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://ssir.org/articles/entry/papua_new_guineas_meri_seif_bus_program_provides_safe_transport_to_women_and_girls?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Alexandra Christy
Stanford Social Innovation Review
1 January 2020
Text / 1500-3000 Words
A public transportation system just for women has been developed in New Guinea in response to the extreme harassment that women face. Launched in 2014, the program called "Meri Seif (“Woman Safe”) now serves 170,000 female riders annually and has more than 10 buses. The program is still growing, as more buses get donated, but women already praise the program for increasing their sense of safety.
https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/art-helps-returning-citizens-cross-the-threshold?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Emily Nonko
Next City
11 December 2019
Text / 800-1500 Words
Performance art provides a healing outlet for formerly incarcerated individuals. In New York City, the Ritual4Return program encourages participants to express the transition in their lives through art. Using an artistic expression helps individuals cope with the experience of incarceration and encourages them to reflect on crossing the threshold into the next stage of life. The program operates with the support of grants from universities, foundations, and private donations through a Kickstarter campaign.
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-50722426/why-this-cattle-farmer-moves-his-cows-every-day?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Hannah Long-Higgins
BBC
10 December 2019
Video / 3-5 Minutes
Pastures are able to replenish when livestock can move around. By permitting cattle to travel between pastures for feeding, Will Harris’ ranching technique allows the soil to retain more carbon. The carbon captured by the healthier soil also helps to offset the emissions caused by livestock production.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/12/07/782596879/meet-the-womanikin-the-breasted-vest-working-to-close-the-cpr-gender-gap?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Rachel Treisman
NPR
7 December 2019
Text / 800-1500 Words
For a variety of reasons, women are less likely than men to receive CPR by a stranger, but an attachment for CPR dummies that gives the maniken silicone breasts is helping to break barriers. This phenomenon is seen worldwide, so this Womanikin training tool is being piloted in several countries with the hope of decreasing the stigma around offering help to a woman in cardiac arrest.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/06/health/pigs-antibiotics-denmark.html?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Andrew Jacobs
The New York Times
6 December 2019
Text / 1500-3000 Words
In the United States, the use of antibiotics in livestock operations has become relatively standard, but a practice in Denmark is proving that antibiotics aren't necessarily crucial to the process. Although not all buy into this practice, one veterinarian has stated that “by changing the way farmers raise their animals, Denmark has shown that you can substantially reduce antimicrobial use in pig production and that it can be done without any long-term impact on productivity.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/12/05/tunisia-launches-state-sponsored-sex-education-program-rarity-arab-world?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Lateshia Beachum
Washington Post
5 December 2019
Text / 800-1500 Words
Tunisia is rolling out a biological and religious-based sex education program in elementary and middle schools. It is the first state-sponsored curriculum of its kind in an Arab nation.
https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2019/12/05/caregiving-help-families-church-based-program-brings-support/4297861002?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Meaghan M. McDermott
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
5 December 2019
Text / 1500-3000 Words
A Chicago-based program called Caring Together, Living Better is aiming to increase support to family members acting as caregivers for the elderly in their lives by providing resources directly in their churches. Focused primarily on minority communities, this creative collaboration uses trained volunteers to provide resources to those in attendance.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/article-how-one-ontario-hospital-persuades-loved-ones-of-nearly-all-suitable?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Kelly Grant
The Globe and Mail
5 December 2019
Text / 800-1500 Words
In recent years, there has been a decrease in Canadian organ donors but a comprehensive effort by an Ontario hospital is changing that narrative. From increased specialized training for nurses to adding a donation coordinator to morning rounds, Sudbury’s Health Sciences North has become a model for increasing donor rates.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/12/04/columbia-will-give-full-scholarships-refugees-other-displaced-students?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Susan Svrluga
Washington Post
4 December 2019
Text / Under 800 Words
Columbia University will provide full scholarships to 30 refugees or other displaced students to pursue undergraduate or graduate studies.
https://www.yesmagazine.org/social-justice/2019/12/04/school-student-culture?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Ananya Garg
Yes! Magazine
4 December 2019
Text / 1500-3000 Words
At Rainier Beach High School in Seattle, "culturally sustaining pedagogy" is on full display. The practice aims to improve the school experience for historically marginalized populations through changes to curricula and the creation of groups like Black Girl Magic that give students space to talk about their identity.
https://www.indianaenvironmentalreporter.org/posts/small-farms-and-community-markets-create-space-for-revitalization?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Violet Baron
Indiana Environmental Reporter
4 December 2019
Text / 800-1500 Words
Small farmers in Indiana are working together to "manage the spaces they share, and to use those resources to improve their community by growing healthy food, and distributing that food to the people around them." Although the efforts started with a retiree population, young adults are now joining in, and the coop is gaining attention from economists and universities.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/04/opinion/charity-ratings.html?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
4 December 2019
Text / 800-1500 Words
Evaluating evidence of an organization’s impact informs charitable giving. Ratings organizations like ImpactMatters and Charity Navigator provide transparency to donors by reporting on the effectiveness of charities and social programs. The organizations make comparisons by analyzing the tax forms of nonprofits. Some, like GiveWell conduct further investigations and provide in-depth evaluations.
Help us grow our database of solutions stories! Please enter the following information. Our staff will review the story, and if it meets our criteria (see below), it will be added to the Solutions Story Tracker®.
If you want to get notified when your story is added, register or login before submitting stories here.
Great suggestion! So great, that we already have that story listed in the Solutions Story Tracker®. View it here.
It may take a few weeks to see your piece in the Solutions Story Tracker®, as we have a backlog of submissions longer than Ben Hur that we’re diligently working to eliminate. We appreciate your patience.
Weekly email with three solutions stories illustrating responses that work, pivoting off the latest news moments.
Our issue area taxonomy was adapted from the PCS Taxonomy with definitions by the Foundation Center, which is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International License.
Photos are licensed under Attribution Non Commercial 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license / Desaturated from original, and are credited to the following photographers:
Fondriest Environmental, David De Wit / Community Eye Health, Linda Steil / Herald Post, John Amis / UGA College of Ag & Environmental Sciences – OCCS, Andy B, Peter Garnhum, Thomas Hawk, 7ty9, Isriya Paireepairit, David Berger, UnLtd The Foundation For Social Entrepreneurs, Michael Dunne, Burak Kebapci, and Forrest Berkshire / U.S. Army Cadet Command public affairs
Photos are licensed under Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license, and are credited to the following photographers:
Ra'ed Qutena, 段 文慶, Fabio Campo, City Clock Magazine, Justin Norman, scarlatti2004, Gary Simmons, Kathryn McCallum, and Nearsoft Inc
Photos are licensed under CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication Creative Commons license / Desaturated from original, and are credited to the following photographers:
Burak Kebapci and SCY.
Photos are licensed under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) and are credited to the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Conference attendee listening to speaker, Jenifer Daniels / Colorstock getcolorstock.com.
Photo Credit: Kevork Djansezian via Getty Images
Photo Credit: Sonia Narang
