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Midwestern Youth of Color Are Using Art and Culture to Build Their Political Power

Cinnamon Janzer

October 22, 2020 |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States

The Midwest Culture Lab consists of three organizations working to increase voter turnout among young people, especially young people of color. The partners work with artists, musicians, and other creative people to create messaging and campaigns that are culturally relevant and engage young people in civic participation. One partner, the Ohio Student Association, had artists create an ad that used relatable messaging about a criminal justice reform ballot measure to appeal to young people to vote. The ad brought in over 150 volunteers and contributed to doubling Ohio’s youth voter turnout from 2014 to 2018.

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Meet Philadelphia's First “Community-Supported Fishery”

Claire Marie Porter

October 21, 2020 |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A community-based seafood program called Fiishadelphia is the first community supported fishery run by high-school students in the city. They offer locally harvested and affordable seafood to a diverse customer base with an emphasis on accessibility for those experiencing economic hardship. The major cost is the distribution, delivery, and operation of the program, but so far, they have purchased 5,000 pounds of various types of fish and 25,000 pounds of shellfish and have connected community members directly to the suppliers.

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Their App Sends Free Mail to Incarcerated People. Now They're Helping Prisoners Register to Vote

Emily Nonko

October 20, 2020 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Ameelio is a technology startup launched by Yale students to facilitate free communication between people who are incarcerated and loved ones. In their first six months, the group went from sending 300 to over 4,000 letters a week to facilities in the United States. Their initial goal was to provide a not-for-profit alternative to the oftentimes predatory prison telecommunications industry. Recently they began a voter registration initiative where they send registration instructions, a blank voter registration application, and ballot request form to people who are incarcerated and eligible to vote.

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San Francisco Doula Program Tackles Birth Equity and Economic Justice in One Fell Swoop

Sarah Kwon

October 14, 2020 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

A doula program in San Francisco is helping to create jobs and build equity in maternal health, especially for Black mothers. Training is free for the client as well as for the doulas, with trainees also receiving mentorship and full benefits. To date, the organization has raised nearly $1 million for operational expenses from a variety of channels including "foundations, a city-managed health plan, and revenue from a local sugary drinks tax."

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‘Energy Aggregation' Has the Potential to Transform How We Get Power, But Hurdles Remain

Chad Small

October 14, 2020 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, California

California communities are turning to “community choice aggregators,” which allows them to buy electricity from green providers and have more control over the energy grid. However, the financial pressure for these programs to offer competitive rates as public utilities can mean that the programs might increase their dependence on cheaper, less green energy sources. So far, 21 of these community-choice programs are in the Golden State, serving 10 million customers.

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Scrap-and-Replace Program Helps Low-Income Californians Afford Cleaner Cars (and Now, E-Bikes)

Claire Marie Porter

October 13, 2020 |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, California

In an attempt to curb carbon emissions from the transportation sector, Californians are trading in old, environmentally-unfriendly cars in for greener electric cars or vouchers for alternative transportation. Clean Cars 4 All requires participants to meet income-based eligibility and only takes cars built in 1999 or earlier. The program will soon include rebates on electric bikes as well.

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California's Project Homekey Turns Hotels into Housing

Jared Brey

September 29, 2020 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, California

Long-term efforts to convert vacant hotels into housing for people experiencing homelessness jumped on an accelerated track in California when $312 million in pandemic-relief money paid for 2,389 housing units around the state. Project Homekey, an extension of Project Roomkey's program to put unhoused people temporarily in hotels, is putting a dent in the shortage of permanent housing options in cities like Oakland. Because the pandemic undercut the hotel business, owners are more willing to sell properties.

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Chicago Teens Unveil Vision for Change and Public Safety in Their Neighborhood

Zach Mortice

September 23, 2020 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Twenty high school students enrolled in Territory, an urban design nonprofit, produced a zine and their own quality of life report for West Austin, where many of the students live. The students conducted interviews, surveys, and gathered community input to create the report. It includes sections on public safety, youth empowerment, and mental health.

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Waiving Regulations for Affordable Housing Shows Results in Austin

Jared Brey

September 22, 2020 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Austin, Texas

Affordable housing requirements for developers were eased in Austin through legislation known as Affordability Unlocked. As a result of less stringent parking, set-back and height codes, developers are able to maximize the number of units per building and deliver a bigger impact per project. These projects are generally built through government subsidies, therefore giving tax payers a higher return on investment.

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Jersey City's Composting Program Expands During a Pandemic

Emily Nonko

September 16, 2020 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Jersey City, New Jersey

Since the Jersey City composting program, over 50,000 pounds of disposable waste has been used to fertilize home gardens, parks, and community gardens, instead of going into landfills. While scaling the program is a challenge due to the lack of infrastructure for integrating composting as part of the city’s waste removal, residents were eager to participate.

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