In France, School Lessons Ask: Which Twitter Post Should You Trust?
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/13/technology/france-internet-literacy-school.html?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Elian Peltier
The New York Times
13 December 2018
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France is at the forefront of efforts to integrate internet literacy into standard primary and secondary course requirements. By partnering with journalists and educators, the French government is working to stop the spread of misinformation by teaching students how to identify misleading tweets, articles, and other sources.
Learning from the past: Japan’s tree-planting efforts provide lessons for other countries
https://ensia.com/features/japan-reforestation-deforestation-lessons-indonesia-china?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Nithin Coca
Ensia
6 December 2018
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Nishiawakura, a village in Japan, was once the site of complete forest devastation due to the need for timber during and after World War II. Through trial and error, the country has learned what does and doesn't work when it comes to reforestation efforts. Now, their lessons are acting as a model for China, Pakistan and India as they turn their focus to reforestation.
Teaching Children Regardless of Grade
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/04/opinion/teaching-children-reform-education.html?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Alia Dharssi
The New York Times
4 December 2018
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In many countries, a lack of teachers leads to a common challenge - one teacher instructs students at multiple grade levels all at once. In the rural Rishi Valley region of India, instructors are straying from the traditional lecturing pedagogy to embrace a new "multigrade multilevel" learning philosophy: students follow "subject-specific 'learning ladders,'" with each lesson requiring varying levels of assistance from teachers. The method allows for a "personalized education that one usually associates with very developed economies" and "makes that affordable for low-resource environments."
This impoverished region is a hub for the cheetah trade. Now it's fighting back.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/11/fighting-cheetah-trade-somaliland?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Simon Worrall
National Geographic
4 December 2018
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Cheetah cubs are routinely smuggled through Somaliland on their way to being illegally trafficked in United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia. Although small and resource-deprived, Somaliland is taking a stand against this practice through increased regulations and punishments.
How to make a carbon tax popular? Give the proceeds to the people
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/04/how-to-make-a-carbon-tax-popular-give-the-profits-to-the-people?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Leyland Cecco
The Guardian
4 December 2018
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After decades of forest devastation coupled with harsh winters, Canada was facing an uncertain future as climate change realities came into focus. To mitigate the damage, the country's government made the decisive move of implementing a carbon tax that not only taxed fossil fuel emissions, but incentivized those making carbon-conscious choices with the money gained from the policy.
From Grassroots to Government: A Climate Assessment Presents a Moral Opportunity
https://sojo.net/articles/grassroots-government-climate-assessment-presents-moral-opportunity?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Christina Colón
Sojourners
3 December 2018
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With climate change no longer a hypothetical situation but a very tangible problem being felt by many across the globe, grassroots efforts are gaining traction as the search for solutions intensifies. Citing a moral obligation, these grassroots organizations aim to inspire political action while also making concrete changes along the way.
Guild Education’s twist on college is working for cashiers, sales clerks and others who abandoned the idea of a college degree
https://coloradosun.com/2018/12/03/guild-education-low-income-workers-college?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Tamara Chuang
The Colorado Sun
3 December 2018
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By partnering with employers in the service industry and Silicon Valley investors, Guild Education, an innovative Denver, Colorado-based startup, helps adults in service-level jobs attend college at a significantly discounted rate. Some think this arrangement could soon "become as ubiquitous as 401(k)s."
Meet Greece's Marine Trash Collectors Diving To Keep Their Sea Beautiful
https://www.npr.org/2018/12/02/666296302/meet-greeces-marine-trash-collectors-diving-to-keep-their-sea-beautiful?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Joanna Kakissis
NPR
2 December 2018
Radio / Under 5 Minutes
Greece is not known favorably for their recycling habits, but a few local residents have made it their mission to change this in order to reduce ocean litter. From turning plastics into furniture to forming a diving coalition to remove plastic waste from the sea, these Greeks are hoping their actions will inspire others to follow suit.
Solar Mini-Grids Give Nigeria a Power Boost
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/02/climate/solar-mini-grids-give-nigeria-a-power-boost.html?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Amy Yee
The New York Times
2 December 2018
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Over half of Nigeria's population lacks reliable access to electricity, but solar energy is slowly changing this. Mini-grids are gaining popularity in these rural areas thanks to the technology's capability to provide affordable electricity while also reducing harmful emissions.
Artist Installs Bells Throughout Oakland that Detect Air Pollution
https://hyperallergic.com/473814/rosten-woo-mutual-air-exploratorium?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Emily Wilson
Hyperallergic
30 November 2018
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Installed throughout Oakland, Rosten Woo’s sculptures consist of bells that chime at quicker frequency the more particulate is present in the air. Through this means, Woo make air quality data visible and pushes for environmental justice.
What Burkina Faso can teach us about scaling up early childhood programs
https://apolitical.co/solution_article/what-burkina-faso-can-teach-about-scaling-up-early-childhood-programs?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Fergus Peace
Apolitical
30 November 2018
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A pilot of a cash transfer program in rural Burkina Faso not only produced valuable research but, by involving government officials from the get-go, developed local expertise that was invaluable for the later launch of a national program. "The major challenge for scaling in early childhood is implementing a scheme nationally with the same attention to detail it enjoyed as a small, closely supervised pilot," a member of the World Bank team noted. This experiment offers a possible solution.
Teacher leaders improve learning, attract teachers to underserved districts
https://hechingerreport.org/using-teacher-leaders-to-improve-schools?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Tara Garcia Mathewson
The Hechinger Report
29 November 2018
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A school district in North Carolina is at the cutting edge of a new teaching model - to multiply the impact of the most effective teachers and draw them to underserved districts, schools are paying these teachers more to coach their colleagues in addition to continuing to teach their own classrooms. So far, 50,000 students across the country are learning under the "teacher-leader" model.
