Some experience music through their eyes, others use their ears, says Mischa Gohlke. He was born with a hearing impairment which borders on deafness, but that hasn’t stopped him from learning to play the guitar – and teaching music to others with hearing impairments.

Listen to the report by Julian Bohne:

Deaf guitar teacher shares joy of music

Read more about Mischa Gohlke.

Writing can sometimes be like pulling teeth, especially if you’re a kid. Luckily there’s a creative writing place for children where missing teeth is no big thing. Welcome to 826 Valencia, a nonprofit organization (and pirate supply store) where 23-year-old Amy Langerer shares her own passion for writing.

Amy is one of many volunteers at 826 Valencia, which helps teachers inspire students to write, through after school programs, in-class tutoring, evening and weekend workshops, and collaborative story-writing sessions. Any one can help and any kid can sign up. In its 10th year, 826 Valencia has generated so much buzz and a lengthy waiting list. Other cities across the United States have also adopted the same model, with 826 National programs in Ann Arbor, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington, DC.

Listen to the report by Melanie Sevcenko:

The power of words

Learn more about 826 Valencia on its website.

When teens face tough issues, like sex, alcohol and drug abuse, parents and teachers are the last people they want to talk to. So Italian medical student Barbara co-founded a peer group to address teen’s questions.

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Barbara Ariatti and her fellow peer educators are all medical students at the University of Bologna. It’s a very special place to study as it’s said to be the oldest university in the world!

Almost a thousand years’ worth of students have attended its faculties, most of which are still located in beautiful medieval buildings in the historic city center.

No surprise then that one of the city’s nicknames is Bologna la dotta: “Bologna the Learned.”

The Faculty of Medicine has its own very special history too. During the 17th century, medical professors performed some of the earliest dissections of human cadavers in the Anatomical Theater.

It was one of the first universities to teach anatomy this way, much to the displeasure of the Catholic Church, which opposed the practice.

Made of wood, with a marble dissection slab in the center, the Anatomical Theater was almost completely destroyed by bombs during World War II, but was then perfectly reconstructed, using as much of the original wood as possible. And you can still visit it today. Look out for the so-called spellati – two “skinless” naked wooden statues on either side of the teaching chair, literally showing off all their muscles!

Here’s the University of Bologna’s website.

Bryan Bowden is a teacher and a rebel. In his classroom, kids are encouraged to raise their voices, instead of their hands. By teaching stand-up comedy, Bryan helps his students discover their talents.

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Check out Bryan’s blog.

College graduate Leom left her modern, fast-paced life in Cambodia’s capital city to go teach in a small village, bringing knowledge of English, hygiene and environmental protection to a remote corner of her country.

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