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Two Seattle tech-training programs — why did one succeed, one fail?

Katherine Long

July 02, 2018 |

The Seattle Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Two federally-funded Seattle tech training programs tasked with increasing diversity in the industry returned dramatically different results over the course of one year. Experts credit Apprenti's employer-driven nature, use of an online screening tool, and close ties with the local tech community with its relative success in placing 220 people in apprenticeships in its first 18 months. 94 percent of applicants to Aprenti's program were women, veterans, or persons of color, with only 55 percent holding a post-secondary degree.

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After Decades of Reform, Has Chicago Finally Learned How to Fix Education?

J. Brian Charles

July 01, 2018 |

Governing |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

In 2017, researchers found that Chicago elementary and middle school students were improving their test scores at a faster pace than almost all of their peers nationwide. Reflecting on this surprising statistic and lessons learned from 30 years of education reform experimentation, CPS points to its emphasis on high quality principal development and teacher mentoring programs as one of the most crucial factors in the turnaround.

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None of the Above

Nadine Ekdawi Tadros Hebah Fisher Dana Ballout

June 30, 2018 |

Kerning Cultures |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

Because Middle Easterners are classified as “white” in the U.S. Census, their specific needs and identities are not disaggregated. This lack of visibility may prevent discriminatory treatment, but it also impacts the allocation of government resources and leaves many feeling unrepresented in their country. The Arab American Institute is again pushing for change ahead of the 2020 survey, an effort that has now spanned decades.

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Climate change is making it harder to revive damaged land

Maya L. Kapoor

June 29, 2018 |

High Country News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Tucson, Arizona

Ecological restoration has primarily been defined as redirecting the land back to what it used to be in terms of wildlife and plant life. However, with climate change altering the earth's landscape, many scientists and land managers are shifting their attention to restoring the land in a way that precedes the future in order to give plants a chance at sustaining the imminent land change.

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Microbial Magic Could Help Slash Your Dinner's Carbon Footprint

Hannah Thomasy

June 29, 2018 |

NPR |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

"What if we could help plants make their own nitrogen so they wouldn't need manmade chemical fertilizers?" That was the question that drove a plant microbiologist at the University of Washington to begin testing ways to infuse microbes that live inside trees into other plants to promote sustainable agriculture. The early results show not only healthier plants, but a more plentiful production.

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Farmers staring at losses after India shuts door to ‘ndengu'

Kitavi Mutua

June 24, 2018 |

Nation Africa |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya

An initiative in Kenya showed major promise in pulling farmers out of poverty by supplying them with subsidized seeds to grow green grams, ndengu, for overseas markets. The success of the idea relied heavily on a promise by the prime minister of India to buy the entire crop, which triggered a series of steps to help the farmers grow grams and export them. But despite a bumper harvest, India banned importation of the crop to help its own farmers, leaving Kenyan officials to look at other options.

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Dementia program in Peel 'should spread like wildfire'

Moira Welsh

June 20, 2018 |

Toronto Star |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Peel, Ontario

Dementia units and long-term care homes for the elderly are often desolate and lonely places, with harried workers attempting to meet the needs of their patients while also meeting government-set metrics of success. For families and individuals, it can be difficult to imagine a better way. However, a pilot program in Canada called the Butterfly room is showing that dedicated efforts to making long-term care homes a vibrant and loving place for someone's last days has positive impacts for everyone - and is worth a government investment do right across the country.

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Why Are Millions Paying Online Tax Preparation Fees When They Don't Need To?

Tik Root

June 18, 2018 |

ProPublica |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Thanks to an agreement between the U.S. government and a consortium of companies including Intuit and H&R Block, 70 percent of taxpayers are supposed to have access to free online tax preparation services. But Free File is confusing and poorly publicized. Only about 3 percent of eligible tax returns over the last 16 years used the system.

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Literacy push: L.A. libraries allow young people to read away their fines

Dean Paton

June 18, 2018 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

After realizing that their system of fines for lost and late books was actually preventing kids and young people from reading more, L.A. libraries instituted a new program that's already showing results. The program, the Great Read Away, is an opportunity for kids to "read away" their fines, erasing $5 of the fine for each hour spent reading. "During the program’s first 11 months, young readers logged 1.6 million minutes of reading time, and 10,000 accounts were cleared completely of fines."

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Cities are getting more crowded: better design could stop violence

Edward Siddons

June 15, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Researchers found that more greenery in urban spaces reduces crime and this idea of combatting crime with good design is part of a discipline called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, or CPTED. It spread around the world, but there also downsides. A new generation of CPTED advocates are expanding the field to consider social factors underlying crime and engage with local communities when designing projects because just discouraging crime is not enough to make spaces inviting.

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