Nearly 8,000 Aramark employees touched the lives of half a million individuals and families in 15 countries during Aramark Building Community Day (ABC Day) in September. Associates participated in more than 300 projects that inspired families to lead healthier lives and helped youth and adults gain job skills.

The Verizon Innovative App Challenge asks kids for their ideas for apps that can change the world. One group of middle-schoolers created just that.

After months of study, deliberation and negotiation, members of the United Nations task force charged with establishing “Sustainable Development Goals” can take a bow -- all 193 member nations have signed on to the goals, which address a wide range of ESG issues, such as solving hunger and poverty issues, addressing inequalities, dealing with climate change issues, creating more “sustainable cities,” and encouraging “more responsible” consumption.

Last week, REI sent an email to its 5.5 million co-op members, notifying them that, for the first time, REI would be closing its doors on Black Friday. As part of the #OptOutside campaign, the outdoor retail giant will be closing all 143 locations and instead giving its employees a paid day off.

The Whalesafe Project, co-funded by the European Union’s Life+ Program with the involvement of partners including the Università degli Studi di Genova (Department of Physics and Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Life), Costa Edutainment, Genoa Maritime Directorate, Savona Harbor Master’s Office and Softeco who have joined forces for the conservation of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), has come on board Costa Cruises’ ships.

All this week, we will be recognizing employees from our U.S. facilities who have helped GM realize $435 million in energy savings by reducing energy intensity by 40 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by 41 percent over the last 20 years.

The occasional power outage in a developed country can feel like a spontaneous vacation day; an opportunity to disconnect from the constant deluge of digital life. Only in rare circumstances will a power outage last longer than a few hours, and in most cases communities are equipped to respond immediately to the underlying issue.

The launch of Media Literacy Week (#MediaLitWk) in the U.S. is being held November 2-6, 2015. The mission of Media Literacy Week is to highlight the power of media literacy education and its essential role in education today. Sponsored by Trend Micro and hosted by the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE), Media Literacy Week U.S. is the first event of its kind in the U.S. This important inaugural event has the support of 85+ partnering organizations and dedicated, passionate media literacy experts and practitioners across the nation.