--- description: From a "solar suitcase" that saves lives to eco-friendly peer pressure. title: How Banning Mobile Phones Can Boost Grades image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Innovation](/tag/innovation/) ## Innovation Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # How Banning Mobile Phones Can Boost Grades by [The Aspen Institute](/author/the-aspen-institute/) ## The Aspen Institute Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 18, 2015 4:01 PM CUT by [The Aspen Institute](/author/the-aspen-institute/) ## The Aspen Institute Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 18, 2015 4:01 PM CUT **1\.** [**High schools can boost grades by banning mobile phones.**](http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/may/16/schools-mobile-phones-academic-results "undefined") By Jamie Doward in the Guardian **2\.** [**The “Solar Suitcase” is saving mothers and babies.**](http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/05/17/we-care-solar-suitcase-midwives "undefined") By Ajay Singh in TakePart **3\.** [**Can peer pressure make people go green?**](http://www.salon.com/2015/05/10/wondering%5Fhow%5Fto%5Fget%5Fpeople%5Fto%5Fgo%5Fgreen%5Ftell%5Fthem%5Fthats%5Fwhat%5Ftheir%5Fneighbors%5Fare%5Fdoing/ "undefined") By Per Espen Stoknes in Salon **4\.** [**Infused with bacteria, this concrete heals itself when it cracks.**](http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/14/tech/bioconcrete-delft-jonkers/ "undefined") By Andrew Stewart in CNN **5\.** [**Here’s a solution for the iron deficiency that impacts millions around the world.**](http://www.bbc.com/news/health-32749629 "undefined") By Philippa Roxby in BBC News  [_The Aspen Institute_](http://www.aspeninstitute.org/ "undefined") _is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, D.C._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3882569/phones-banned-boost-grades/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3882569/phones-banned-boost-grades/"},"headline":"How Banning Mobile Phones Can Boost Grades","datePublished":"2015-05-18T16:01:30.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:03:32.689Z","description":"These are today's best ideas","url":"https://time.com/3882569/phones-banned-boost-grades/","keywords":["Innovation","Infrastructure","health","Students","green"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"The Aspen Institute","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/the-aspen-institute/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/innovation/","name":"Innovation"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3882569/phones-banned-boost-grades/","name":"How Banning Mobile Phones Can Boost Grades"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Can a Cell Phone Give You Brain Cancer?","description":"Can a Cell Phone Give You Brain Cancer?","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Dbu6v6hT/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-05-15T21:17:12.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Dbu6v6hT.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3882569/phones-banned-boost-grades/","duration":"PT2M27S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3882569/phones-banned-boost-grades/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```