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Social Programs That Work

Ron Haskins

December 31, 2014 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

Some social welfare programs may receive funding but have no evidence of success. By insisting that funds go primarily to programs with rigorous evidence of success, the federal government can make non-partisan decisions that will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of social programs and decrease spending waste. Obama administration evaluated programs based upon their successes and these programs are highlighted.

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Scrooges of the World, Begone!

Nicholas Kristof

December 24, 2014 |

The New York Times |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Haiti, Port-au-Prince

Haiti suffered tremendous losses after the 2010 earthquake, exacerbating the devastation in an already impoverished country. In 2015, agriculture in Haiti is a growing business backed by the United States’ Feed the Future Initiative. Nourishment and health of mothers and babies has also improved with the encouragement of breastfeeding and sweet potatoes.

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How to Create a Tech Startup Scene If You're Not in Silicon Valley

John Tierney

December 23, 2014 |

The Atlantic |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Creating a synergy between the various stakeholders in a city’s economic performance leads to success. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the tech industry is thriving thanks to cross-sector collaborations between the region’s universities, businesses, and local government. By working together, entities like Carnegie Mellon University, the Pittsburgh Technology Council, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners, and Keystone Innovation Zone program have created a space that is attractive to financial capital and the growing tech sector.

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In drought, Rio Grande Valley irrigators feel the crunch

Marty Schladen

December 14, 2014 |

El Paso Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Clint, Texas

Population growth, historical dryness and predictions of a warming climate all mean a future of scarce water in the Rio Grande's Upper Basin. Farmers and the irrigation districts are left to try and find ways to conserve what river water they have - and there's a lot to be saved. To minimize such losses, both irrigation districts have taken a number of steps.

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How the Arts Drove Pittsburgh's Revitalization

John Tierney

December 11, 2014 |

The Atlantic |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Investments into the arts serve as significant economic catalysts. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, legacy foundations like the Heinz Endowments, Benedum Foundation, and Richard King Mellon Foundation pooled their resources to create the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, which supports art and culture in the city’s downtown districts. By purchasing and refurbishing existing real estate, as well as lending support to smaller initiatives like the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, PCT’s investments have served as an engine of growth for the city.

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Greener Pastures for Cattle Ranching

Lisa Palmer

November 18, 2014 |

Future Food |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Cali, Valle del Cauca

In Colombia, traditional cattle pastures have caused soil degradation, deforestation, and desertification. To reconcile this, several thousand acres of land in Latin America have been transformed into a silvo-pastoral system of grazing and raising cattle with agro-forestry. The Colombia-based Center for Research in Sustainable Systems of Agriculture seeks to reduce pasture land by 26 million acres while increasing cattle numbers by 2019.

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'Big Dry' Lessons: Southwest can learn from Australia's drought

Marty Schladen

November 17, 2014 |

El Paso Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Australia, Kilmore, Victoria

In Australia, the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council was formed after a severe drought to bring together federal, state and regional governments and bridge parochial concerns. It was meant to manage the basin as a whole and end overuse and salinization of farm land, leveraging new technologies to adapt to new realities.

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America's Tiniest Innovators: Report from Pittsburgh

Deborah Fallows

November 15, 2014 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

In a Pittsburgh elementary school, kids grapple with electricity and circuits, breeding a familiarity with technology that founders of the “Children’s Innovation Project” hope equips them for a better future. This partnership between Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh public schools, and the CREATE Lab (Community, Robotics, Education, Technology, Empowerment) is helping kids incorporate a passion for technology into their lives and their futures.

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In India, Latrines Are Truly Lifesavers

Vivekananda Nemana Ankita Rao

November 13, 2014 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Odisha

In India, 620 million people openly defecate outdoors, causing harm to hygiene, sanitation, food, and water resources. The president of India funded an initiative to build public toilets for the people in his country, but the people did not use them because of traditions and behaviors. The Total Sanitation Campaign is starting to change villagers’ minds by having local leadership persuade those who resist the toilets by holding community activities and creating special committees to maintain the sanitation.

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In Quick Response, Mali Thwarts an Ebola Outbreak

Donald G. McNeil Jr.

November 10, 2014 |

The New York Times |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Mali, Kayes

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.

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