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This DNA database for trees will help track illegal logging

Adele Peters

June 18, 2018 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States

The west coast of the United States is taking a stand to stop the poaching and selling of trees from prohibited areas in the region. By creating a DNA database that can be used to determine the specific genetics of trees as they relate to different regions, the Forest Service will be able to tell if wood is being illegally harvested.

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

Tik Root

June 18, 2018 |

ProPublica |

Text |

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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Poachers become protectors: How tigers bounced back in an Indian park

Felix Franz

June 18, 2018 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Kumily, Kerala

With poaching on the rise in the South Indian Periyar Tiger Reserve, officials turned to the poachers themselves to see if they could turn their problem into a solution. In lieu of facing charges, the poachers became the protectors and the reserve saw a reduction in poaching all while offering an alternate form of income for the former full-time poachers.

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What Alabama Can Teach You about Storm Resilience

Emily Nonko

June 18, 2018 |

Next City |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Mobile, Alabama

After witnessing the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina, changemakers in Alabama took control of creating a more accountable insurance system that valued weather-resilient home construction.

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Ontario is trying a wild experiment: Opening access to its residents' health data

Dave Gershgorn

June 17, 2018 |

Quartz |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Toronto, Ontario

Project Spark is creating a platform for tech companies to request access to the health records of Ontario’s 14 million residents. One hundred companies have already expressed interest. The project is motivated by the idea that access to such real-life data could further the contribution of artificial intelligence to the medical field.

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Helping Nigerians move from the slums to affordable green homes of their own

Justice Ilevbare

June 16, 2018 |

The Hindu |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Nigeria, Port Harcourt

Comprehensive Design Services (CDS) is a Nigeria-based company that uses traditional Nigerian architectural techniques and Bio-Climatic Design to build housing that is both affordable and green. This approach, which they hope to expand to the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, is making a dent in the growing population relegated to slums and poor housing conditions in the face of rapid urbanization.

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Electric Rain

Amina Nazarli

June 16, 2018 |

AzerNews |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Azerbaijan, Baku

Turning rainwater into electric power may sound farfetched, but it has become a reality thanks to 15-year-old Reyhan Jamalova in Azerbaijan. Appropriately dubbed Rainergy, this new source of renewable energy has the potential to bring power to underprivileged communities as well as be marketed internationally.

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Art for kids: the workshops changing the lives of Bogota's poorest

Jack Graham

June 15, 2018 |

Apolitical |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Bogotá

Participation in art and music improves cognitive development and fosters social skills in young children. In Bogotá, Columbia, a program developed by Nidos: Art in Early Childhood provides tens of thousands of children access to creative art workshops. The organization employs artists, musicians, and other creative professionals, working in partnership with government departments to identify and serve the poorest populations in the city.

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Indonesia combines Islam with environmental activism

Rizki Nugraha

June 14, 2018 |

Deutsche Welle (DW) |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Indonesia

In order to raise awareness about the impact of plastic waste in the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Greenpeace and the Indonesian Ministry of Forest and Environment have teamed with the country’s largest Muslim organizations.

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What the US can learn from Switzerland's successful approach to vocational education

Annabelle Timsit

June 12, 2018 |

Quartz |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Switzerland

In Switzerland, 30 percent of companies host high school age children for paid apprenticeships. These same companies are involved in setting the national standards for skills required for specific professions. This statistic illustrates the embedded nature of dual vocational and educational training programs in Swiss economic culture: "Apprenticeships and vocational education programs train both welders and lawyers alike." In light of Betsy Devos' recent trip to Switzerland, Quartz asks what barriers exist in the United States that would prevent schools from adopting the same approach.

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