Skip to main content
  • Who We Are
    Mission Respectful & Helpful Ethics Team Board of Directors Funders & Supporters Annual Reports & Financials Careers
  • Impact
    Impact Stories How Solutions Journalism Rebalances the News
  • Programs
    Climate Democracy Youth Mental Health Addressing Health Disparities Africa Initiative Beacons Complicating the Narratives Educator Academies Student Media Challenge University Hubs
  • Learning Lab
    Toolkits & Guides Events Trainers All Resources
  • Directory
  • Solutions Story Tracker
  • What You Can Do
    Explore Our Programs See Upcoming Events & Opportunities Join the Directory Teach Solutions Journalism Become an Accredited Trainer Get Solutions Stories in your Inbox Amplify Solutions in Your Community
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Solutions Insights Lab
  • My Profile
  • Donate
sjweb-ci home
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Solutions Insights Lab
  • My Profile
  • Donate
  • Who We Are
    Mission Respectful & Helpful Ethics Team Board of Directors Funders & Supporters Annual Reports & Financials Careers
  • Impact
    Impact Stories How Solutions Journalism Rebalances the News
  • Programs
    Climate Democracy Youth Mental Health Addressing Health Disparities Africa Initiative Beacons Complicating the Narratives Educator Academies Student Media Challenge University Hubs
  • Learning Lab
    Toolkits & Guides Events Trainers All Resources
  • Directory
  • Solutions Story Tracker
  • What You Can Do
    Explore Our Programs See Upcoming Events & Opportunities Join the Directory Teach Solutions Journalism Become an Accredited Trainer Get Solutions Stories in your Inbox Amplify Solutions in Your Community
  • Who We Are
    Mission Respectful & Helpful Ethics Team Board of Directors Funders & Supporters Annual Reports & Financials Careers
  • Impact
    Impact Stories How Solutions Journalism Rebalances the News
  • Programs
    Climate Democracy Youth Mental Health Addressing Health Disparities Africa Initiative Beacons Complicating the Narratives Educator Academies Student Media Challenge University Hubs
  • Learning Lab
    Toolkits & Guides Events Trainers All Resources
  • Directory
  • Solutions Story Tracker
  • What You Can Do
    Explore Our Programs See Upcoming Events & Opportunities Join the Directory Teach Solutions Journalism Become an Accredited Trainer Get Solutions Stories in your Inbox Amplify Solutions in Your Community
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Solutions Insights Lab
  • My Profile
  • Donate

Create A New Collection

Collections are versatile, powerful and simple to create. From a customized course reader to an action-guide for an upcoming service-learning trip, collections illuminate themes, guide inquiry, and provide context for how people around the worls are responding to social challenges.

  • Name and describe your collection

  • Add Stories

  • Add external links at any time

  • Add to your collection over time and share!

1. Name your collection

Sorry, a Collection with that title already exists.

Sorry, a Collection must have a title.

2. Add Stories

Add stories to your collection from your list of Favorites below, or add stories directly to a collection from Search or Discovery. Anytime you see the collection icon you can add a story. Just click the icon and follow the instructions on your screen.

Add story from saved

You've selected a story to add to a collection

Which collection to you want to add this story to?

Successfully added!

Solutions Story Tracker®

Welcome to a curated database of rigorous reporting on responses to social problems.

15,700 stories produced by 8,900 journalists and 2,000 news outlets from 89 countries. The stories cover responses in 192 countries, in 17 languages. This resource is made possible because of a growing movement of journalists who use solutions journalism to illuminate both problems and evidence-based responses to them.

Learn more about the Solutions Story Tracker.


See Latest Stories
Advanced filters

Search Results

You searched for:  -

There are 152 results  for your search.  View and Refine Your Search Terms

  • Saving a city millions of gallons of water – one tap at a time

    Jennifer Kishan
    2020-05-25 13:02:11 UTC
    0

    March 19, 2020 |

    The Guardian |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: India, Kolkata

    As part of the Fix for Life campaign, members of Active Citizens Together for Sustainability (ACTS) have been working with plumbers to install taps on the free water pipes across Kolkata. Without taps, a significant amount of water goes to waste, and this is the problem that ACTS is trying to fix. The group, informed by locals who submit locations of pipes that need attention, are on their way to their goal of fixing 1,500 pipes.

    Read More

    • 10148

    Go to Original Story
  • Beer Waste Helps Montana Town Save Money On Water Treatment

    Rachel Cramer
    2020-02-14 19:02:03 UTC
    0

    February 12, 2020 |

    NPR |

    Radio |

    3-5 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Havre, Montana

    Finding ways to reuse brewery waste can save water treatment plants money. In Havre, Montana, Triple Dog Brewing has entered into a partnership with the town’s wastewater treatment plant, supplying discarded barley to feed the plant’s microbes. The barley replaces commercial bacteria feed, which would have cost the plant thousands of dollars. The town was also able to avoid having to do costly upgrades to its water treatment plant. Other towns are looking to this process for inspiration.

    Read More

    • 9146

    Go to Original Story
  • Havre's Wastewater Woes Solved By Beer

    Rachel Cramer
    2020-02-17 20:26:32 UTC
    0

    February 10, 2020 |

    Yellowstone Public Radio |

    Radio |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Havre, Montana

    Upcycling spent barley helps to ease wastewater treatment. In Havre, Montana, the town’s wastewater treatment plant uses barley from a local brewery, Triple Dog Brewing, to feed bacteria. The nutrients from the barley give the bacteria a boost, helping to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous levels in the water. The collaboration means that Havre can save on expensive solutions and upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant.

    Read More

    • 9153

    Go to Original Story
  • Are you pouring hundreds of dollars a year down the drain?

    Angela Ross
    2020-03-15 19:44:39 UTC
    0

    January 15, 2020 |

    ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |

    Broadcast TV News |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: Australia, Melbourne, Victoria

    The use of rain gardens and rain tanks - which capture rainwater runoff, clean the water, and reuse the water for plants and gardens - helps to reduce water waste and toxic runoff. One Australian man built a rain garden to cut back on his waste (and his water bill) and estimates that he has cut down water consumption in his house by one third.

    Read More

    • 9290

    Go to Original Story
  • Flint's Water Crisis Spurs Other Cities To Remove Lead Pipes

    Monica Eng
    2020-05-21 00:51:39 UTC
    0

    December 23, 2019 |

    WBEZ |

    Radio |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

    As cities and states across the United States begin to remove lead water pipes, some communities are looking for cost-effective ways to fix them because of the risk of contaminated drinking water. Three cities in the Midwest have started the process and have used innovative ways to raise the funds to replace the aging service lines, which could be a model for other cities like Chicago to follow.

    Read More

    • 10088

    Go to Original Story
  • ‘The worth of water' and what conservation strategies are working

    Amy Joi O'Donoghue
    2019-11-21 01:55:23 UTC
    1

    November 09, 2019 |

    Deseret News |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Salt Lake City, Utah

    To address worsening droughts and limited water resources in the 2nd driest state in the country, Utah government officials are implementing different methods of water metering throughout the state as a tool for water consumption measurement. Residents can have digital access to the amount of water they are using for landscaping comparative to the amount they should be using. Since this implementation, water consumption has drastically decreased in project areas.

    Read More

    • 8617

    Go to Original Story
  • Fill, Build and Flood: Dangerous Development in Flood-Prone Areas

    Laurie Mazur
    2019-11-03 17:53:22 UTC
    1

    October 08, 2019 |

    U.S. News & World Report |

    Multi-Media |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Charlotte, North Carolina

    To combat excessive flooding in low-plain areas, cities like Charlotte are passing critical legislation that regulates fill-and-build development, a type of construction that leads to more intense flooding in vulnerable neighborhoods. Charlotte bases flood control plans off future conditions rather than current or past flooding areas, and the city charges a fee for homeowners that, in turn, provides dedicated funding for stormwater management

    Read More

    • 8447

    Go to Original Story
  • How one utility powers its entire plant from wastewater

    Christopher Booker, Sam Weber, Connie Kargbo
    2019-06-09 01:37:56 UTC
    2

    June 02, 2019 |

    PBS NewsHour |

    Broadcast TV Programs |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Downers Grove, Illinois

    A wastewater treatment facility in suburban Chicago has become energy neutral. By accepting waste from oil and other sources not normally treated together, the facility increases biogas that can power the plant. Besides saving energy, it saves the plant almost half a million dollars each year.

    Read More

    • 7102

    Go to Original Story
  • Tiny Branson has plenty of water. But like other small rural delivery systems in Colorado, it must find a way to meet new state standards.

    Kevin Simpson
    2019-05-08 17:48:39 UTC
    0

    May 06, 2019 |

    The Colorado Sun |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Branson, Colorado

    Innovation is the key to resilience. In Branson, Colorado, the community of only 55 residents and with volunteer town council has taken on the massive task of bringing its water system up to compliance with the Colorado Department of Health. Because the state and federal government did not have the specific resources to assist Branson, the community turned to a locally developed, innovative water filtration system and an unorthodox funding campaign to pay for it.

    Read More

    • 6824

    Go to Original Story
  • The Town That Extended ‘Smart Growth' to Its Water

    Jason Plautz
    2019-07-07 00:21:47 UTC
    0

    April 30, 2019 |

    Bloomberg CityLab |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Westminster, Colorado

    Haunted by a 1962 drought in the town of Westminster, Colorado, the city's planners now incorporate water data in their planning processes to ensure that they never face the same sourcing issues again. By breaking down the silos between its water management and planning departments, the town has figured out how to manage its finite water resources, even in the face of a ballooning population. Now, other towns are following suit.

    Read More

    • 7361

    Go to Original Story
    PREV … 6 7 8 9 10 … NEXT
Please sign in via My Profile before submitting a story. This will allow you to view the status of your submission and get notified if the story is added to the Solutions Story Tracker®.
Filter your search by the language of the story. As the Solutions Story Tracker grows, we are working to include more stories in more languages. Your story submissions can help! Submit stories here.
These factors identify the ways communities overcome the big challenges and help you see the insights. Learn more about the Success Factors here.

Solutions Journalism Around the World

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit quisque faucibus.

Solutions In Focus

Discover curated content about themes that matter to you, exclusively from the Solutions Story Tracker. Explore collections, resources and more.

  • Climate Solutions

  • Advancing Democracy

  • Youth Mental Health


Go to All Solutions in Focus

More Options

  • magnifying glass

    Video Tutorials

    Learn how to find what you need in the Solutions Story Tracker in español and in français.

  • paper and pen

    Submission Guidelines

    This database is powered by user submissions. Submit a story.

  • newspaper with an exclamation point

    Custom Story Alerts

    Get notified when new stories match your interests by setting up custom story alerts in My Profile.

two people are surrounded by question marks

Solutions Story Tracker® FAQ

  • Solutions journalism…
    • Describes a response to a problem and how it works.
    • Seeks to draw out insights that explain success or failure.
    • Presents the available evidence about the effectiveness of a response.
    • Explains the shortcomings or limitations of the response.
    Learn more.
  • The Solutions Story Tracker® is a curated, searchable database of solutions journalism stories — rigorous reporting about responses to social problems. We vet and tag every story in the Story Tracker, which offers an inspiring and useful collection of the thousands of ways people are working to solve problems around the world.

  • You can learn more about how we source, vet, and tag stories here, as well as how we share them. We also have video tutorials in Spanish and French that show how to use the Solutions Story Tracker to find what you need.

  • Story collections are curated by our staff or other partners to explore a theme, pattern, or trend via selected solutions stories and external resources. Some story collections focus on an in-depth exploration of a topic with solutions journalism; others highlight journalists and how they report on topics. Certain story collections include discussion questions and notes, so that educators and community discussion leaders can lead learners to fully engage with the stories.

  • The Solutions Story Tracker® is powered by user submissions. We encourage submissions from journalists, as well as from anyone who has an eye for solutions journalism. Click here to submit. (Why submit? So many reasons!)

  • You can submit a story directly on the Solutions Story Tracker®. You will be prompted to register or log into the Solutions Journalism Network website, if you are already logged in. (It is free to register!) Logging in allows you to track the status of your submissions under My Profile, as well as save your favorite stories, create story collections and story alerts, and access other helpful features of our website.

  • After you submit a story to us and assign it a topic, it is sent to one of our Solutions Story Tracker team members. Our team member evaluates the story for the four qualities of solutions journalism, and on the basics: The story must come from a news outlet and have a date and a byline. If the story meets our criteria, our team tags it accordingly and adds it to the database. If the story falls short of the mark, our team will include the reason why. We include stories in the Story Tracker that meet our standards of solutions journalism. Inclusion does not mean we support the initiatives, policies, organizations or approaches featured in those stories.

    Discover common reasons why a story may miss the mark for inclusion in the Solutions Story Tracker®.

    Learn more about the history of the database.

  • Solutions Journalism Network features these stories in the searchable database making them publicly accessible to anyone who wants to search for rigorous reporting on solutions to social problems. Any story that is added has the potential to make more impact than its original purpose. Added stories are used in journalism trainings, school curricula, research projects, and independent analysis on issue area trends. This now includes artificial intelligence tools, which are applied for educational value to find stories and support story vetting, as well as to extract insights from the stories. SJN has digital products and newsletters that give new life and exposure to the stories meeting people where they are at. Story data also is used to develop innovative tools to reach the general public with solutions journalism as well as some specific research projects requested by researchers. If you have any questions or concerns about our use of story data or added stories, please contact Lita Tirak.

  • News outlets determine whether all users can access their stories — and some limit the number of stories that anyone can view, or require a subscription. The majority of stories in the database can be accessed for free.

  • We work with journalists, academic researchers and others who feel that our database will support their research. We are especially interested in research that seeks to develop new insights about solutions journalism and its spread and its impact on social problems. Please complete all sections of the Data Request Form, and we will contact you to discuss your request in greater detail.

  • We do not fact-check the stories in the Solutions Story Tracker®. We do ensure that each story comes from a credible news source that has its own editorial infrastructure.

  • We worked with Tara Pixley and Jovelle Tamayo of the Authority Collective, who developed a guide for using equitable visuals. We follow this guide when choosing images for our website.

  • We welcome your feedback and additional questions. Please use this form to get in touch.

Site logo

  • BlueSky
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • The Whole Story
  • Flipboard
  • Instagram
  • Contact Us
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
© 2025 Solutions Journalism Network. All rights reserved.

Share

  • share on facebook
  • share via email
  • Copied!