According to global research, people's attention spans are shortening. The way we tell and write stories continues to evolve with advancements in new technologies. This offers creative talent the opportunity to innovate and find new and exciting ways to engage with an audience. In this episode of Planet Classroom, ORB, the show's virtual host, is joined by youth authors from around the world who take on Book Creator's Global Writing Challenge. They offer their peers top tips on modern storytelling, from selecting compelling themes to building writing frameworks that work for the real world. How will your story in just one page captivate the global audience?

We are all different but we are all human. There has been increasing acceptance in many countries to LGBTQ people over the past 2 decades, but the global divide persists. 38 African countries have criminalized consensual same sex relationships. In this episode of Planet Classroom, ORB is joined by acclaimed film Director Nicky Newman, based in Cape Town, South Africa, and youth voices around the world to discuss Newman's documentary film, From the Same Soil (Courtesy of SIMA Classroom), now showing on the Planet Classroom Network YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6YcNxfrrII. What would be the cultural, social or psychological factors that would lead to someone believing that attacking someone for whom they choose to love is acceptable? How do we teach tolerance and acceptance for LGBTQ people?

In this inaugural podcast, Orb takes us on a journey of learning from stories that engage our imaginations and explore new ideas. Orb is joined by UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Education, Stefania Giannini, the music of Jim Papoulis performed by the Young People's Chorus of New York City, and young adults from around the planet. Events in our world over the past year have challenged people everywhere to grow from lessons about empathy, resilience, and hope. Planet Classroom would like to thank the Young People's Chorus of New York City for their Give Us Hope performance.