Millions of children will soon finish summer break and head back to school. That was our inspiration for this month's issue of The Highlight, Vox's digital magazine unpacking big ideas that's available to Vox Members. We asked a few writers to reflect on this time of year, and find unique, even unlikely, angles on the American way of schooling.
Constance Grady kicks it off with a piece looking at “gifted kids” and asks: Can the label actually come with some downsides as you get older? Anna North looks into the boom in homeschools and so-called microschools. Allie Volpe offers guidance on how parents and teachers can help shy kids thrive. And Charley Locke explores the landscape of after-school activities and wonders: What are all these extracurriculars for anyway?
On the health front, Jessica Craig has two pieces: the first, a helpful guide on “ultra-processed” foods and the risks that come with consuming them; the second, a glimpse into the plan to turbocharge research into antibiotics amid the rise of germs resistant to them.
And finally, on The Highlight Podcast, there’s a wonderful conversation between Jonquilyn Hill and the scholar and writer Eve L. Ewing about education, creativity, and how to become comfortable with failure.
We hope you'll join us and become a Vox Member so you can dive into this issue, arriving in inboxes on Monday.
—Elbert Ventura, executive editor
