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Can grains of the past help us weather storms of the future?

Shreya Dasgupta

February 09, 2015 |

Ensia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Sundarbans

After a devastating cyclone changed the nature of local soil, NGOs preserved Indian rice crops by reintroducing traditional rice varieties that can be cultivated even in salt-ridden earth. Although some first met this idea with skepticism, many farmers have now adopted the practice after witnessing the success of the crops.

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When Life Gives You Saltwater, Make Shrimp Ponds

Eve Troeh

February 03, 2015 |

New Orleans Public Radio (WWNO) |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Vietnam, Lang Tram

When the Vietnamese government built a gate in the 1990s to block saltwater from entering a key canal, they hoped it would lead to flourishing, year-round rice crops. Without community buy-in and engagement, the government didn’t have a clear understanding of the needs of local residents. By the time the gate was built, farmers had turned their fields into saltwater ponds to farm shrimp, demonstrating the need for ground-up solutions and deep community listening.

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For V.A. Hospitals (and Patients), a Major Health Victory

Tina Rosenberg

January 30, 2015 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Although patients go to hospitals to receive medical care, many Americans will acquire infections that did not already have them. The United States as a whole has made modest progress at reducing the rates of hospital-acquired infections. Spearheading the efforts, the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers have devised anti-MRSA strategies to keep patients safe.

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When Life Gives You Rainwater, Make Shrimp Ponds

Eve Troeh

January 29, 2015 |

New Orleans Public Radio (WWNO) |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City

Farmers in Vietnam face rising sea levels but rejected the city's water engineering projects. They prefer gradual measures to cope with climate change so scientists have allowed the farmers to steer the conversation.

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Let's Diet!

Rosella Lefevre

January 28, 2015 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Challenged by its mayor, Oklahoma City lost a collective 1 million pounds. Philly once tried—and failed— the same thing.

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Delta Blues: Water and Climate Change from the Mississippi to the Mekong

Jesse Hardman

January 27, 2015 |

New Orleans Public Radio (WWNO) |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City

Climate change is playing a major role in the way floods are impacting cities. In Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, residents are routinely threatened with the wet season, oftentimes finding that the only solution is to raise the level of their homes. An architecture firm, however, has invented a possible solution that incorporates trees and plants in the design of houses, which work to collect rainwater instead of deflecting it.

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Fire Doors And Sprinklers Debut At Garment Factories In Bangladesh

Amy Yee

January 17, 2015 |

NPR |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Bangladesh, Dhaka

After the deadliest garment factory disaster in history killed more than 1,100 Bangladeshi workers in 2013, two new international groups conducted inspections of more than 1,700 factories and imposed higher safety standards that the factories must meet to sell to international markets. More than 30 factories were closed as imminent risks. Far more common were problems requiring fixes ranging from simple to costly: upgraded electrical systems, mental fire doors, sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, and other safety requirements that are gradually taking hold in the industry.

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Illinois falls short in $20 million effort to develop 1,000 teachers

Diane Rado

January 09, 2015 |

Chicago Tribune |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Illinois

To address the low diversity in the teacher workforce, in 2005, Illinois committed $20 million to a Grown Your Own Teacher Initiative to develop 1,000 teachers. The program provided a pathway for parents, community leaders, or other school staff to become teachers. However, by 2015, only 80 graduates of the program were hired in local schools - many dropped out after borrowing tuition money with no requirement that they repay loans. Proponents highlight individual success stories and say the program needs more time to create meaningful change, while critics point to the program's discouraging statistics.

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What police departments can learn about race relations from the LAPD

Andrew Romano

December 21, 2014 |

Yahoo! News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles used to be a hotbed of racial profiling and unrest. Now, in the wake of Ferguson and the police killings in Brooklyn, Chief Charlie Beck thinks his force could be a model for the rest of the nation. The dept. has worked hard in recent years to create a police department that reflects the city it serves and has made fundamental progress on key civil rights issues.

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What Big-City Museums Could Learn From This “Company Town” for Art

Gregory Scruggs

December 18, 2014 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, North Adams, Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) uses an innovative business model to stay afloat, relying on both internal and external projects and revenue streams to make a change in the North Adams community. The museum displays contemporary art but also has invested in property around the city, renting to local businesses and encouraging visitors to take notice in their creative projects inside and outside the museum walls.

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