Mickey Goodman

I was transported back in time after reading a Huffington Post article by Theresa Huizar, executive director of the National Children's Alliance, on National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

My now grown daughter, Beth, was a tweenager and had asked if a new friend could spend...

Wanted: Young women for careers in science, technology, engineering and math

Soccer great Mia Hamm has never been accused of being an underachiever. Sixteen years after winning Gold at the 1996 Olympics, the busy mother of twin girls and a new baby boy is still promoting her sport, speaking out...

Warning signs

When a college freshman received a C- on her first test, she literally had a meltdown in class. Sobbing, she texted her mother who called back, demanding to talk to the professor immediately (he, of course, declined). Another mother accompanied her child on a job...

Emma Grace of Memphis is a typical talkative, outgoing, giggly 5-year old. She loves Barbie dolls, sparkly princess dresses, ballet, music, gymnastics -- AND football (thanks to her big brother, Jacob, and his college team that she has cheered for most of her young life).

On an unseasonably blustery day in Atlanta, actress Julia Ormond's dark hair is pulled back in a jagged ponytail and she's clutching a loose sweater around her slender frame. She leans forward in her chair at Porsche headquarters and talks about her speech the night before to a group of...

Imagine growing up in the foster care system and being moved so many times you've lost track. Was it 12? 22? 34? Then imagine being among the elite three percent who make it to college, only to realize that during school holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, you are homeless. Even...

Whenever the Muppets are involved, you can expect some silliness, giggles and lots of fun. But Kermit, the Frog, the Swedish Chef, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker, are deadly serious when it comes to safety.

To make sure the holiday season is full of fun, the furry stars of...

The Boys and Girls Clubs of America celebrate 20 years of service to military kids around the world.

It's not just the heroic servicemen and women who have fought on foreign soils that should be honored this Veteran's Day. The family members who stay behind to keep the home fires...

For American kids, Halloween measures right up with Christmas, Chanukkah or Kawanza as the best of holidays. The grand prize is the loot -- bags of candy and (unheard of!) their parents' permission to collect as much as they can.

Add in pumpkin patch hunts, carving scary faces, and...

When I think of eco-trips, I envision polar bears hitching rides on melting ice floes in the Arctic. Silly blue-footed boobies posing for pictures in The Galapagos. Exotic birds preening their feathers in the rain forests of South America.

I was more than a bit surprised when an uber-environmentalist...

Where youth and history co-exist
"The oldest city in the U.S." may sound stodgy, but St. Augustine, Fla., is anything but. The higher the temperatures soar, the friendlier the residents become, and the more there is to do on both land and sea. (Warning: once you've seen...

Women have broken through glass ceilings, congressional ceilings, state house ceilings and very nearly the ceiling in the Oval Office. But real equality will only be achieved when women break through the bathroom ceiling and achieve potty parity.

Poor planning is apparent in every public building, particularly theaters where everyone...

My Dad was all sharp edges and no-nonsense discipline with few verbal "I love you's." But inside, he had a warm squishy heart that I could wind around my finger. And I knew it.

I seriously doubt if he ever changed a dirty diaper or cleaned me up when I...

Becoming the first woman to complete an unsupported transcontinental run is an accomplishment in its own right, but simultaneously raising more than $13,000 for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America is quite another.

To honor Zoe Romano for her accomplishments, Mayor Nicholas Mavodones of

There may be no bagpipes, parades, bands and cheering crowds upon your arrival, but even mere mortals can get treatment like royals on the Emerald Isle:

Where to Stay:

1. Dromoland Castle in Newmarket-on-Fergus in County Clare, was originally home to the O'Brien clan, one of a few...

Kevin Satterwhite of Valdosta, Ga., could hardly contain his excitement as he and his mother approached the small Cirrus sr22 four-seater plane. It was to be the 8-year-old's first flight ever, and like every young boy, he was in awe that a vehicle larger than his grandmother's...

With his signature hats and dapper clothes, Grammy-winning R&B singer/song writer Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith sets himself apart from contemporaries who belt out x-rated lyrics.

More importantly, he uses his fame to help kids through the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Stop Bullying: Speak Up campaign...

Human trafficking -- whether for forced labor or sexual exploitation -- doesn't appear to have a lot in common with financial investments. But Julie Tanner of Christian Brothers Investment Services (CBIS) is trying to connect the dots. As assistant director of socially responsible investing, she urges corporate boards...

Julie*, a California girl-next-door, star volleyball player and award-winning concert pianist thought the boy who invited her to his home was her friend. But after he and four other classmates gang raped her, this naïve 15-year old blamed herself. Consumed with guilt, she told no one -- especially not her...

After a hectic week in Mobile, Ala., I plop into my cramped airline seat, hoping to delve into Kathryn Stockett's "The Help" during the short flight to Atlanta. But my young seatmate immediately begins chatting.

"Ma'am, can you tell me where I can...