In the aftermath of an election "consumed with anti-immigration rhetoric," many of the same states that helped put Trump in the White House are not just home to growing numbers of immigrants and refugees, but many are actively seeking to naturalize these populations, as they play a significant role in bolstering economic growth. The Cities for Citizenship initiative is helping local governments to make the naturalization process more transparent and accessible for immigrant communities across the midwest.

Women are underrepresented in elected positions, and with Trump being elected after being heard describing women in poor taste, this has only become more of a concern. Programs such as Elect Her and IGNITE are trying to help increase the number of women in politics through various methods.

Voter turnout is a problem around the world, especially in local elections and among minority groups. But a small group of academics and activists in the US are experimenting with a new way to encourage people to turn up to vote: a lottery. Every voter is entered and one lucky winner gets a big cash prize, eliminating the risk of bribery and bought votes.

As tensions over race and education continue to be compounded by growing economic inequality and political rhetoric, one school in Connecticut bridges an otherwise widening divide. Schools like R.J. Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts - once the poorest and one of the most racially segregated schools in the state - are inspiring voluntary desegregation by offering successful magnet programs and busing students safely and efficiently across neighborhoods. The successful demonstration of integration in Kinsella is serving as a positive model for other schools around the nation.

Rates of recidivism in Pennsylvania have dropped substantially in recent years. Part of this decrease is due to the efforts of the Union County Justice Bridge Housing Program, which assists ex-offenders with housing. Other counties across the state are trying to replicate this success, yet face geographic and socioeconomic barriers.

The US incarcerates 8x as many women as it did in 1980, and two-thirds of women in state prisons are there for nonviolent offenses. A program in Tulsa, Women in Recovery, is working with women (and their children) to divert them from prison, combat addiction, and get access to services like education, coaching, housing, and work.

The challenges of wildlife conservation are numerous, including illegal hunting and habitat loss. Numerous organizations, including the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia, are training people, from farmers to scientists, to use an ancient tool to help: domesticated dogs. Better than any existing technology, working canines are helping conservationists on numerous fronts, from sniffing out poachers to tracking elusive species, as well as protecting livestock, removing the rancher's perceived need to kill predators like cheetahs.

The war in Syria has created thousands of traumatized victims, but not all of them are human. In an incredible feat of international diplomacy, collaboration, determination, and courage, a small group of compassionate individuals working with a group called Four Paws leveraged every tool at their disposal to rescue animals from a war-ravaged zoo in Aleppo, proving that animals have the power to bring people together across borders, ethnicities, nationalities, and from all walks of life.

Climate change is only worsening the frequency and ferocity of forest fires. Projects such as researching what makes trees more susceptible to fires, and having satellites send images of fires as they happen, in order to help forest services react most effectively, are new ideas being researched and implemented.

Alaska is a state of remote and rural townships, where everything costs more to access - from food to fuel - and plunging global oil prices have pushed the state economy to the brink of financial crisis. But communities such as Buckland are taking steps to move away from dependence on fossil fuels through the building of renewable energy micro-grids. Wind, geothermal, hydro, and solar power not only help keep the lights on, but are contributing to the stabilization of local economies.

Villages along the Irrawaddy River delta in Myanmar have spent years replanting mangroves in at attempt to restore their ecosystem and guard against the negative effects of climate change, but it is a labor intensive and time-consuming process. Now, with the help of specially-designed tree planting drones from startup BioCarbon Engineering, as many as 10,000 trees can be planted in a single day, using technology that not only distributes seeds in special pods, but is able to calculate optimal soil conditions, locations, and species of tree most likely to survive in any given area.

The Kentucky metro area has some of the worst air quality in the country, leading to concerning rates of asthma and respiratory disease well above the national averages. But a group called AIR Louisville has implemented a creative, crowdsourced solution that utilizes GPS-enabled inhalers to help patients identify and address asthma patterns based on numerous factors such as avoiding heavily-polluted parts of town, and identifying the best treatments based on lifestyle needs.

One of the greatest challenges to integrating renewable energy sources into the power grid has been the issue of storage - where and how to keep power generated during off-hours (such as overnight) when demand is low. While batteries are on the rise as one solution, an Alabama power plant has discovered a natural way of storing energy until it is needed: pumping air into salt caverns.

A factor that has often held back further development of renewable energy is the initial cost. But new advances in technology are helping make offshore wind power more feasible in deep water, furthering the growth potential of renewable energy in Scotland.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s cosmopolitan capital, has long been considered a world apart from surrounding rural communities, all of which suffer from reoccurring droughts and civil war. However, thanks to international aid and government intervention, things are looking up for the whole of Ethiopia, dubbed one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Success is particularly linked to a government program designed to predict natural disasters before they occur, and an innovative economic development program, which employs Ethiopia’s poorest in exchange for labor on public works projects. So far, these measures h

Climate change is a mounting threat to coral reefs, which serve not just as critical habitats for ocean life and a draw for the tourism industry, but also as a buffer to the increasing storms caused by changing weather patterns. In the first scheme of its kind, private businesses, nonprofits, and the government in Mexico's Yucatán Penninsula are combining financial resources to take out an insurance policy on their coral reefs. The insurance will help rebuild the reefs after storms and man-made damage, and fund new ways to keep them healthy.

In a randomized experiment in western Uganda, scientists demonstrated the effectiveness of paying rural farmers not to chop down trees since deforestation contributes to CO2 emissions worldwide. They studied for two years the declines in forest cover between a control group (no payment) and the participant group (paid). Building on a United Nations project in which wealthy nations pay poorer ones in an attempt to equalize the costs of responding to climate change, the outcome of the project proves the existence of a low-cost environmental policy solution to stemming rising global temperatures.

Los Angeles has faced deepening issues of severe traffic and extreme smog pollution in the past several decades, but for years intentions and promises to broadly improve transportation have fallen flat. At long last, the most congested city in the world - once home to the most extensive urban rail network on the planet - is reviving rail lines and trains as a solution to both issues. Robust public transport has proven to have multi-layered economic, cultural, environmental, and social benefits to communities.

Green City Force has expanded to many of New York City's public housing projects with a two-pronged approach. Not only does this program help develop professional skills of and job opportunities for young adult residents with high school diplomas, but also simultaneously promotes environmentally sustainable living.

Pregnant women in rural African villages tend not to seek medical services until they are in labour, but there are many services that should be performed earlier in the pregnancy in order to help ensure the survival of the mother and child. Bridge to Health Medical and Dental is a charity that brings temporary clinics to these areas and advertises their ultrasounds as an opportunity for mother's to 'see your baby' in order to entice mother's to come.

Camp Corral is an organization that brings together the children of military personnel who have suffered in combat. This is a unique experience for the youth because for the first time they can interact with other kids who have to face the same issues on a daily basis, resulting in increased confidence and overall well-being.

Time served in prison often means the end of opportunity and hope for the incarcerated, but a special restaurant run from within the San Diego women's prison in Cartagena is working to change that. The women are trained by professional and even celebrity chefs to prepare gourmet dishes - or they can work in the garden or as waitresses - ensuring they have dignity and opportunity on the other side.

Preventing suicide and helping people when they feel most alone are big goals but they are exactly what 'Crisis Text Line' aims to do. This hotline allows individuals to text trained counselors when they are at their most vulnerable, the counselors can talk to them and reach First Responders if the situation warrants it.

Disseminating correct HIV information to the public can be difficult but an HIV prevention program for the homeless has used artificial intelligence to select 'influencers' who are more likely to spread information. These individuals help to extend information through their social networks, resulting in more and accurate information reaching the public.

Two major pharmaceutical companies are offering discount cancer drugs in some African countries in an initiative modeled on the aids campaign. In African countries access to cancer treatment is scarce due to high prices of medicine, lack of medical staff and equipment and lack of awareness about the disease among the population; leading to higher death rates than in the developed world. The partnership to combat this also includes the American Cancer Society and IBM who are working to simplify cancer treatment guidelines and to make them available as an online tool to any hospital with an internet connection

People living in food deserts have very limited access to healthy food, prompting 'Green Carts' (street vendors with vegetables and fruits) and other mobile markets to pop up. Critically important to the success of these markets is their provision of Electronic Benefits Transfer machines to allow customers to pay with their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food stamps.

Young individuals who have lost loved ones to violence and live in violent areas are likely to perpetuate these trends. 'Becoming a Man' and 'Working on Womanhood' are programs that involve mentorship, behavioral therapy, and other skill development in order to help teenagers find a healthier path.

The ProMedica Toledo Hospital increases access to healthy food for low-income families through a novel kind of pharmacy. Patients receive free produce, recipes, and guidance from a dietician on how to treat and prevent diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure while improving eating habits. The food pharmacy serves over 800 people per month, and patients feel better mentally and physically.

The concept of peer-to-peer support has been leveraged by organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous for decades; but for perhaps the first time, health care systems are leveraging this method to help treat patients with mental illness. Non-profit Via Hope provides training and certification for peer support specialists who go to work in health clinics and hospitals to provide support, counseling, and resources for others suffering from a wide range of mental illnesses. They are already proving as, if not more effective than traditional case managers at helping keep patients out of psychiatric hospitals.

Oral surgeons and other doctors tend to prescribe opioids to their patients following surgery, which has arguably contributed to a rising number of patients, especially those under the age of 25, developing addictions. Now, thanks to increased awareness and new protocols, doctors and dentists are prescribing fewer opioids and more non-addictive pain killers, as well as educating their patients about their prescriptions.

ParkRx, as one of many new programs spanning several states, allow doctors to give out Park Prescriptions to their patients in order to encourage them to go to parks and get physical activity. These programs are a way to encourage exercise, open patient and doctor dialogues, and reduce the use of medications or procedures.

'Super-users' are people who use the healthcare system a disproportionate amount more. Programs such as One Care are designed to care for these 'super-users' organizing their complex care in order to reduce emergency room visits, prevent unnecessary procedures, and bring the cost of their care down.

With climate change, population pressures and mobilization epidemics will occur more frequently, and past ones have proven to be disastrous and expensive. The Center for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is focused on developing vaccines to viruses such as Ebola, as well as creating a fast approval path for future vaccines and helping increase global preparedness for future epidemics.

People living in rural areas often do not have access to therapy, additionally, the price of therapy can be expensive. In Tennessee, therapists now provide brief psychotherapy sessions within a health clinic, in order to serve the public faster and cheaper.

Kentucky is rethinking its penal system for dealing with drug offenders and has shown success in reducing recidivism and relapse rates. Instead of leaving addicts to languish in the typical jailhouse environment of "extortion, violence and tedium," more than two dozen of the state's county jails have created separate units devoted to full-time addiction treatment and support-services for prisoners that involve peer-policing.

Lead-footed drivers are a problem everywhere, and cities around the world have struggled with ways to get vehicles to slow down, especially in dense areas where the risks to pedestrians are acute. One clever solution is popping up on numerous roads around the world: 3D decals on the pavement that look like floating blocks, speed bumps, or small children. The decals create an optical illusion that is proving to help slow down speedy drivers, and for a fraction of the cost of speed bumps or traffic cops.

Non-profits in California worked together to set up a national network for undocumented immigrants to fight isolation and support legal aid. Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement (CIVIC) offers a free confidential hotline to report human rights abuses at detention centers and help families locate each other. CIVIC’s volunteers receive 14,000 calls a month from 210 detention centers in the United States.

"Songs in the Key of Free" is a program in a Pennsylvania prison brings together inmates to play music and write songs that they perform inside, while professional musicians also play the songs in venues outside prison. The program is just a year old and is based on a successful theater program in California that cut recidivism rates and helped decrease prison infractions. The founders of "Songs in the Key of Free" are creating an album of the work, but after that, future funding is unclear.

Refugio, Texas was ravaged by Hurricane Harvey, leaving behind damaged houses, schools and businesses and people who can not afford to rebuild their lives. However, this town has used its community and found strength in their love of football and their support of one another to keep moving forward.

Many kids living in low-income areas of Chicago never leave their isolated neighborhood, leaving them with a lack of knowledge about the outside world, and a plethora of knowledge about gangs and danger of their area. Embarc is an extra-curricular program that brings these kids on field trips to places around the city. It provides experiential development allowing them to see new things, shadow different careers and build trust.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, a domestic violence court offers funnels perpetrators into programs that offer counseling and other services to address the root causes of their behavior. Its two tracks focus on first-time offenders to short-circuit any escalation into chronic abuse, as well as those with multiple domestic violence charges. Judges work closely with participants to encourage them and call them out when they aren't meeting their obligations, and recidivism rates among those who complete the programs are far lower than those who do not.

The teenage girls of Thennamadevi are leaders in their community. They’re actively fighting against gender discrimination by organizing. They successfully lobbied politicians and brought streetlights, and sanitary napkins to their village. Across the country, similar girls clubs are being implemented, reflecting an international girls power movement.

In some rural parts of Guatemala, "more than half the girls...marry before the age of 18." While a coalition of organizations was able to lobby lawmakers, and raise the legal marriage age to 18, real changes happened at the community level when mentors engaged with girls.

Tech platforms are trying to find a way to battle hate speech while guarding free speech. Various sites have found success by using design elements to de-incentivize incivility, and are promoting more constructive debate in their comments and posts.

Women’s right activists are gaining traction in Jordan and Tunisia. Their efforts have led to the rejection of old laws that protected rapists, and more representation in parliament. The progress women activists are making is sustained through cross border collaborations, and is part of a larger movement happening in Arab countries.

Girls in Chicago's toughest neighborhoods face extensive danger on a daily basis. Not enough is being done to help girls so that they do not engage in violence or self-harm. Programs such as the Urban Warrior Program, Demoiselle 2 Femme, and the juvenile justice system are implementing programs tailored to understand the issues for girls in this community and to then provide mentoring and education.

In Cleveland, a youth council program started by the mayor, gives teens a voice in helping improve life for young people in the city. Kids on this council have propelled more security near the city’s recreation centers, better school lunches, more tutoring for state exams, all the while developing leadership skills.

The mosquito that spreads zika and dengue Aedes Aegypti is difficult to control. Oxitec a British company has designed a genetically modified mosquito to stop reproduction. For this method to be approved by the FDA it needs to be tested - however the population had many concerns regarding the danger of such methods and if the testing is ethical. The community will vote to decide if these gmo mosquitoes should be released.

With millennials unable to find regular work, people of color and women tired of discrimination during the hiring process, the number of people turning to freelancing has been growing. Networks like Enspiral and Upwork, are facilitating this shift by assisting in the search for employers, creating partnerships with other freelancers, creating unions that fight for living wages and work to fix other sundry issues that freelancers face.

Finland is tackling bullying with a national prevention program known as KiVa. In addition to classroom lessons and other resources, the program uses computer games to teach kids what they can do if they see bullying in progress.

Fueled by xenophobia, many countries around the world are refusing refugees at the border. But Canadian hockey moms, poker buddies, and neighbors are personally resettling Syrians, one family at a time.

In the past six years, backlogs of untested rape kits have been discovered across the country. Under the leadership of county prosecutor Kym Worthy, Detroit saw the nation's most ambitious—and effective—response to its backlog.