In one year, the drug overdoses in Roanoke, VA have taken 12 lives and another 76 have overdosed but survived. The police department developed a new program called the Roanoke Valley Hope Initiative, designed to provide rehabilitation without arrest for those who seek it. The program simulates the successful national effort to help drug abusers instead of incarcerating them.

With so much police brutality upon black men in the news, police departments across the country have been perceived with suspicion and fear. A police officer in North Little Rock has sought to change the perspective of the police through videos on social media and actions toward community policing.

Obesity is at an all-time high in the United States, and is hard to combat. But urban obesity can be countered with inviting streets to stroll, dramatic staircases to climb, parks to exercise in - it’s called “active design.”

Gang violence in Minneapolis has caused many gun-related deaths and the destruction of families. One community organizer, a former gang-member and drug dealer, builds trust with at-risk youth that are on the edge. He visits kids, helps them get to job interviews, reviews homework, and listens to their individual struggles.

In Sun Prairie, policemen would frequently rotate their districts and feel that they were unable to help people who were in trouble because there was not enough time to know the residents. Now Sun Prairie has begun district policing, which positions policemen in different districts for one year before rotation. The police have found that they are able to problem solve situations better, requiring less force and more interpersonal skills, especially for individuals with mental health disorders.

One of the hardest parts of being in prison is not knowing what to do when you get out. By pitching ex-cons as good for business, the Eastern District of Missouri’s prison-to-work program has become a model for inmate re-entry nationwide.

After leading Seattle’s storied Garfield High School for more than a decade, Principal Ted Howard is having a crisis of conscience, wondering if his hard line with youth of color is hurting the very students he most wants to help.

The second part in a series of stories about Seattle's response to their homeless crisis. Here, officials look to the example of Houston to create housing options for homeless veterans and former convicts.

With shooting deaths soaring in Milwaukee, gun cases have swamped the county courts, but there has been no similar spike in federal firearm prosecutions. In fact, the opposite occurred last year.

Healing trauma has never been an easy process but programs like Healing Hurt People help to promote recovery in traumatized, angry young men. This program, in partnership with local medical services, aims to provide therapy in place of violence, which would only cause more trauma down the road. Those who stick with the program have found great success in overcoming their pasts.

Job training is an invaluable resource to prisoners who may not have any other resources for such a thing. A new job center, established with a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, aims to assist 1,000 Milwaukee County offenders over two years.

In San Francisco, empirical evidence emerges that providing housing to the homeless reduces the overall cost to the average taxpayer, in large part by reducing homeless populations' dependence on other city services and improving their health by offering shelter.

Why do poorer countries like Russia have much lower rates of autoimmune diseases like Type 1 diabetes? Preventing autoimmune disorders may require emulating aspects of that “dirtier” world: safely bottling the kinds of microbes that protect the Russian kids, so we can give them to everyone and guide the “postmodern” immune system along a healthier path of development.

School districts in poverty-stricken areas have discovered that there is a benefit to thinking outside the box. There's no magic bullet to lead students out of poverty, but there may be different ways to engage them -- and keep them in school -- as East Aurora High and other poor schools are finding.

In an attempt to address liver disease, diabetes, obesity and other health issues, Brownsville has launched a comprehensive, cohesive approach to promoting health, being named a model for other communities across the country.

In an attempt to curb risky alcohol use and its consequences, advocates and researchers are launching two initiatives in El Paso – one to get people to reconsider their drinking habits, and another to reduce underage drinking at parties.

Organ donation waiting lists can often hold wait times of months or even years. Thousands of lives could be saved with better ways to reach to the millions of Americans willing to donate an organ.

Over the last decade, many Massachusetts schools have seen the number of cases grow from just a few students a year being hospitalized for mental health issues to upwards of several dozen, often transforming guidance offices into de facto psychiatric wards, educators say.

Hepatitis C is a deadly disease that has yet to be eradicated in the United States (and worldwide). Organizations in El Paso and across the country are working to get people tested and treated for the virus.

Liver disease is killing El Pasoans at an alarming rate and draining resources as sick patients end up in hospitals and emergency rooms – but it doesn’t have to be that way. Liver disease’s three main causes are preventable, and several groups in El Paso and across the country are tackling them one by one.

A 'restorative justice' program in Roanoke schools aims to resolve in-school conflicts using teachers and staff, rather than referring issues to law enforcement.

Journalists in San Francisco, frustrated at inaction over the city’s homeless crisis, are planning coordinated coverage on the issue.

Communities nationwide, including in Wisconsin, work to help ex-prisoners by surrounding them with supportive people. But in Vermont, a statewide network funded by the DOC makes it happen.

New Brooklyn Young Adult Court aims to keep youths out of a lifetime of crime.

Higher education has become a guardian of class division and privilege. But leadership can, and is trying to, reverse that and level the playing field.

Schools in one Minnesota district are using tactics like yoga breaks, school mottoes and rewards to combat behavioral issues.

Bison in the United States went from being plentiful to near-extinct. Today, their numbers are strong once more and America's national mammal can be found in every state.

Students who are new to America or lack college-educated parents often don’t know their options. Increasing transparency about financial aid systems and encouraging students to strive for competitive schools are some of the ways that first-generation citizens can get a university education.

In response to high-profile shootings of people with mental illness, police departments around the country are turning to crisis intervention training.

Massachusetts’ Brockton Public School district has trained the entire staff at three elementary schools to recognize signs of trauma in children. Inspired by the book, “Helping Traumatized Children Learn,” by Eliana Gil, the district’s initiative has now inspired another text and has spread to school districts around the world. Core to the initiative is trying to work more proactively toward social emotional health.

Victims of violence found in hospitals are more likely to return for emergency care than those with chronic illnesses. As a result, communities like Cleveland, Ohio are trying the approach of treating violence as a public health issue. By employing social workers and peer mentors for the victims while being treated, it is hoped that the cycle of violence can be interrupted and the root cause addressed.

When it comes to health care in America, quality is hard to measure and cost is hard to predict. Some are trying to increase transparency and accountability among health care providers and insurers.

Relying on teachers and parents to identify candidates for gifted programs appears to discriminate against minority and poor children - a new, more equal screening process reveals that more minority students are 'gifted' than previously categorized.

A network of women, most of whom are African-American, are re-defining the health benefits of walking; more than just exercise and weight loss, they find joy and self-confidence when they organize in groups.

Zipline, a start-up based in California, raised $18 million and partnered with the small African country to shuttle packages of blood and emergency medicine.

The Right Path program aims to help break the cycle of poverty and criminality. It covers tuition and course materials for students as well as providing stipends.

In a global economy, helping students succeed means offering them the opportunity to become multilingual. States such as Utah, Indiana, and Delaware have stepped up their efforts with immersion programs for elementary students.

A test kitchen set up at Fenway High School this year to try out new lunch items is slowly transforming cuisine across the school system, as part of an effort to expand more healthful food options for students.

Homicide rates fail to account for all the times when a gun is fired in anger, fear or by accident and the bullet simply misses its mark. The more telling number about gun violence might be “shots fired.” And now, thanks to broader adoption of new technologies, it is getting easier to show just how common gun violence is in America.

Nutrition labeling on sugary drinks hardly gives understandable measurements so that consumers can make informed choices for their well-being. Outside of the United States, other countries like Mexico have tried the “12 teaspoonfuls” campaign that clearly informs consumers what is in their soda, and Ecuador has tried the traffic-light label to demonstrate nutrition information through colorful symbols. Both of these approaches have shown to be successful at reducing the consumption of high-sugar goods.

Nine and a half million people consume what has been called the champagne of drinking water. We took a look at its journey from source to tap.

The Washington, DC program is part of a radical shift in the way some schools are thinking about parent involvement. Rather than encourage parents to attend bake sales and spaghetti dinners — which have long been the domain of middle-class families and have no direct link to academic achievement — these schools are effectively training parents of all backgrounds to become informed and confident tutors at home.

The true prize in education is a recipe that vaults low-income students into the upper echelons of achievement. A blue-collar town in Massachusetts says the key is something as basic as more time.

Project Remand, a private nonprofit, was established in 1973 to identify high-risk offenders. Late in 2012, the nonprofit launched a pilot program for GPS monitoring of domestic violence defendants.

In St. Paul, one of Minnesota’s collective approaches to solutions in action — dubbed The Blueprint for Safety — is a foundation of laws that adapt to the proliferation of domestic violence in the state and successful efforts of marrying the advocate community with the criminal justice system.

For a decade, Massachusetts has led the nation in student performance, ranking high internationally, too. What are they doing that we aren’t? Funding their schools, for one thing. But it’s also about how you spend the money.

St. Paul, Minnesota, was the first in the nation to establish a shelter for battered women. Women’s Advocates was founded in 1974. In 1980, Minnesota also became the first state to implement a sentencing guidelines structure.

Molecular biologists and neuroscientists are tweeting with the hashtag #ASAPbio in protest of a system that keeps research from being shared with the public, typically for more than six months.

As Seattle and the region search for ways to produce and retain affordable housing, these four developments backed by private capital are examples of different strategies that have worked.

A growing number of high schools across Massachusetts are exploring later start times, amid research showing that a lack of sleep can have detrimental effects on the health and academic performance of teenagers.

A remarkable nonprofit in Baltimore sends teams of volunteers to give overwhelmed youths unconditional help and guidance that cannot be withdrawn.

How can unusable machinery be disposed of in a safe and environmentally-friendly way? A new effort in California drops old oil rigs in the sea as a kind of artificial coral reef.

Partnering cops and clinicians has led to a cultural change in New Haven's police department. Their definition of a victim extends past the person with physical injuries in order to help children from violence-stricken households, a more comprehensive approach.

Sacramento City Council members and top city officials will travel Friday to explore Seattle’s network of authorized tent cities for the homeless as they consider creating a similar “safe ground” here.

Chronic toxic stress caused by violence in trauma in a child's life can be exceedingly harmful - but can be remedied through building personal relationships and trust.

It's often difficult for the disadvantaged portion of the population to find meaningful and rewarding work. The start-up ArtLifting takes pieces created by homeless and disabled people, finds buyers and shares the proceeds with the artists.

A battery of drugs, some new and some long known, have been proven to give addicts support in staying off drugs and alcohol after rehab.

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, across the river from New York City, offers a look at the benefits and challenges of a street-level transit line.

While research is mixed on whether increases in school spending lead to better results for students, a study suggests that influxes of dollars from court decisions lead to higher graduation rates and earnings, especially for low-income students.

In order to disrupt cycles of violence, Milwaukee’s Homicide Review Commission has recommended that Milwaukee police examine how their peers in Rochester, N.Y., organize police work around the concept of preventing disputes from escalating into violence.

Increasingly, continuing care for addicts in recovery means more than handing them a list of A.A. meetings when they leave rehab, as caretakers develop and learn to use apps and video chat to check in on their patients.

In California, once a national innovator in draconian policies to get tough on crime, voters and lawmakers are now innovating in the opposite direction, adopting laws that have released tens of thousands of inmates and are preventing even more from going to prison in the first place.

The Pathways Community HUB model, born in Mansfield as way to improve pregnancy outcomes, is becoming a national model. Its success is in large part due to its rewarding only caretakers whose patients achieve certain health milestones.

Hospitals across the United States are trying, in systematic ways, to reduce the risk of infection and other preventable dangers that can leave patients in worse shape after their stay. Some of the approaches include limiting entrances and exits during surgeries and administering antibiotics in a timely manner.

Agencies and hospitals working together want methods and protocols with which to guard better against the risks that can harm the patient. The key may be the "Swiss cheese model," by which a hospital must have multiple lines of defense to compensate for each individual system's weaknesses.

The one-stop shopping for public, magnet, charter and innovations schools has proved popular in Coloroda but generated controversy in Massachusetts.

A pilot project in hospitals in California finds ways to avoid Caesarean sections when the expense and risks are not medically necessary. The need to avoid C-sections stems from the dangers the operation poses to mothers.

New Destiny Housing — the only nonprofit in New York City providing low-income rental housing specifically for domestic violence survivors is trying to make it easier for domestic violence survivors to leave their partners.

A growing number of organizations—rallying around victim advocacy—are calling for shorter sentences for offenders and better counseling for victims across the United States.

Milford Regional is part of a wave of hospitals nationwide that are implementing volunteer programs with the goal of making sure patients have companionship when they pass away.

Newark, N.J., had major politicians and investments try to "flip" its school system; the much smaller Union City had teachers and parents. The solution was no silver bullet—just the slow and steady approach of gradual improvement.

To protect the heads of football players, it might be advisable to have them occasionally practice without head protection, according to a counterintuitive new study of a successful Division I football program.

In light of climate change, New York State's Common Retirement Fund, the country's third-largest pension fund, decided to invest in a way that rewards companies with low carbon footprints.

A broader effort at Birch Meadow Elementary School and Reading’s eight other schools is putting students at ease and getting them more in tune with their emotions, and one another, so they can concentrate on learning.

A few adult children have found that the simplest arrangement can be found in an apartment at the same retirement community, as it enables them to care for their elderly parents efficiently.

Despite the lack of success shown in a 2014 report, police officials say the Juvenile Robbery Intervention Program is valuable because of the good will it creates.

Just four years ago, Foster High’s test scores were low and morale lower. But in a dramatic turnaround, achievement now is way up, especially in math, in part due to the new, higher degree of teacher involvement.

A second year of decline demonstrates that a project to reduce traffic fatalities works, said a safety advocate, who called on the mayor to expand the effort, termed Vision Zero, which lowers speed limits and raises enforcement.

Tomato pickers have spent more than 20 years on a campaign for dignity and fair pay. The workers have succeeded, against incredible odds, in getting some of the biggest corporations in the country to recognize their plight.

Two years after his election, the mayor of New York created a universal preschool program. In Boston, progress has been much slower.

Each year, close to three million dogs and cats are killed in shelters - in some cities more than 70 percent of the animals in shelters are euthanized. Target Zero is a program that works with fellow cities to spay and neuter animals and return them to the streets. Public complaints about animals have plummeted, and many shelters are well on their way to achieving a 'zero-kill' status.

For decades, Missouri had restrictive gun laws, but after relaxing them in 2007, there has been an uptick in gun deaths. Gun control legislation that restricts criminals' access could be the solution.

School districts don’t usually operate homeless shelters for their students, run food banks or have a system in place to provide whatever clothes kids need. Few offer regular access to pediatricians and mental health counselors, or make washers and dryers available to families desperate to get clean. But the Jennings School District — serving about 3,000 students in a low-income, predominantly African American jurisdiction just north of St. Louis — does all of these things and more.

Only a fraction of kids in foster care go to college, and even fewer graduate. The small but successful scholarship program at Seattle University aims to change that by specifically helping students from foster care.

This year’s Poptech Conference, a 19-year-old gathering for thinkers and world-changers, celebrated hybrid thinking across industry sectors, or “when disciplinary boundaries fall by the wayside" - four of their projects are discussed.

A program in eastern North Carolina takes a proven, two-generation approach to lift struggling families out of dire circumstances.

An Oakland nonprofit that uses art for therapy has a startling track record for helping developmentally disabled adults become prolific—and profitable—artists.

Homelessness is rampant, and cities often struggle with creative ways to eliminate the problem. Numerous studies and pilot programs have concluded that simply giving housing to homeless people is a cost-effective and surefire way to keep them off of the streets.

Baltimore's infant mortality rate has dropped by 24 percent, and health officials there as well as independent research groups have credited the city's B'More for Healthy Babies initiative, launched in 2009.

In an effort to reduce the incidence of police brutality, a new style of training recruits emphasizes techniques to better de-escalate conflict situations.

An epidemic of opioid use in Massachusetts resulted in more than 1,200 fatal overdoses last year. Authorities turned to Vivitrol injections, which make a drug-induced high impossible, to cut rates of both addiction and incarceration.

A growing number of high schools across the U.S. offer free college courses to low-income students in an effort to help them make the transition from high school to college and afford the rising cost of a degree.

Improvements in CPR remain underused in practice, with many doctors giving up too soon. As a result, survival rates after cardiac arrest vary as much as 500 percent across the country.

Whitsons Culinary Group’s food-making center, in a bucolic town of 3,000, produces about 80,000 meals a day. It addresses the question of how to feed students in a school district where many buildings have no kitchens.

Most public schools lunches are cheap, frozen meals, which satisfy federal nutrition standards but kids don't eat them so student performance suffers. A school in Boston partnered with a non-profit to test entrees that are cheap, healthy, and that the students like.

Shreveport, Louisiana, faces blight. New Orleans decreased blight by 30 percent by creating an authority for the task, using technology to collect data, and providing residents with information and help.

State-run newborn screening programs can vary widely by hospital, creating an inconsistent process and a dangerous environment for babies born with disorders. These six points address how screening should be done.

A unique educational collaboration in Long Beach, Calif., raises college admissions and graduation rates for underprivileged students by connecting high schools with community colleges. The process starts by awarding high school graduates with a tuitition-free year at any Long Beach City College, as well as admission into California State University - Long Beach, if they meet the minimum requirements.

Vermont is one of the most advanced states in the country when it comes to disability inclusion and activism. The state stopped funding sheltered workshops in 2002 and chose instead to send that money to individuals to pursue any career path of their choosing by offering services such as job coaching and transportation. As a result, 61% of people with disabilities are employed within a year of receiving state support. At large, nearly 40% of adults with disabilities work alongside adults without disabilities, which is a rate considerably higher than other states.

During the last 12 years, the number of minors in Alaska sentenced to time in correctional facilities because of drug or alcohol charges has been steadily reduced, from 730 in 2003 to 395 in 2014. A big contributing factor behind that improvement has come with the department’s progress in, firstly, assessing what kids need treatment and, secondly, getting them into the right treatment programs.

Alaska has come a long way in reducing underage drinking in the past two decades by introducing restorative justice and other programs. Self-reported numbers have declined, as have referrals into the juvenile justice system.

From spreading a culture of moderation nationwide to advocating better communication between parents and kids, health officials in Canada have been working to reduce the harmful effects of underage drinking.

To combat high rates of teen alcohol use, Alaskan schools are introducing positive interventions, trying to help students rather than simply punish them.

Hyper-polarization on an issue hinders progress. The Convergence Center for Policy Resolution uses conflict resolution classes to help opponents across the U.S. find common ground on social issues like education, nourishing food, and health care.

Rasmus and Allen are attempting to take the data they’ve gathered from their years working with western Alaska communities to establish Qungasvik as an evidence-based solution for not only alcohol abuse but also for other issues facing rural Alaska, such as suicide.

Many guns recovered from crimes in Chicago, were purchased in its suburbs. A Chicago coalition of anti-violence activists used this to file a lawsuit against Lyons, leading to stricter gun laws in the town.

A high school near the heart of much of the Ferguson unrest has been the key driver in what state officials have called the most dramatic improvements of a school district in Missouri. Its graduation rate last year—83 percent—is the highest it’s been in more than a decade, accomplished in part by building relationships with students.

Few Americans talk about their end-of-life wishes. To encourage these conversations, Medicare has decided to reimburse doctors for the time they spend helping families decide end-of-life wishes. In Wisconsin, a program trained nurses to have these conversations when doctors are too busy.

International students and the city of Flint, Michigan, have an imperfect but beneficial relationship. The city is a cheap and accommodating place for students to get their foot in the U.S., and the students bring their business; thus, boosting the desperate economy.

Lead poisoning is not purely a problem of the poor - it can affect any child living in an older home, or playing on contaminated soil. New solutions journalism efforts aim to increase transparency about the risks and to help parents decide whether their children should be tested.

In El Paso domestic violence cases are processed more effectively by having social workers, prosecutors, and law enforcement work together to get immediate support to the victims and hold the aggressor accountable.

The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion initiative is being implemented in cities across the U.S. Instead of arresting people accused of low-level drug crimes, the offenders are offered drug treatment, job training, mental health counseling, and other services.

Project Longevity, a program aimed at reducing violence by gang and group members, has had a positive impact in reducing shootings and homicides in New Haven, according to a study by Yale University sociologists.

Caller-Times Saturday’s biannual Coastal Bend Social Forum hosted by Del Mar College gathered an array of experts to delve into the issues of domestic violence, labor rights, immigrant rights and homelessness, among other topics, to ignite a new tide of change in the Coastal Bend.

Cleveland has a list of lead-safe homes, a result of decades of cleaning up hazards with tens of millions of dollars in HUD grant money.

It's been a decade since the city of Rochester, New York, committed to tackling its lead poisoning problem head on. What resulted was a more than 80 percent drop in the number of children with high lead levels. It's a change leaders believe is sustainable.

In the U.S., the practice of tracked classes or special programs have exacerbated racial separation in schools. Leschi Elementary, in Seattle, made changes to their curriculum to draw white families to a traditionally black school.

The city of Trenton is trying to reduce gun violence. In Philadelphia, the Healing Hurt People is a hospital-based violence intervention program that employs trauma counselors to help patients suffering from gun violence.

Missing days at school, even when excusable, starts children on a pattern of falling behind. A new U.S. department of education initiative has districts tracking all absences, even in kindergarten, to identify and help kids with chronic absenteeism sooner.

Mental health research results motivated the U.S. government to fund integrated treatment programs for first-episode psychosis in clinics across the nation.

In the U.S., arrests for the inability to pay fines increase incarceration rates and discriminate against the poor. Many countries make fines proportional to an offender's ability to pay, lowering recidivism and saving the government money.

In Utah, Goldman Sachs funded the education of preschoolers and was reimbursed by the state once it was shown that the kids would not need special education. Social impact investments, like this one in Utah, can help social programs in the U.S. which are often affected by government cuts.

Illicit activity is rampant in the rundown motel rooms dotting Costa Mesa’s Harbor and Newport boulevards. Officials think they finally have a plan to make some of those motels disappear: Property zoning.

Thanks to new private and public funding, school completion programs in Seattle, which enable distressed youth to achieve high school equivalency degrees, can now expand.

The H.I.V. infection rate in San Francisco dropped drastically after the city increased testing and created programs like Rapid, which immediately offer public health insurance, antiretroviral drugs, and personal counselors for people with AIDS.

Conventional school policies fail to address the needs of transgender students. A school district in Tampa changed its human rights ordinance to include gender identity and expression.

Artists need cheap living costs, but their presence improves a community and the property values. The State of Colorado and private developers are creating affordable housing and work spaces for artists in neighborhoods they want to thrive.

A new study suggests the gains from pre-K education are ephemeral, but Boston's program shows a correlation between pre-K attendance and third-grade achievement.

Residents who use a disproportionate amount of health care, or super utilizers, are a high cost for the system. A hospital in Baltimore is following the example of other hospitals and focusing on the underlying problems of super utilizers to reduce emergencies and save costs.

Schools in Los Angeles have strict consequences for truancy and tardiness but offer rewards and recognition for good attendance. Administrators use iPhones to record the ID numbers of tardy students, tracking them in order to engage the appropriate intervention.

Great solutions to common problems often already exist and have been implemented elsewhere. By crowdsourcing ideas and broadening the pool from which contractors are selected, cities across the world are improving their cities.

Kids from low income families miss out on college prep conversations at home. A high school work study program in Chicago is helping these students succeed in college by connecting them with white collar professional mentors and experiences.

A national survey showed that few college students intervene when witnessing a sexual assault. The school with the highest rate of student intervention was Dartmouth College, where students receive bystander prevention training.

At a time when university students lack opportunities and financial help to test their innovative business ideas, the Resolution Project supports higher education students who have ideas for socially responsible businesses and charities. Resolution offers small awards to start businesses as well as mentor opportunities that enable networking and business collaboration with experts.

When processing rape kits, it may be faster and more cost-effective to extract DNA profiles rather than first screen swabs and undergarments for semen. Ohio’s crime lab, which has identified a potential suspect in nearly 40 percent of recent cases, has made this and other changes to its procedures.

Lack of access to sanitary bathrooms in the village of Kivalina, Alaska led to the implementation of a novel, home-based water sanitation system, currently being tested for effectiveness. The hope is that it proves to be a solution for areas all over the state with lack of access to clean water systems.

Seattle risks losing about $12 million annually in federal funds unless it fixes problems that include failures to update student learning plans, deliver services outlined in those plans and provide services consistently from school to school.