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Meet the Activist Archivists Saving the Internet From the Digital Dustbin

Mark Hill

May 12, 2021 |

Discover Magazine |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

The Internet Archive is a digital library of around 544 billion archived web pages, most of which are found using a bot that crawls the web and saves snapshots. However, a self-described loose collective of volunteer activist archivists, known as the Archive Team,' individually monitors and preserves websites at risk of being abruptly taken down. Using donated bandwidth and hard drive space on the archiving application “Warrior,” they systematically download sites they fear will be deleted. The downloads are saved within the Internet Archive database, which is available to the public.

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Local School Lunch Program Expands To Continue Feeding Children During Pandemic

Iris Hersey

May 10, 2021 |

Grady Newsource |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Georgia

Georgia schools provided lunches for students participating in virtual learning through curbside pickup or delivered food to their homes with school buses during the pandemic.

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‘Blind date' for political rivals? TV show is breaking down barriers.

Sara Miller Llana

May 05, 2021 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada

The Canadian reality show, “Political Blind Date,” pairs two politicians from opposing sides to spend two days together visiting each other’s constituents and wrestling with difficult issues. Fifty politicians have participated over five seasons, averaging about 195,000 viewers per episode. The aim is not to get them to change their minds, but to humanize people with opposing political beliefs and break down the increasingly common ‘us versus them’ mindset in politics. Advocates say that this has a “trickle down” effect on viewers forging greater understanding and more respectful debate.

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Fifty new outlets, 250 journalists: Canadian startup unveils plan to revive local news

Leyland Cecco

May 03, 2021 |

The Guardian |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Victoria, British Columbia

Tech entrepreneur Andrew Wilkinson started Capital Daily, a daily newsletter emailed to subscribers with news highlights from around Victoria. The local journalism model keeps residents informed on local issues and increases the accountability of decision makers. The publication began with just one reporter and used Facebook and Google advertising to grow to over 40,000 readers. After two years, the newsletter has evolved to produce long-form investigative features. A startup media group plans to replicate the model across the country, by hiring 250 new journalists and launching 50 new outlets by 2023.

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How rechargeable tricycles are saving pregnant mothers and newborns in rural Zimbabwe

Farai Shawn Matiashe

May 03, 2021 |

Nigeria Health Watch |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Nigeria, Wedza

Mobility for Africa provides electric tricycles, called Hambas, to take pregnant women to and from health appointments. Mobility is critical to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and the three-wheel tricycles are easy to drive on rural roads. They run on a lithium battery that can be charged in about six hours using renewable energy and a single charge gets about three trips. The transportation allows women who live far from clinics and cannot afford transportation be able to access medical care. About 50 Hambas currently take women to and from doctor appointments during pregnancy until after delivery.

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Jirogasy's solar computers power offgrid schools in Madagascar

Chuma Asuzu

May 03, 2021 |

Hardware Things |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Madagascar, Antananarivo

Jirogasy developed solar-powered computers and, maximizing a partnership with an education NGO, has helped expand computer access among rural schools without access to a grid. Using internationally-funded grants, they created the Jirodesk II, a Windows 10 powered PC that can be powered by the grid or charged via a solar panel. The computers are monitored remotely, which allows users to quickly get tech support, and the company monitors usage in Watt-hours for its “pay-per-use-until-you own model,” where users pay per number of Watt-hours used, and after a certain number of Watt-hours the machine is paid off.

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How going solar is helping U.S. schools save millions

Nikolay Nikolov

April 29, 2021 |

Mashable |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States

School districts in the United States are switching to solar power to save money on utilities and sell extra power back to the power grid. They use the savings to increase teachers' pay and upgrade facilities like buses and computer labs.

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Can “democracy dollars” keep real dollars out of politics?

Julia Hotz

April 28, 2021 |

MIT Technology Review |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Democracy Vouchers, a tax-payer-funded program that sends four $25 certificates to residents to donate to local candidates, made Seattle the national leader by increasing the percent of the electorate donating to local campaigns to nearly 8%. They also allow more non-establishment candidates, who lack connections to wealthy donors, to run for office. Four of the nine 2019 city council candidates used vouchers to help fund their campaigns and the vouchers are being expanded to the city’s mayoral races. A national pilot program was also approved to try vouchers for congressional candidates in three states.

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UGA Multicultural Organizations Find Success With Drive-Ins for In-Person Events

Tylar Norman

April 27, 2021 |

Grady Newsource |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Athens, Georgia

To maintain community connections, University of Georgia’s Multicultural Services and Programs hosted socially-distanced drive-in events on UGA fields. The Vietnamese Student Association hosted its annual Night In Saigon, where attendees could watch the performances from their cars, with masks on if their windows were down. Over 200 people attended the Black Affairs Council’s BACYard Bash event celebrating Black culture. A COVID-19 committee walked around the event to ensure people wore masks and remained six feet apart. Food trucks served attendees to comply with food preparation restrictions.

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Captured and Converted: How Methane Powers Art in Western North Carolina

Jessica Bradley Wells

April 27, 2021 |

The Bitter Southerner |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Dillsboro, North Carolina

Jackson County Green Energy Park uses methane leaking from a closed landfill to power blacksmithing and glassblowing studios. The county cleared 550 tons of loose debris and drilled thirteen 70-80-foot wells to capture the methane gas produced by bacteria digesting organic material, the 3rd leading human-caused type of greenhouse gas emissions. The studios, which offset the equivalent of taking nearly 1,000 vehicles off the road, also provide less expensive and more accessible studio spaces that have launched the careers of several artists. Reuse projects can capture up to 90% of a landfill’s methane.

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