The Solutions Story Tracker™ is a curated, database of rigorous reporting on responses to social problems. We collect and tag every story, providing you with the ability to find coverage of effective or promising ideas and approaches—by issue, location, journalist, and success factor (strategic insights that emerge as patterns).
https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/drone-art-astro-noise-laura-poitras?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Colin Vanderburg
Dissent Magazine
17 April 2018
Text / 1500-3000 Words
The use of drones as tools of surveillance and military violence are a fixture of America’s foreign policy however it is very difficult, due to secrecy and a lack of media coverage, to understand the scope of their use and their impact. Recent art projects have used information about as well as footage from drones to visualize the hidden and powerful nature of these machines as well as the death and destruction they have caused among civilians in other countries.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/12/worlds-first-electrified-road-for-charging-vehicles-opens-in-sweden?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Daniel Boffey
The Guardian
12 April 2018
Mixed Media / Under 800 Words
Stockholm, Sweden has opened the world's first stretch of road that will recharge car's batteries as people drive. Similar to a tram system, but half the cost, motorists install a moveable arm to the undercarriage of their vehicles which connects to the electrified strip running down the road. Talks have already begun about expanding the pilot in order to move towards achieving independence from fossil fuels by 2030.
http://hechingerreport.org/using-vocational-education-to-teach-academic-courses?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Amadou Diallo
The Hechinger Report
11 April 2018
Text / 800-1500 Words
Two schools in New York and Washington state are breaking the traditional high school mold by combining college preparation with career and technical education. Amadou Diallo writes, "Debating whether kids need hands-on training or academic rigor misses the point."
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/future-of-food/telangana-india-agriculture-greenhouses?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Janice Cantieri
National Geographic
11 April 2018
Mixed Media / 800-1500 Words
In India, 15 farmers are piloting a program that utilizes greenhouses to grow crops that would otherwise perish in the unpredictable climate. The income generated from this capability is allowing families to pay for their children's education. In addition, women are being given opportunities to play a part in the agricultural success through training and networking.
http://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/capitalism-for-good-kensington-avenue-storefront-challenge?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
The Philadelphia Citizen
10 April 2018
Text / 800-1500 Words
Shift Capital, a mission-driven real estate group in Philadelphia, tried a new tactic to bring business back to an old neighborhood. The Kensington Avenue Storefront Challenge asked businesses to apply for open storefront space as well as funding, and nine winners were selected based on financial viability and ability to impact the community. This form of development aims to fight gentrification in an inclusive way.
http://theconversation.com/doing-taxes-used-to-be-an-even-bigger-pain-94642?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Shirley Tillotson
The Conversation
10 April 2018
Text / 800-1500 Words
Filling out a Canadian personal income tax return is much easier than it used to be thanks to innovations in tax administration from the 1950s. Tax forms were simplified and payroll clerks were allowed to withhold the full amount of taxes. Making compliance easier allowed the country to build a dependable personal income taxation system.
https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/investigations/app-used-in-city-of-canton-puts-power-in-the-hands-of-citizens-for-reporting-and-tracking-problems?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Jonathan Walsh
News 5 Cleveland
9 April 2018
Video / Under 5 Minutes
The mayor’s office in Canton, Ohio recently implemented SeeClickFix, an app that allows local residents to share pictures of problems they see, such as potholes and abandoned cars. The complaints get added to a list for City Hall to address. This app is empowering residents to play a role in improving their own neighborhood, and the app has been a cost-effective way to create change in cities across Ohio and even around the globe.
http://nmpolitics.net/index/2018/04/how-a-rural-electric-co-op-connected-a-community?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Leah Todd
NMPolitics.net
6 April 2018
Text / 1500-3000 Words
The Federal Communications Commission states that close to 39% of Americans in rural areas do not have high-speed internet access. Several co-ops in New Mexico are part of a move to change that. Kit Carson and other rural electric cooperatives are bringing fiber-optic internet access to increase the number of people with consistent and quality Internet access, which helps their businesses and their communities.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/05/education/learning/project-based-learning.html?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
John Hanc
The New York Times
5 April 2018
Text / 800-1500 Words
High schools across the country are promoting project-based learning as "the future of education." Suburban and urban, high-income and low-income classrooms in Massachusetts, Kentucky, California, and Ohio are connecting students with career paths and advanced technologies through innovative partnerships with local and national companies.
https://ensia.com/articles/insect-sex-talk?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Christopher Bobryk
Ensia
4 April 2018
Text / 800-1500 Words
Leafhoppers may sound like a harmless term to the untrained ear, but vineyard owners will quickly disagree. These insects have a history of invading and devastating vineyards across the U.S. and Europe. Entomologists may have uncovered a solution however, via studying how the leafhoppers mate. By replicating their vibrational mating calls, so to speak, they are able to hinder the species ability to mate, thus slowing down their reproduction rates.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/03/opinion/gun-violence-personal-deterrence.html?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
3 April 2018
Text / 1500-3000 Words
To decrease the amount of gun-related fatalities, cities are focusing on joint efforts with their communities and police departments to target those most at risk for shooting or being shot on the streets. Known nationally as Ceasefire, this initiative aims to identify the individuals from this selected target group - and open a dialogue about their options and the consequences of gun-related retaliation. Nationally, the program has had some trouble sustaining when the cities rely too much on the police department, but when it works, shooting have decreased dramatically.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/upshot/an-international-final-four-which-country-handles-student-debt-best.html?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Susan Dynarski
Matthew Chingos
The New York Times
2 April 2018
1500-3000 Words
In a March Madness bracket style competition between Sweden, the United States, Australia, and Britain, experts choose Australia as the country with the most effective student loan repayment system. Judges cite automatic collection of income-based payments as Australia's best feature and discuss what the U.S. can learn by "acknowledging that possible ideas for improvement don't stop at the border."
http://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/the-opposite-of-gentrification?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Jill Harkins
The Philadelphia Citizen
2 April 2018
Text / 800-1500 Words
Too often, gentrification occurs when outside developers come to an area and change it without leaving room for locals to remain. Jumpstart Germantown, a training program, is trying to change that. The nonprofit provides training, mentoring, and loans to community members who want to learn to develop their own neighborhoods in an inclusive and sustainable way. So far, 235 people have graduated from the program, and the model has inspired other Philadelphia neighborhoods to start similar programs.
http://h2oradio.org/Dryland.html?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Frani Halperin
H20 Radio
1 April 2018
Mixed Media / 1500-3000 Words
It's not easy sustaining historical agricultural practices amidst a backdrop of climate change. Nate McCaffrey of eastern Colorado knows this all too well. So, instead of continuing the conventional ways of farming he had grown up to know, he decided to try out a no-till farming approach, and then went a step further and planted cover crops. Although not without its limitations, this switch in both mindset and practice has allowed him to cultivate healthier soil and save on fuel costs previously allocated towards his old tilling machinery.
https://www.alaskapublic.org/2018/03/28/changing-the-mindset-of-the-healthcare-system?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Anne Hillman
Alaska Public Media
28 March 2018
Radio / 5-15 Minutes
Alaska’s Southcentral Foundation has implemented “integrated” primary care which brings together a patient’s primary care and behavioral health providers as well as navigators, legal assistance, and nutritionists all within the same “wellness team.” This model helps providers view the patient holistically and improves the coordination of care among different providers.
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Photo Credits: Almudena Toral; Gabe Hernandez/Corpus Christi Caller-Times; Cody Pope; Matt Stokes
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