When Basketball Is More Than A Game

Can the game of basketball be used to help improve the lives of at-risk youth around the world?

The Whole World Wants to “Be Like Mike”

On the court, Michael Jordan appeared superhuman.

A Small Island With A Big Heart

The El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. forest system.

Mosquito Bioluminescent Bay: Inside Nature's Glow Stick

Imagine floating in a magical bay that glows in the dark.

San Juan: The Jewel Of The Caribbean

The Spanish settled Puerto Rico’s capital city of San Juan in 1519.

The Island Monster

You’ve probably heard of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Jersey Devil. They are all cryptids, monsters that may or may not really exist and whose existence can’t be proved or disproved. Puerto Rico has its very own native cryptid, El Chupacabra, which reportedly was fi rst seen there and since may have been sighted all over the world.

The Tastes Of Morocco

B’stilla and b’ssara. Harira and makouda. Tajine and ras-al-halout.

The Power And Beauty Of Moroccan Mint Tea

Sweet Moroccan mint tea means, “Welcome, friend. Relax and enjoy!” Not only is this national drink universally served and loved, but it’s also an important cultural tradition in every Moroccan’s daily life.

Sumo City

It is not uncommon to see large men clothed in cotton kimonos and wooden sandals strolling down the streets of Tokyo’s Ryoguku District on the east bank of the Sumida River. These men are sumo wrestlers, athletes who participate in Japan’s national sport of sumo wrestling.

Austria: Crossroads of Europe

Austria is only slightly larger than the state of South Carolina, but it was once the center of the largest and richest empire in all of continental Europe.

A Tour of Vienna

No trip to Austria would be complete without a visit to the country’s capital, Vienna.

Guten Appetit!

There’s no denying that traditional Austrian food is hearty, with its dumplings and stews, ‘krauts and potatoes.

American Folk: National Endowment For The Arts National Heritage Fellows

What do African American quilters, Appalachian ballad singers, Ukrainian American textile artists, Native American basket makers, Cambodian American dancers, and Mexican American musicians have in common? They are all Americans and all folk artists, but they also represent a sampling of people to whom the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded National Heritage Fellowships, the highest honor for traditional artists in the United States.

The Way Of Tea - Sosei Matsumoto, Master Of The Japanese Tea Ceremony

A woman in a kimono sits straight-backed with her legs folded under her. Slowly, in one fluid motion, she stands up and glides across the floo . Is this a Japanese dance? No, these practiced movements are part of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

The World of Sound

Exploring Musical Traditions of NEA National Heritage Fellows

A Closer Look

Dolly Jacobs’s High-flying Career

Sweet 15?

Quinceanera and the Work of Eva Castellanoz

What Is Capoeira?

It’s a dance, a martial art, a game, and a way of life.

Critter Corner Wombat Master Digger. .

Fifty million years ago, a giant plant-eating mammal as tall as a human, and weighing more than 500 pounds roamed eastern Australia.

The Home Of The Sydneysiders

It’s one of the most visited cities in the world, and landmarks like its famous opera house are familiar to almost everyone.

The Sydney Opera House: Jørn Utzon's Greatest Symphony

Danish architect Jørn Utzon spent nine years working on the design and construction of the Sydney Opera House, one of the world’s most spectacular works of modern architecture.

Mexico's Smoking Mountains

A farmer in the small town of Paricutin was working in his fields in February 1943 when he saw a huge crack appear in the ground. The crack caused the ground to swell several feet into the air, and foul-smelling smoke poured out of it. When the farmer returned the next day to investigate, he discovered a volcanic cone jutting 164 feet (50 meters) into the air. The cone grew at an alarming rate, and it took just 10 weeks to reach 1,000 feet (330 meters). By the time it stopped growing, it measured 1,391 feet (424 meters), just a few feet shorter than the Empire State Building. The new volcano was named Paricutin.

Tulum

Have you ever wondered where people worshipped long ago? Today, on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, you can visit the ruins of one of these ancient places. It is Tulum, a sacred city of the Maya. Built in the 1200s, it is believed to have been home to 500 to 600 people.

La Familia: The Heart Of Mexican Society

Although visitors to 21 st -century Mexico may discover major differences between city and rural life, la familia (lah fah-MEE-lee-a, “the family”) remains at the core of Mexican society.

Costa Rica: Happy, Healthy, And Peaceful

Not once, not twice, but three times in the past decade, the New Economics Foundation (NEF) named Costa Rica the happiest country in the world.If you have ever lived in or visited Costa Rica, you probably aren’t surprised at its selection. People smile and welcome you. Lush, green plants and trees grow everywhere; tropical birds and lively wild creatures live naturally nearby. Comfortable year-round temperatures suggest you could stay there forever. Is that what happiness is?​​​​

An Environmental Giant

The tiny nation of Costa Rica is a giant when it comes to environmental stewardship.

Critter Corner - Indian Elephants. Pachyderms in Peril

In India and Asia, elephants are superstars.

The Timeless Fleet Of Amsterdam

The four hours of my gangway watch have come to an end, and I’m ready to dive into the thick of action.

Maslenitsa - The Pancake Festival

Dark, heavy clouds weigh on our shoulders,” Natalia Korteleva says about winter in Vyborg, her hometown in northern Russia.

Abby Goes To La Feria

"You can’t miss la feria de abril!”