Public Radio International (PRI)
6 July 2018
Text / 800-1500 Words
Berlin, Germany
In Germany, where the political ramifications of more liberal refugee policies are becoming known, the city of Berlin has become home to an "Arabic-language literary and cultural center," housed in a public library. The center connects Arabic-speaking refugees and immigrants with resources, literature, and translators while also allowing non-Arabic speakers to experience the collection. The center also hosts a variety of conversations, both light-hearted and heavily political.
http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/education/2016/06/03/reading-writing-and-results/85222754
John R. Roby
Press & Sun-Bulletin
4 June 2016
Text / Over 3000 Words
Literacy rates can be a problem, especially in low-income school districts. Amid a years-in-the-making revision of literacy instruction, the Binghamton school district is seeing a payoff.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/21/from-young-adult-book-fans-to-wizards-of-change
Courtney E. Martin
The New York Times
21 March 2012
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Global social and economic problems are difficult to change. However, fan-activism fuels the interests of fans of popular young adult fiction. Books such as Harry Potter and the Hunger Games have inspired activist groups that raise awareness of global hunger, reading, and relief supplies to impoverished nations, among others. Being a fan has served as a bridge to become politically active and solve the world’s problems.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/09/12/one-boston-teacher-quest-connect-with-his-students/1sUlrC3fmsQTdpkQHXkbgM/story.html
James Vaznis
The Boston Globe
12 September 2015
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Boston professors visit countries and homes of foreign students to better understand their culture and gain insights about how to better teach them. The goal is to reach across cultural divides to help a big part of the student population — emigres from faraway lands — that is plagued with low standardized test scores and high dropout rates. Accompanying photojournalism: http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/bigpicture/2015/09/12/seeking-cultural-connections/L3mIQAQM3v9YT9A2K4JliL/story.html
http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/how-seattle-made-dark-alleys-safer-by-throwing-parties-20150826
Araz Hachadourian
Yes! Magazine
26 August 2015
Text / 800-1500 Words
Alleys in Seattle were once places of illicit, illegal, and unsanitary activity. The International Sustainability Institute in Seattle began organizing music and art events to bring in people, which, in turn, cleaned-up the crime and garbage. As an urban development strategy, adjacent vacant storefronts re-opened for business and beautification could be seen in new gardens.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/summer-reading-how-to-shake-up-the-status-quo
David Bornstein
The New York Times
10 July 2013
Text / 800-1500 Words
Social innovation rarely comes from “eureka” moments; it’s much more deliberate - it’s something that can be studied and learned. A short summer reading list for anyone interested in shaking up the status quo.
http://www.minnpost.com/learning-curve/2014/05/mps-looks-oakland-model-work-differently-african-american-boys
Beth Hawkins
MinnPost
5 May 2014
Text / 800-1500 Words
African American boys were being treated less-than-equally by the Oakland Unified School District – a change of culture was implemented and the playing field leveled. Now, Minnesota is looking to adopt the same system that was started in Oakland by creating schools that are exclusively for African American males in hopes to help them reach higher standards of achievement.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/11/travel/as-detroit-flounders-its-art-scene-flourishes.html?_r=0
Courtney Balestier
The New York Times
6 August 2013
Text / 800-1500 Words
In 2013, Detroit filed for bankruptcy because of a poor economy. While the city’s industrial businesses have floundered, the art scene has thrived, bringing in new sources of income through art galleries and investments in contemporary art. This new art scene is one factor to measure Detroit’s recovery and prospects of growth for the future.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/health/quick-response-and-old-fashioned-detective-work-thwart-ebola-in-mali.html?smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0
Donald G. McNeil Jr.
The New York Times
10 November 2014
Multi-Media / 800-1500 Words
When a case of the Ebola disease struck a little girl in Africa, health officials in Mali collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization to contain the illness and quarantine people. The episode also has changed social customs and expanded sanitation procedures so that more people are aware of how to keep themselves healthy.
http://ksfr.org/post/it-takes-library-solutions-journalism
Lucia Duncan
Santa Fe Public Radio (KSFR)
4 October 2016
Radio / 5-15 Minutes
In New Mexico, public libraries are funded by municipalities. That means, if you live in an unincorporated town, there’s no funding stream for a local public library. But, in northern New Mexico, residents in several towns have joined together to create independent libraries that have transformed their communities.
http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-libraries-are-boldly-innovating-to-meet-the-needs-of-changing-communities
Anna Pratt
Shareable
16 November 2016
Text / Over 3000 Words
Libraries in the United States have traditionally been centers to consume information, offering users books in quiet isolation. However, a new movement across the country is transforming libraries by providing internet access, creating spaces to study and learn, and meet with members of the community. There has even been the creation of pop-up happy hour libraries at bars, and bike book deliveries to distribute free books. These new libraries are re-inventing how communities learn and demonstrating that even the oldest institutions are elastic to communities' needs.
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