The federal government has a long history of helping to educate children about the environment through cartoon characters, some of which have been updated for a new era of climate education.

Smokey Bear first appeared in 1944 reminding us "only you can prevent forest fires," but as government policy evolved to include controlled burns that ...Read more

As the nation recovers from shootings in El Paso, Texas, Dayton, Ohio, and Gilroy, Calif., parents everywhere are sending their children to school with renewed trepidation. The teachers receiving them have just as much anxiety, as they also return to a school environment that reflects a nation of educational institutions trying to keep from ...Read more

Picking up a new backpack can be one of the pleasures of back to school shopping.

Before you pick a backpack for your kids, know this:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates there are more than 7,300 backpack-related injuries treated by doctors and hospitals annually.

With that in mind, how do you know which backpack is the ...Read more

The numbers are sickening: 10 children dead in 20 days.

They were little girls and boys who died in hot cars just in the last few weeks, a growing crisis that's perplexing in part because experts say the deaths are both unintentional and preventable.

Some automakers have deployed technological solutions, but making them standard on all new ...Read more

Teen depression is a serious mental health problem that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities. It affects how your teenager thinks, feels and behaves, and it can cause emotional, functional and physical problems. Although depression can occur at any time in life, symptoms may be different between teens and ...Read more

Does following a weight-loss or healthy diet mean you must swear off fast food? Not necessarily.

An occasional stop for fast food can fit into a healthy diet -- if you're careful about what you order. Consider the following tips.

Keep portion sizes small. If the fast-food restaurant offers several sandwich sizes, pick the smallest. Bypass ...Read more

Adolescents and young adults who vape electronic cigarettes are far more likely to also use marijuana, according to research released this week.

The study, published online this week in JAMA Pediatrics, said the odds of marijuana use among young people who used e-cigarettes was 3.5 times greater than among those who said they had not used e-...Read more

CHICAGO -- It's a back-to-school tradition: a visit to the neighborhood shoe store, where employees pull out a well-worn metal foot measuring tool from under a seat to measure children's feet, fit them with the right shoes, and send them out the door, frequently wearing the new kicks.

Generations of students have participated in the ritual. The...Read more

As we enter the frenzied back-to-school shopping season, JC Penney has deals to help you save more.

Get kids camera-ready for the return to school with $10 haircuts at participating in-store salons through Sept. 15. Make an appointment to get the cheap cuts for children in grades K-6.

Also a free $10-off $10 purchase coupon when you buy a $75 ...Read more

What will kids be clamoring for as they head back to class this fall?

"This back-to-school season will be filled with collectibles that kids can purchase for themselves, and of course the 'surprise' element is stronger than ever," said Laurie Schacht, co-publisher of The Toy Insider, a consumer guide for parents. "Kids will find ...Read more

CHICAGO -- Before more than a dozen Black youths giddily hopped aboard the boat in 59th Street Harbor on a warm summer Saturday, they competed for who could put on a life vest the fastest and most accurately. The ebullience was palpable.

Donning baby blue T-shirts, they had to master the technique before facing the open waters of Lake Michigan....Read more

Ideally, Michael Coard envisions 400 black children wearing white T-shirts lined up along Market Street and carrying posters counting each year between 1619 and 2019.

That it be a perfect, organized display (Have you ever tried to line up 40 children, let alone 400?) is less important than making a profound statement to mark the 400th ...Read more

When a tractor-trailer pulled into a New Britain, Conn., warehouse recently with 318 battery-powered, ride-on toy cars, professors Michele Dischino and James DeLaura looked as delighted as children on Christmas morning.

Dischino and DeLaura said they were already thinking about the disabled youngsters across Connecticut who will get the gift of...Read more

For the many low-income children in the U.S., summer can be a hungry time, especially for those who depend on federally-funded breakfast and lunch programs for a large share of their school-year meals.

Now, new research is showing that the food those youngsters do get to eat during the summer months is often not healthy and at risk of ...Read more