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Lango women find wealth in shea tree

Bill Oketch

September 19, 2018 |

Daily Monitor |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Uganda, Otuke

In a town in Uganda, women are taking control of their financial stability by joining together to market shea butter. Through a team effort, the women are able to make and sell lotion, bathing soap, edible oil and jelly from the shea butter they harvest from the local forest. This has allowed the women to both educate and provide housing for their families.

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Rooftop farming: why vertical gardening is blooming in Kampala

Nils Adler

September 19, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Uganda, Kampala

As the population of urban areas in Uganda grows, many farmers are finding that they are running out of space to cultivate successful business in agriculture. One solution that has surfaced has been to build up instead of out.

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The Movement for Urban Tree Expansion Is Growing

Maria Dolan

September 18, 2018 |

Pacific Standard |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Austin, Texas and King County, Washington are both participating in a new experiment by non-profit City Forest Credits (CFC) that uses creative financing to fund green spaces and tree-planting in cities. More specifically, CFC is piloting a new way that private entities can "offset their carbon emissions by buying credits for tree planting or preservation." Although the work is costly at the beginning, organizers hope the public benefits of more urban trees will make the program a worthy investment.

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Nosara Firefighters Manage to Respond to 260 Emergencies This Year With Their Cell Phones

Noelia Esquivel

September 18, 2018 |

La Voz de Guanacaste |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Costa Rica, Nosara

In Costa Rica, a group of volunteer firefighters use donated equipment, gear, and their own cell phones to fill in a big gap in emergency services. More residents are now accustomed to calling them directly for fires and other emergencies, and the community supports them financially. The firefighters are trying to integrate their work into the country's emergency alert system and to build their own fire station.

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Bookstores are finding creative ways to survive and thrive in the age of Amazon

Catherine Curan

September 14, 2018 |

Crain's New York Business |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Despite the looming competition from Amazon, independent bookstores in New York are finding ways to innovate and create bookstore experiences that go beyond the books. The Lit. Bar is a bookshop-wine bar in the Bronx that hopes to instill a love of reading while customers shop and drink. By selling non-book products, new iterations of bookstores can increase their profit margin to remain sustainable. Many even succeed with creative financing, from crowdfunding to finding local investors.

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Federal program to aid low-income areas ready for local investors

Brian Edwards

September 07, 2018 |

The Montgomery Advertiser |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Montgomery, Alabama

Since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed, investors, community leaders, and local governments have been talking about Opportunity Zones. These are low-income areas in each state--Alabama has 150--that will incentivize investor spending by providing tax breaks for longer-term investment in areas typically not on the highest priority list for traditional investors. Montgomery, Alabama is seeking input from local groups on where funding can best be spent. Though the opportunity zones legislation is in its early days, many are excited about the potential to stimulate economic growth.

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What crowdfunding is telling us about the future of Chicago education

Elaine Chen

September 04, 2018 |

Chalkbeat Chicago |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Since Chicago Public Schools started using the crowdfunding platform DonorsChoose.org in 2004, educators from 500 schools have collected over $20 million in donations. Most notable is that teachers are not only using the service to cover basic supplies, but are also pitching ideas to support innovative learning approaches such as personalized instruction. According to the company's founder, "We can tap into classroom teachers’ frontline expertise to unleash better targeted, more creative, more innovative, micro solutions than what someone would have come up with from on high."

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An initiative that helps teachers buy a home is expanding to 15 Colorado districts

Melanie Asmar

September 04, 2018 |

Chalkbeat Colorado |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Colorado

Landed, a philanthropic for-profit organization, has loaned money to 90 Colorado school district employees for down payments on homes. This funding fills a pressing gap - in Denver, the average home goes for over half a million dollars while the average teacher is paid an annual salary of $57,000. As Landed expands to 14 new Colorado districts, it stands out from similar initiatives for its generous down payment loans and focus on securing teachers permanent housing instead of rental units.

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This Chef Is Fighting Gentrification With Hot Chicken

Deonna Anderson

August 31, 2018 |

Yes! Magazine |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Nashville, Tennessee

A chef shows the "absurdity" of gentrification with a creative fundraising campaign. At one of Tunde Wey’s pop-up dinners, he charged $12 for a plate, but charged white people $30, to spark up conversations about racial wealth inequality. His H*t Chicken Sh*t, “a dinner series to end gentrification,” successfully raised $52,000 to go towards residents of North Nashville, “a historically Black neighborhood,” and their affordable housing.

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How the Formerly Incarcerated Support the Formerly Incarcerated

Zoe Sullivan

August 30, 2018 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

A nonprofit launched by formerly incarcerated men in New Orleans addresses some of the immediate challenges people face in the first 72 hours coming out of prison. The First 72 offers them a place to go, which can be a serious problem for those with records, as well as support and mentorship. There is also a small business incubator that some returnees have used to turn their side hustles into small businesses with plans to grow and employ other former felons.

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