Ball State University and Muncie, Indiana, are forging an inventive town-gown partnership. In 2018, the school became the first public university to assume responsibility for the city's public schools. The transition has involved intentional community engagement and sparked community enthusiasm that had waned in recent decades and resulted in a dramatically declining school population.

Bucking the stereotypes of strained town-gown relations and the removed university, the Mississippi Communiversity is bringing together a community college, research university, local high schools, state and local government, federal government, private businesses, and local individuals to build a truly collaborative academic center. The academically structured, industrially aligned program enjoys funding from all of the above parties mentioned.

A company called Bitwise in Fresno, California thinks beyond financial gain and factors social background and economic justice into their developer training programs. Bitwise offers a coding school as well as a custom software business that hires graduates from their training program to help with commercial projects.

The town of Danville, Virginia survived the downfall of the mill industry by using creative financing and investing in solid economic infrastructure that will remain sustainable into the future. The town has invested in broadband and used funds from a tobacco settlement to re-install city money into local institutions.

Getting away from daily publishing helps local newspapers focus on serving their audience. The Quoddy Tides, a family-owned newspaper in Eastport, Maine, publishes only twice monthly. Publishing less frequently allows the newspaper to include more local stories, which are of interest to their community of readers, many of whom either live in, or have ties to the community. By avoiding the 24-hour news cycle, the newspaper can focus on local discourse and civic engagement.

The retention of local ownership provides a more viable business model for small newspapers. In Provincetown, Massachusetts, the Provincetown Independent eschews the profit-maximizing, private-equity business model in favor of a weekly publication that is focused on local issues. The newspaper operates on the basis of a hybrid business model, blending its publication with non-profit activities, such as training new journalists and other projects.

Fort Wayne, Indiana follows the national trend that transforms old abandoned buildings into new economic powerhouses by converting what was once the massive GE campus into a mixed space of residential, business and retail space. While some cities tore down older structures in the '70s and '80s, cities who kept their open-space warehouses -- cities like Fort Wayne -- are now taking advantage of the empty spaces and making room for economic growth and civic participation.

Across the United States, libraries are acting as more than hubs of literature. From acting as safe havens in emergencies, to places of support and community in times of distress, and to information headquarters where people can find the information they need, libraries offer creative, kind, and welcoming services that go well beyond their implied responsibilities.

A network of member organizations in and around Danville, Virginia tackles the region's health and nutrition pitfalls by relying on the strength of their tight-knit rural towns to donate and distribute health resources to impoverished communities. One such organization, God's Storehouse, uses the personal bonds of neighbors and friends to box and distribute free food.

The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library is a branch of the New York Public Library system that offers a wide array of services for vision-impaired adults and children. They hold the largest physical collection of braille books in the country, as well as thousands of downloadable digital braille books, audio books, and newspaper subscriptions. Included amongst these offerings are also the Talking Books program which records and distributes their collection of 200,000 recorded books, hardware and software tech to help illustrate things like tactile maps or diagrams, and simple community classes.

A public library in Brownsville, Texas continues to remain relevant through its dedication to learning from failed initiatives, investing in new technology, and ensuring that the space keeps up with ever-changing town culture. Beyond housing a plethora of books, the library has invested in 3D printers for local creators, studio space for a local television channel, and a colorful computer lab for teens to utilize.

Across the United States, rural health-care centers that qualify to receive a Federally Qualified Health Centers designation are better able to provide affordable care for those that need it. Although there are limitations and other issues still being addressed, these health care centers are "committed to serving everyone, regardless of ability to pay."

Public libraries can serve as vital community resources. In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the Forsyth County Public Library operates as a multi-use facility thanks to investments from a voter-approved bond and state grants. In addition to meeting rooms and computer labs, the library provides peer-support specialists trained in assisting homeless patrons with mental health counseling and job services. Health clinics and other community partners also participate in initiatives housed at the library.

A high school in Southern Georgia addresses their dismal graduation rates by adopting a "career technical" approach to teaching that offers students a choice of five career path "academies." Once a student is enrolled in their academy, they learn practical skills required of that career path - along with typical high school requirements. Since implementation of this teaching style, the graduation rate has increased by nearly 35%.

The Firstbuild "microfactory" in Louisville, Kentucky is one of many businesses across the country that, rather than focusing on giant consumer bases, aims to close the mind-to-market gap by investing in small, niche markets. This business model helps products get on shelves faster, reduces large capital investments, and reduces competition by honing in on specific, moderately sized markets.

In a city with a long-struggling school system, a nonprofit trade program is helping unemployed adults find work in the high-tech manufacturing field. Technical Employment Training in San Bernardino ensures participants gain nationally recognized credentials, get on-the-job-training, and have placement options with local employers.

Over the past dozen years, The Commercial Appeal, once the top morning newspaper in Memphis, Tennessee, slowly succumbed to the same ownership changes and downsizing that has plagued numerous other local papers across the country. Hungry for local news after The Commercial Appeal had left a gap, Eric Barnes and Andy Cates created the Daily Memphian. The paper is an online-only, subscription-based service owned by a new 501(c)3 non-profit, Memphis Fourth Estate Inc., which has no editorial control over the paper's content.

In Nashville, the public library system and metropolitan public school district are working together to ensure students have access to all the educational resources they need. To start, every student ID doubles as a library card.