This past year, I read Steven Hill’s Europe’s Promise: Why the European Way is the Best Hope in an Insecure Age.  As I went through it, I took notes of some of the more interesting ideas that I would like to see adapted here in the U.S.  Since I have not written anything on the blog about Europe for a while, I thought this would be a good time to start a new series called “Lessons from Europe,” during which I bring up some of those interesting ideas and discuss the possibilities for the United States.

Here’s what I’m thinking as far as possible topics go:

1) Civic engagement

2) Family values (focusing more on early childhood)

3) Environmental policy

4) Public transportation

5) If I’m feeling particularly ambitious- political systems (specifically campaigns and representation)

If I focus and work diligently every day, I could have the first four done before I go back to school in late August.  Of course, it is summer break, so that may not happen.

For my European readers (if there are any)- if you think you’ve got a good thing going where you are, some sort of policy or way of doing things that you think we Americans can learn from, please feel fee to leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading.

**I would like to thank my former colleague Kris Cody-Johnson, English teacher extraordinaire, for the inspiration to attempt this series.  She recently launched a similar project focusing on the Wisconsin Idea.