Extreme Rain Modeling, Kindness Curriculum, State Budget Wrap-Up

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UW-Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds is providing a “kindness curriculum” for preschool teachers across the state. We learn how the children who went through the plan have showed signs of improved academics, mental flexibility, and social skills. Plus, we look at new research on how computer modeling can be used to assess flooding risks in different areas and help communities prepare. We also discuss how the state budget shaped up this weekend, including “veto guarantees” that some lawmakers received from Governor Walker.

Featured in this Show

  • Modeling Tool Simulates Epic Rainfall For Municipalities To Better Plan For Disaster

    Researchers at UW-Madison built a computer simulation tool that allows communities to map their vulnerabilities to extreme rainfall without having to go through such a stress. They’ve developed this technology in recent years. It’s known as “extreme storm transposition.”

    They’re able to look at a storm that already happened in one place in Wisconsin, and show what the damage would look like if it had hit another place. We’ll learn about this modeling software and how it’s becoming more valuable as climate change makes the upper Midwest more prone to frequent and intense rains.

  • UW-Madison 'Kindness Curriculum' Nurtures Emotional Awareness In Preschoolers

    UW-Madison’s Center For Healthy Minds is providing its “Kindness Curriculum” to preschool teachers. Thousands of teachers have requested the curriculum, including Sesame Workshop. The researchers at the Center For Healthy Minds consulted on kindness episodes for the 47th season of “Sesame Street” premiering Sept. 18 on Wisconsin Public Television. We’ll learn about how children who went through the curriculum have showed signs of improved academics, mental flexibility, attention, sharing, and delayed gratification.

    Do you remember who helped to teach you about kindness, gratitude and empathy? Tell us how you developed emotional awareness or how you nurture it in your child. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a WPR producer.

    Phone: 800-642-1234

    Email: ideas@wpr.org

    Tweet: @centraltimewpr

    Facebook: The Ideas Network Facebook

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Kate Archer Kent Producer
  • Scott Gordon Guest
  • Chad McGehee Guest

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