A Safe Haven in Cartoon Confidants

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/a-safe-haven-in-cartoon-confidantes

David Bornstein

The New York Times

22 November 2010

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Children coming from abusive households are often reluctant to discuss their past experiences. A Mexican foundation is using animated characters to help abused and ill children speak about their lives.

Camcorders For Justice

http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/features/anonymous/camcorders-justice

James Scudamore

Intelligent Life

1 January 2014

Text / Over 3000 Words

In India, videos made about the many social problems are secretly broadcasted in different villages to make people aware of the real problem and also aware of what they can do to fix it. Video Volunteers, an organization that coordinates these video productions, catalyzes community change through transparency and accountability.

Crowdsourcing a Better World

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/28/crowdsourcing-a-better-world

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

28 March 2011

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Americans often want to connect to a cause beyond writing a check. Crowdsourcing is creating new forms of philanthropy globally, giving donors more choice and a stronger connection to the projects they fund.

Curbing Online Abuse Isn't Impossible. Here's Where We Start

http://www.wired.com/2014/05/fighting-online-harassment

Laura Hudson

Wired

15 May 2014

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Harassment on the internet is more accepted but just as harmful as it is in person. RiotGames, a game publisher, decreased abuse by enabling its gaming members to decide and enforce community norms.

For Mothers-to-Be, Finding Health Care in a Group

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/for-mothers-to-be-finding-health-care-in-a-group

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

18 December 2013

Text / 1500-3000 Words

To educate and prepare new mothers, Centering Pregnancy and Centering Parenting sites in the United States offer community-based patient-centered care in low-income areas. Centering offers interactive learning, check-ups, and social support, so that women can take charge of their health.

For some, prenatal care is a community affair

https://www.pri.org/stories/2014-06-18/some-prenatal-care-community-affair

Shuka Kalantari

Public Radio International (PRI)

18 June 2014

Radio / 3-5 Minutes

Latin American women in San Francisco have suffered from post-partum depression, social isolation, and chronic stress at the time of their pregnancies. Run by midwives, the Centering Pregnancy program at the San Francisco General Hospital provides patient-centered care, an environment to speak in Spanish, and a nurturing community for women’s group appointments. The results boast fewer c-sections and pre-term births, and an improvement in emotional support and overall prenatal health.

Girls Tweeting (Not Twerking) Their Way to Power

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/04/girls-tweeting-not-twerking-their-way-to-power

Courtney E. Martin

The New York Times

4 September 2013

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Sexual assault, rape, and sexism are social problems that young women face and many feel powerless to create change. Non-profit organizations such as SPARK and WAM have trained teenage girls to be advocates for themselves. Online campaigns and social media have also made teenage girls feel empowered to express themselves and make social change.

How Pinterest Is Revolutionizing Your Child's Classroom

https://medium.com/bright/how-pinterest-is-revolutionizing-your-child-s-classroom-4ccd4d59bbb9

Kathryn Joyce

Bright Magazine

31 March 2015

Text / Under 800 Words

Colorful volumes of books have aided teaching for centuries; however, the scope of engagement in the internet age demands newer methods for pedagogy. Pinterest, a social media-constructed visual bulletin board, has become a venue in which teachers share their pinned visual media, lesson plans, and charts with students and other teachers. The success of Teaching Pinterest expands pedagogy, reduces teacher alienation, enables collaboration with other teachers, and directs readers to other sites that offer teachers’ curriculum ideas for a cost.

In Aleppo, cell phones are helping some desperate Syrians find clean water

http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-08-26/aleppo-cell-phones-are-helping-some-desperate-syrians-find-clean-water

Joyce Hackel

Public Radio International (PRI)

26 August 2015

Radio / 5-15 Minutes

In war zones, people have a difficult time finding clean water and safe areas to inhabit. Social media, smart phones, and technology applications are aiding in people’s survival. In Aleppo, Syria, the International Committee of the Red Cross posted a map on Facebook to show alternative sources of clean drinking water that reached approximately 140,000 people.

In Delivery Rooms, Reducing Births of Convenience

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/07/in-delivery-rooms-reducing-births-of-convenience

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

7 May 2014

Text / 1500-3000 Words

The rate of Cesarean sections is on the rise in the United States, despite the higher risks of hysterectomy, hemorrhage, and infection, as well as the elevated expense. San Francisco General’s maternity ward, however, stands as an outlier by following evidence-based medicine that suggests decreasing C-sections and has also shifted from a pay-per-service incentive for the doctors to a salary or shift position.