Seattle will invest $30 million in strategies recommended by panel for communities of color

Daniel Beekman

August 09, 2021 |

The Seattle Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

The Equitable Communities Initiative brought together representatives from a range of nonprofits serving people of color to make recommendations for investments that support communities of color. Each panelist brought distinct work and life experiences that informed their recommendations for 18 kinds of investments. The city has approved the $30 million budget to address long-standing disparities in the areas of business, education, health, and housing. The model relied on advocates with on-the-ground knowledge of community needs to take the lead, while city staffers provided logistic and technical support.

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On the Mesoamerican Reef, a model for insuring nature's future

Oliver Gordon

July 21, 2021 |

Struggles from Below Magazine |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo

In Puerto Morelos, the 100-mile stretch of the Mesoamerican Reef is insured. The model was born out of a collaboration between the local government, hotel owners, an international NGO, and an insurance behemoth, who got together to create a trust. The trust was funded by the local government which used hotel taxes to pay for the reef's maintenance. 80 percent of the coral in the reef has been lost or degraded since the 1980s, but insuring a natural asset might provide a conservation model for other cities.

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A 'Zoom boom' boosted civic engagement across Kansas. But will it continue?

Stan Finger

July 20, 2021 |

The Kansas Leadership Center Journal (KLC Journal) |

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Response Location: United States, Kansas

When courthouses and in-person government meetings shut down because of COVID-19, officials satisfied Kansas’ open meeting mandate by using pandemic relief aid to equip buildings with the technology needed to live stream proceedings and allow constituents to comment remotely. Crowds watching on platforms like Facebook Live were substantially higher than in-person attendance had ever been. Several cities linked agendas online and found creative ways to include public comments in meetings. Advocates are looking to maintain the public’s increased civic engagement as courts and government offices are reopening.

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Mental health support in preschool may help lower sky-high expulsion rates

Chabeli Carrazana

July 20, 2021 |

The 19th |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Arkansas

Project PLAY, the third of Arkansas’ three-tiered mental health consultation system, has reduced high expulsion and suspension rates for children in child care settings. The program provides consultants who go into classrooms for several months of weekly visits to observe children and then work with staff and parents to address behavioral and mental health issues. The consultations can lead to earlier diagnoses of sensory disorders and increase the confidence and empowerment of child care providers. Lower expulsion rates have a long-term impact on children’s social, emotional, and educational development.

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How Taiwan held off Covid-19, until it didn't

Christina Thornell

July 06, 2021 |

Vox |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Taiwan

Throughout 2020, Taiwanese society largely remained open and the country had 7 COVID-19 deaths. Taiwan’s 2003 experience with SARS set up an existing infrastructure to act quickly, including a centralized information command center that coordinated activities across government and health offices. Personal data was used to assign each citizen a risk level. Low-risk people were required to wear free masks, but could go about business as normal. High-risk people and all in-bound travelers were required to strictly quarantine for two weeks and the government used cell phone data to ensure compliance.

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Criminal justice changes in Virginia prompt debate over how prosecutors are funded by the state

Antonio Olivo

July 06, 2021 |

The Washington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Fairfax, Virginia

Fairfax County, Virginia, boasts the state's most ambitious program to divert cases from criminal prosecution to treatment courts, including for drug offenses and involving veterans. But all of the work by prosecutors to deliver a more therapeutic form of justice ends up penalizing the county under the state's formula for funding of prosecutor offices, which rewards felony convictions. Because the true workload isn't reflected in the funding, Fairfax has faced staffing shortage, leading to conflicts with the police over inaction on certain cases. The state has begun a lengthy study of the issue.

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Welcome to Marshall County: Rural, red and at the top in Kansas for COVID-19 vaccination

Kaylie McLaughlin

June 24, 2021 |

The Kansas Leadership Center Journal (KLC Journal) |

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Response Location: United States, Marysville, Kansas

The vaccination rate of Marshall County is six percentage points higher than the state overall, a success that is built on an existing infrastructure of public health and trust-building that predates the pandemic. The county made a detailed plan for the vaccine rollout well before vaccines arrived and residents trust the health department because it provides 90% of the population with routine immunizations. The health department also works one-on-one with residents to answer vaccine questions, which is a more effective way of combating misinformation than a generalized outreach campaign.

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From $1-Million Lotteries to Free Beer: Do COVID Vaccination Incentives Work?

Tanya Lewis

June 17, 2021 |

Scientific American |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ohio

Several states are offering incentives to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Ohio’s Vax-a-Million program was one of the first state-based cash lotteries, awarding five residents over 18 a $1-million prize and five full college scholarships to residents ages 12-17. Vaccination rates jumped 28% in the first week of the program. Other states have looked to boost vaccination rates by offering creative incentives in addition to cash lotteries, including prepaid grocery and subway cards, tickets to local attractions, hunting rifles, free beer, and even cannabis joints in Washington state.

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States Ply COVID Unvaccinated with Cash, Beer, Scholarships

Christine Vestal

June 04, 2021 |

Stateline |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ohio

States and businesses across the country are offering incentives, from entry into million-dollar lotteries, college scholarships, and gift cards to fulfilling fantasies like driving around Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway. Ohio was one of the first states to announce a vaccine lottery in which any adult resident that got vaccinated was entered into one of five weekly drawings to win $1 million. Ohio’s Vax-a-Million drawings were paid for with CARES Act relief money appropriated by Congress. Vaccination rates increased by 28% in the first week after the lottery was announced in Ohio.

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Mobile crisis response program draws national attention but still struggles with funding

Dave Miller Allison Frost

June 02, 2021 |

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) |

Radio Talk Show |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Eugene, Oregon

The CAHOOTS program's national popularity as a model for diverting crisis calls from the police to unarmed teams of a medic and counselor belies its inability to fully serve its own community because of under-funding. Program director Ebony Morgan talks about the flip side of the program's cost savings for the city: unfairly low pay for its workers, long response times, and an inability to expand. The program's success with the community is built on trust that people in crisis will be helped rather than viewed as a threat. Morgan says the program itself needs to be valued more by city budget managers.

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