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

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  • Tracing Illegal Guns

    A publicly available online platform launched by the New York Attorney General fills in big data gaps on guns being used in crimes and trafficked from elsewhere. “We were able to get a snapshot really quickly of where the worst guns are ending up and where they started.” The data can establish groundwork for interstate trafficking cases and also inform policy decisions and New York is happy to share the technology other communities can build their own databases.

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  • Transit Oriented Development

    Oakland, California is showing big cities that transit-oriented development is possible. After a decade of planning between public transportation officials, developers, and a neighborhood organization, the Fruitvale Transit Village opened in 2004. It includes commercial space, affordable housing units, and a health clinic. Instead of gentrifying the area, the Fruitvale Transit Village helped turn around a struggling neighborhood while keeping people of color in the community.

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  • Buying Better Food

    Founded in 2015, the Center for Good Food Purchasing offers a unique model for making school lunch healthier, cheaper, and more sustainable. Partnering with school districts and other local and national organizations, the Center outlines five core values to which schools must commit. Jill Harkins writes, "The big idea driving the work is that large institutions like governments and schools buy a lot of food ... and so they have the power to shift the market toward higher quality, more environmentally-sustainable and fair food." The approach has taken off in LA - can the same happen in Philadelphia?

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  • Get To Work

    Transportation is one of the biggest barriers to employment in Philadelphia. Despite having a public transit system, many people do not own cars, so they cannot access higher-paying jobs in the suburbs. The Commuter Options program, funded by a Department of Transportation grant and supported by the Philadelphia Unemployment Project, provides a way for workers to carpool to jobs that share a similar schedule and location. Though it is only one part of the solution, the program is helping 65 people access jobs outside of the city.

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  • The Posse Foundation

    Jill Harkins writes, "As the research shows, it’s not enough to get students into college. We need to also get them through college, and into jobs." The Posse Foundation recruits driven and accomplished low-income students to attend partner colleges in 10-person cohorts, a model that the Foundation believes offers a built-in support system that may prevent students from dropping out when facing the stressors of a new and challenging environment. And that is just the beginning - the Foundation continues to provide students with support and career advice through and after graduation.

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  • Capitalism for Good: Kensington Avenue Storefront Challenge

    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.

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  • The Opposite of Gentrification

    A new program in a Philadelphia neighborhood is offering opportunities for locals to curb gentrification. Gentrification occurs when outside developers come to an area and change it without leaving room for locals to remain. The nonprofit Jumpstart Germantown 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.

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  • Threat Assessment Teams

    Increasingly, schools are using threat assessment teams to prevent shootings. Composed of school and law enforcement officials, the groups direct potentially dangerous students to appropriate resources. One study found no racial bias in the process compared to zero tolerance policies that show significant disparities. Threat assessment teams are also unique in their intent to address all gun violence: "Spending money to prevent kids from getting to that point can have ripple effects outside of the school walls as well—in reducing violence on the street, and treating the trauma that precedes it."

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  • Children's Cabinet

    In Somerville, MA, businesses, nonprofits, government officials, and schools take a collaborative and holistic approach to improving children's lives. “Thinking about city budget, priorities, decision-making through the lens of kids ensures good outcomes for everybody,” a director of the initiative notes. Could Philadelphia benefit from breaking down silos and following Somerville's innovative lead?

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  • Champions of the Vote

    In Fairhill, a neighborhood in North Philadelphia, voter turnout was a mere 12% in one recent election. Fairhill Neighbors, a coalition of neighborhood groups, is seeking to combat lower turnout rates with a personal engagement program. “Voting Champions” are community members who will work to register voters, drive them to polls, and generate excitement about voting, with the hopes of transforming civic participation in their area.

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