Friday Open Thread

Does your kid play Fortnite endlessly? Good news, there's money in it.  From the NY Times:
Some teenagers make extra cash by mowing lawns or babysitting. But 16-year-old Kyle Giersdorf of Pennsylvania put them all to shame by winning $3 million playing Fortnite.

Kyle’s management company, Sentinel, said his $3 million payday was the largest individual prize in e-sports history. 
One interesting local note: former school board director Kay Smith-Blum has a son who runs an e-sport company in Seattle.

Seattle Public Library is having a series of workshops for teens on spoken word and video production.  Details here.

Saturday, August 17th, is Seattle Parks' Day of Play:
Big Day of Play is a celebration of our city’s diversity, and it encourages neighbors, communities and families to have fun, build relationships and be active together. Big Day of Play will be held on Saturday, August 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Rainier Playfield and Rainier Community Center in southeast Seattle (3700 S. Alaska St.). The event is completely free and includes activities for all ages and abilities.

The event will showcase active recreation booths and activities, including basketball, wheelchair rugby, goal ball, adaptive play equipment, rainbow bingo and much more. Community members can also enjoy cultural music and dance presentations throughout the day. Discover your inner athlete while enjoying the sounds, smells and foods from a range of communities.

Additionally, we are inviting everyone to hop down to Mt. Baker Rowing and Sailing Center to try out sailing, rowing and stand-up paddle boarding.

Free transportation is available – more information here.
Illinois Governor Signs Bill Mandating Public Schools Teach LGBTQ History - from the Huffington Post:
Starting next year, Illinois public schools will be required by law to include LGBTQ history in their curriculums.

The measure stipulates that students must study “the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the history of this country and this State.” The bill also includes similar mandates for African American history and that of various other groups, including Polish, Irish, Italian, Hispanic and Asian Americans.

“It is my hope that teaching students about the valuable contributions LGBTQ individuals have made throughout history will create a safer environment with fewer incidents of harassment,” she said. “LGBTQ children and teenagers will also be able to gain new role models who share life experiences with them.”
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