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

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  • In an Indiana river cleanup, businesses and environmentalists cooperate

    The Grand Calumet River in Indiana was once infamous for its levels of pollution and contamination. Although it didn't happen overnight, the introduction of the Clean Water Act led to collaborative efforts to divide and clean the river which was key to restoring the body of water and now serves as a model for other areas facing similar water pollution issues.

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  • Trailer parks face rising rents. This one's residents found a way out.

    ROC USA, a New Hampshire nonprofit, has helped almost 15,000 mobile homes become part of cooperative ownership setups across the country. The need for this is clear. Many mobile home residents do not own the land on which their homes reside, meaning they are at the whim of owners or outside investors. By coming together as a neighborhood and pitching in for collective ownership of a mobile home park, residents take control of their fate and their finances.

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  • Community building: Chicago experiment links libraries and apartments

    When a need for more libraries and more affordable housing arose in Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel pursued a plan to combine the two. The result is a partnership between the Chicago Housing Authority and the Chicago Public Library system. Despite some concern among neighborhood residents, the solution is largely seen as a creative approach as well as a creative use of funding and land space. Mixed-use developments are becoming more popular around the world, and this next iteration will benefit many types of Chicago residents.

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  • Stopping US teens from smoking, one town at a time

    Activists hope to reduce the number of young smokers by raising the legal smoking age to 21. Instead of working for a national change, they're tackling the issue one small town at a time.

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  • Can Chinese students revive the American heartland?

    The town of Clinton, Iowa was struggling both economically and with student retention until a partnership with an American businessman and a Chinese company brought 72 Chinese students to fill empty seats in the public high schools. Not only does this stir up the local economy with businesses jumping at the chance to serve a new audience, but the students all benefit from the cultural and educational exchange. The Clinton school board and district representatives all voted unanimously for the program, and both sides are looking forward to continuing to develop and grow the program.

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  • For Chinese high-schoolers, there's value to living and learning in Iowa

    In the past decade, an increasing number of Chinese students have enrolled in American public schools in smaller towns, including in Clinton, Iowa. The trend serves as an important exchange program for both parties and fills the empty seats in towns where populations continue to decline.

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  • As legal cannabis comes to Canada, communities welcome accompanying job boom

    In Canada, where the legalization of marijuana will become official in mid-October, some towns are gearing up by creating employment opportunities related to the now burgeoning industry. The so-called "green rush" is expected to lift up a new class of entrepreneurs and investors, but there are still many unknowns that might hinder success.

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  • How one North Carolina town stayed dry during Florence

    In North Carolina, residents of the town of Swan Quarter have put aside their political differences to support building a dike, meant to protect from the consequences of severe flooding and climate change. The dike has helped prevent flooding so far, but it's also lowered flood insurance premiums and sparked investment in the town based of higher confidence in the value of the land.

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  • Aging cocoa trees provide opportunity for agricultural reform in Ghana

    In Ghana, cocoa trees are aging and producing lower yields, worrying the farmers who rely on the crop to make a living; the decreased yield is also presenting opportunity for agricultural reform to produce a more sustainable vision for agriculture in the region. Across western Ghana, organizations are working together to create customary land agreements and helping land tenants to encourage long term investment in replanting cocoa trees.

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  • Spare some change? Helping the poor in a cashless society

    A non-profit in Cambridge, England has created a mobile app to connect homeless people with donations, even when passersby do not carry cash they can donate. Still in its early phases, the app has helped 11 people reach their saving goals -- but critics argue that the app does little to help people see the homeless as humans, and might actually increase judgement and stigma.

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