Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 294 results  for your search.  View and Refine Your Search Terms

  • In France, Accents Are Now Protected by Law

    April 02, 2021 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: France

    The French National Assembly overwhelmingly passed “the Law to Promote the France of Accents,” which criminalizes discrimination against someone based on their accent. The bill makes linguistic discrimination, or “glottophobia,” an offense punishable by up to three years’ jail time and a fine of up to €45,000 (USD$54,000). Early indications of the law's impact include the normalizing of native accents in national discourse, the appointment of a Prime Minister with a strong accent, and the French national broadcaster FranceInfo’s naming “glottophobia” one of the words of 2020.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • Michigan caregivers got a $2 hourly boost in COVID. Should it be permanent?

    March 22, 2021 |

    Bridge Michigan |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Michigan

    The Michigan state legislature temporarily boosted the pay of direct caregivers working with seniors and people that have disabilities by $2 an hour in recognition of their essential and sometimes risky services during the coronavirus pandemic. With about half of direct caregivers living at or near poverty, the pay bump was temporarily renewed at the slightly higher rate of $2.25 an hour, but it is set to expire again in September 2021. The governor has proposed making permanent a pay raise of $2 an hour, which helps the caregivers meet their own basic needs a little better.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • At Platinum Divaz, Black Girls Are Mentors And Leaders

    August 27, 2020 |

    Colorado Public Radio |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Aurora, Colorado

    Platinum Divaz builds leadership skills and self-confidence among young people. While boys and all ethnicities are welcome to participate, the program focuses on raising the self-esteem for Black girls through dance. Divaz are assigned teammate mentors, typically teenagers, who teach dances and help younger girls with day-to-day struggles like school, bullying, and self-confidence. Practices like saying what they like about each other helps build each girl up with confidence and self-esteem. Supportive adults are also available as mentors to the girls.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • Listening to Silence: Why We Must Protect the World's Quiet Places

    June 30, 2020 |

    Yale Environment 360 |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Ecuador

    The nonprofit Quiet Parks International certifies “quiet parks” after performing a detailed sound analysis. Their work is an effort to raise awareness of and increase public support for preserving these locations.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • Can Genetic Engineering Bring Back the American Chestnut?

    April 30, 2020 |

    The New York Times |

    Text |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York

    Researchers successfully genetically engineered American Chestnut trees to resist the blight that decimated the species. Using a resistance-conferring gene from the wheat plant, the trees are grown in the lab and then can mate with trees in the wild to produce hardier blight-resistant trees. Although there are several regulatory hurdles to clear, and some environmental activists oppose the use of genetic modifications, the group continues to receive substantial grants and the trees have passed years of safety and efficacy tests showing they are safe and can even contribute to a healthy diet for many species.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • “We Are Not Lost Causes”

    March 05, 2020 |

    Longreads |

    Text |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Rochester, New York

    In Rochester, NY, the Center for Teen Empowerment, a nonprofit that trains youth in community organizing, personal development, and anti-violence, is working to bring kids off the street and into safety. The program, which started in Boston, is centered on four ideas: jobs (paying the youth hired as organizers), teamwork, agency (letting them build their own activist agendas), and peer influence. While hard to evaluate because of its situational, qualitative nature, city officials, including law enforcement, point to the program as a factor in the decrease in violence across the city.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • UnitedHealthcare tackles homelessness as a root cause of poor health, and Philly is a test bed

    February 21, 2020 |

    The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    The health insurance company, United Healthcare, has started a program called myConnections that funds housing for Philadelphia citizens experiencing homelessness and chronic illness. United Healthcare will pay for rent as well as wraparound social services like transportation and food stamps. The program, which has spread to a dozen states, recognizes health as a key driver of poverty, and is bound by the idea that addressing housing can shift people out of poverty and poor health, and will save health insurance companies money too.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • How a Beloved Bird Is Helping Save the Chesapeake Bay

    February 18, 2020 |

    Hakai Magazine |

    Multi-Media |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Chesapeake, Maryland

    The Natural Lands Project works with local landowners to turn hundreds of hectares of marginal croplands into native grasslands. The grasses offer refuge for the northern bobwhite quail and grip the soil, which helps prevent erosion and keeps agricultural runoff and sediment out of the Chesapeake Bay. The quail population has grown to 450, a 39% increase from 20 years ago. The project works with landowners to convert small parcels of their land for the habitat. The landowners receive a small payment and help planting and maintaining the native vegetation. Many species have flourished in the new habitat.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • How Fines and Fees Reform Became a Priority for Cities Across the Country

    February 06, 2020 |

    Route Fifty |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Durham, North Carolina

    From North Carolina to California, states and cities are taking a new approach to fines and fees – people are having their charges dismissed, warrants for minor offenses cleared, and many municipalities are actually saving money by spending less on collections. With a system that was built because it provided cities and states with revenue, there has been a realization that it disproportionately targets communities of color and often keeps people stuck in cycles of debt. With this national awakening, resources and networks are being created so other places can implement the same change.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • How to stop youth violence: Role models, mentors, glimpses of life's possibilities

    January 23, 2020 |

    syracuse.com |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Syracuse, New York

    At Syracuse, New York’s Hillbrook Detention Center for youth, the Thinking For A Change program provides kids with classes – taught by mentors with similar backgrounds – like conflict resolution, anger management, problem-solving, and how to recognize signs of abuse. The program is part of a national shift toward rehabilitation and community-based programming, which is associated with a decrease in the number of youth experiencing incarceration.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

Go to All Solutions in Focus