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An Illinois district proved programs for gifted students can be diverse

Danielle Dreilinger

March 16, 2021 |

The Hechinger Report |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

U-46, Chicago's second-largest school district faced a legal suit in 2005 for discrimination of Hispanic students in its gifted programs and is now setting an example for how programs can be upended for good. By 2018 U-46's gifted program consisted of 48% Hispanic students, a better representation of a 57% Hispanic district. The changes implemented by the district included addressing systemic issues by not relying on teacher recommendations and instead testing all third and sixth graders, expanding the number of seats for gifted students. The district also has teachers undergo antiracism training and more.

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Using satellite photos to help distribute cash

Hannah Gelbart

March 16, 2021 |

BBC |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Togo

Togo distributed money to people in need, including informal sector workers, by identifying them using machine learning. Algorithms search satellite photos for clues of poverty, using measures like building density, and individuals within those areas are found using mobile phone data as a proxy of their wealth. Media campaigns also encourage people to apply for assistance. Once eligibility is confirmed, the first of five monthly payments is instantly sent to their phone and can be collected at local pick-up points. People without mobile phones can use an inexpensive SIM card in a borrowed phone.

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New legal clinic concentrates on cases of women languishing in the system for crimes against alleged abusers

Annie Sweeney

March 16, 2021 |

Chicago Tribune |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Illinois

The Women and Survivors Project provides legal representation to women imprisoned for crimes that stemmed from histories of abuse. Nearly all incarcerated women have suffered violent abuse. Many end up punished for fighting back or when their abuser forces them to participate in his crimes, but their defenses often get overlooked in court. The project so far has helped free five women by getting judges or parole officials to reconsider their cases, including one woman convicted of first-degree murder. It has dozens more cases in the pipeline.

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Nigeria is using radio to provide support for SGBV survivors

Seun Durojaiye

March 13, 2021 |

International Centre for Investigative Reporting |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Nigeria

To combat high rates of sexual and gender-based violence in Nigeria, the Spotlight Initiative supports several organizations providing counseling and educational services to victims and to women and girls at risk of abuse. One program from the NEEM Foundation countered the pandemic shutdown by distributing transistor radios to continue its classes for women. Another, Save the Child Initiative, intervened in a child rape case that local authorities ignored, convincing national police to arrest the attacker and providing counseling to the victim and her mother.

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A California town was promised police reform – then police got involved

Aaron Miguel Cantú

March 12, 2021 |

The Guardian |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chico, California

A series of killings by the police sparked a community-led movement urging greater accountability and better training. The campaign bore fruit when the Chico mayor formed a committee to examine use of force policies. While police-reform advocates got appointed to the committee, the panel was dominated by the police and their political allies. Use of force policies never got examined. The city, in fact, ended up giving the police more resources and power. One policing critic concludes from this episode that professionalizing the police without scrutinizing their mission is bound to fail.

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Indigenous-focused podcast connects students, teachers, community leaders

Dariya Baiguzhiyeva

March 12, 2021 |

TimminsToday |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Ontario

Word Up is an Indigenous-focused podcast that connects students, teachers, and community leaders for an opportunity to learn and explore social issues. The podcast began as a way to diversify how indigenous literature was taught but expanded to incorporate other topics. For each episode, teachers select a student to interview public figures. The student learns to conduct background research and design interview questions, allowing them to feel reflected in the topics. To date, the podcast’s five episodes have had 266 unique listeners and 384 downloads, and several more episodes are being planned.

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How Norway's Prisons Have Weathered a Pandemic

Ted Alcorn

March 12, 2021 |

Think Global Health |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Norway

When Covid-19 threatened to disrupt Norway's correctional system, the country's prisons and jails were quick to pivot their practices to protect those who were incarcerated. Although it helped that the country's correctional system was already known for being "small, responsive, and humane," more protocols were put into place to allow some who were incarcerated to complete their sentence at home, while others were provided with iPads to decrease isolation while visits were restricted. So far, only 60 cases of Covid-19 have been reported throughout the entire prison system.

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Oakland's Chinatown finds solutions to hate crimes

Heidi Shin

March 11, 2021 |

Public Radio International (PRI) |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

With hate crimes against Asian Americans on the rise, Oakland's Community Ambassadors program serves the city's Chinatown by caring for the neighborhood and making people feel safe. Started as a way for formerly incarcerated people from San Quentin Prison to reconnect with the community, the program builds trust with residents who might be wary about asking the police for help and who may be so afraid of street crime that they don't leave home. Ambassadors walk the streets to help the elderly get groceries, check in with people experiencing homelessness, and hear the concerns of shopkeepers and residents.

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How COVID Impacts Education — Prison Literature Club Adapts During COVID Lockdowns

Annakai Hayakawa Geshlider

March 11, 2021 |

Rafu Shimpo |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Quentin, California

An educational program called ROOTS (Restoring Our Original True Selves) taught at San Quentin prison in Marin County, California, has transformed into the Literature Club due to the pandemic and has reached other nearby prisons. The Literature Club, started by the Asian Prisoner Support Committee in Oakland, pairs people who are incarcerated with people outside, and they exchange emails to update each other on their reading progress and reflections. "More than a reading group, it’s a supportive space where emotions are openly discussed."

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The radical idea to reduce crime by policing less, not more

Josh Jacobs

March 10, 2021 |

Wired |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: England, Durham

Using the tools of medical research can help transform policing from an arbitrary and often-damaging practice ruled by gut instinct into a carefully calibrated approach to reducing crime without causing so much collateral damage. In one of dozens of randomized controlled trials, researchers discovered how much more effective it is to provide counseling and other non-punitive treatments to people charged with lower-level crimes and considered at moderate risk of committing more of the same. Knowing what actually works can make policing more effective while reducing its footprint.

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