” their children, impacting their child’s ability to make decisions and take responsibility for their actions. Traditionally, the term is used for parents of high school or university-aged students; however, helicopter parenting can happen at any age. Dr. Michael Ungar, professor in Dalhousie’s School of Social Work, can provide perspective on whether helicopter parenting is benefiting your child’s development. He can also offer advice on how parents can encourage and accept their child’s independence. Dr. Ungar is the author of the book Too Safe for Their Own Good: How Risk and Responsibility Help Teens Thrive, which touches on these topics.

How to be safe online: Tips for students on being Internet savvy
With the increasing use of online surfing, shopping, banking and entertainment, and the use of multiple devices and apps, our lives are becoming more and more intertwined with the Internet. With the onset of virtual and hybrid classes, children use several online platforms and social media accounts to complete schoolwork and connect with friends and classmates. How can we ensure that they are safe online, and protected from online scams and identity thefts? What are some cybersecurity dos and don’ts? Dr. Srini Sampalli, professor and National 3M Teaching Fellow in Computer Science at Dalhousie University, can provide tips on Internet savviness and online safety.

Active commuting
A new hybrid work schedule (remote and in-office) could be a way to think about new ways to move around and create the conditions that support health, especially given the urgent need to take actions that mitigate climate change. Dr. Sara Kirk, professor in Dalhousie’s School of Health and Human Performance and the Scientific Director of the Healthy Populations Institute, can speak to the benefits of active travel, play and commuting, and the need for policies that support it. She can illustrate these through two of her projects, the UpLift Partnership and Pedal Poll 2021.

New course offerings
Dalhousie professors in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences have been working on two new required courses that will help their students master the academic and social skills needed to thrive at university. Introduction to Humanities and Introduction to Social Sciences will help students with time management, note taking, research and writing, while connecting these skills to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Dr. Robert Huish says students doing their own research with confidence and able to effectively communicate it, are skills that are needed in an age when disinformation is increasingly common. Dr. Eli Diamond’s course on the Humanities and the Arts involves explorations of theatre, history, visual art, poetry, philosophy and music in a way that cultivates appreciation for these subjects, and gives people the joy, important after the impacts of the pandemic.

Special note: Interview requests will be subject to expert’s availability at time of request.