Skip to main content
  • Who We Are
    Mission Ethics Team Board of Directors Funders & Supporters Annual Reports & Financials Careers
  • Impact
    Impact Stories How Solutions Journalism Rebalances the News
  • Programs
    Climate Democracy Youth Mental Health Africa Initiative Beacons Complicating the Narratives Educator Academies Health Equity Student Media Challenge University Hubs
  • Learning Lab
    Toolkits & Guides Events Trainers All Resources
  • Directory
  • Solutions Story Tracker
  • What You Can Do
    Explore Our Programs See Upcoming Events & Opportunities Join the Directory Teach Solutions Journalism Become an Accredited Trainer Get Solutions Stories in your Inbox Amplify Solutions in Your Community
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Solutions Insights Lab
  • My Profile
  • Donate
sjweb-ci home
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Solutions Insights Lab
  • My Profile
  • Donate
  • Who We Are
    Mission Ethics Team Board of Directors Funders & Supporters Annual Reports & Financials Careers
  • Impact
    Impact Stories How Solutions Journalism Rebalances the News
  • Programs
    Climate Democracy Youth Mental Health Africa Initiative Beacons Complicating the Narratives Educator Academies Health Equity Student Media Challenge University Hubs
  • Learning Lab
    Toolkits & Guides Events Trainers All Resources
  • Directory
  • Solutions Story Tracker
  • What You Can Do
    Explore Our Programs See Upcoming Events & Opportunities Join the Directory Teach Solutions Journalism Become an Accredited Trainer Get Solutions Stories in your Inbox Amplify Solutions in Your Community
  • Who We Are
    Mission Ethics Team Board of Directors Funders & Supporters Annual Reports & Financials Careers
  • Impact
    Impact Stories How Solutions Journalism Rebalances the News
  • Programs
    Climate Democracy Youth Mental Health Africa Initiative Beacons Complicating the Narratives Educator Academies Health Equity Student Media Challenge University Hubs
  • Learning Lab
    Toolkits & Guides Events Trainers All Resources
  • Directory
  • Solutions Story Tracker
  • What You Can Do
    Explore Our Programs See Upcoming Events & Opportunities Join the Directory Teach Solutions Journalism Become an Accredited Trainer Get Solutions Stories in your Inbox Amplify Solutions in Your Community
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Solutions Insights Lab
  • My Profile
  • Donate

Create A New Collection

Collections are versatile, powerful and simple to create. From a customized course reader to an action-guide for an upcoming service-learning trip, collections illuminate themes, guide inquiry, and provide context for how people around the worls are responding to social challenges.

  • Name and describe your collection

  • Add Stories

  • Add external links at any time

  • Add to your collection over time and share!

1. Name your collection

Sorry, a Collection with that title already exists.

Sorry, a Collection must have a title.

2. Add Stories

Add stories to your collection from your list of Favorites below, or add stories directly to a collection from Search or Discovery. Anytime you see the collection icon you can add a story. Just click the icon and follow the instructions on your screen.

Add story from saved

You've selected a story to add to a collection

Which collection to you want to add this story to?

Successfully added!

Solutions Story Tracker®

Welcome to a curated database of rigorous reporting on responses to social problems.

15,700 stories produced by 8,900 journalists and 2,000 news outlets from 89 countries. The stories cover responses in 192 countries, in 17 languages. This resource is made possible because of a growing movement of journalists who use solutions journalism to illuminate both problems and evidence-based responses to them.

Learn more about the Solutions Story Tracker.


See Latest Stories
Advanced filters

Search Results

You searched for:  -

There are 75 results  for your search.  View and Refine Your Search Terms

  • Learning life skills through art

    Aria Surka
    2023-03-16 14:10:51 UTC
    0

    November 16, 2022 |

    Grady Newsource |

    Broadcast TV News |

    Under 3 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Athens, Georgia

    At Lovecraft, adults with disabilities have the opportunity to create and sell their art while learning important life skills such as communication in the process. The organization has served 40 adults since opening in 2018.

    Read More

    • 16339

    Go to Original Story
  • People in Solitary Confinement and Volunteers Team Up to Garden, Imagine a World Without Prisons

    Roshan Abraham
    2021-05-28 14:10:43 UTC
    0

    May 27, 2021 |

    Next City |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

    The Solitary Gardens project started in New Orleans and has been copied in multiple other places as a combination art exhibit and therapeutic link between incarcerated people and the outside world. People on both sides of the prison walls collaborate in pairs to design a garden that grows flowers and herbs chosen by the incarcerated person. The gardens match the tiny dimensions of a solitary-confinement cell. The healing herbs are used to help others, and the exercise overall gives incarcerated people a sense of connection to the earth, part of the project's prison-abolition message.

    Read More

    • 13206

    Go to Original Story
  • Huge success for Mother's Day bailout, as annual Philly effort blows past fundraising goal

    Michaela Winberg
    2021-05-07 14:42:28 UTC
    0

    May 06, 2021 |

    Billy Penn |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    The Philadelphia Community Bail Fund freed more than 400 people from jail in 2020, thanks to $3 million donated amid the COVID-19 crisis and racial justice protests. Organizers of the Black Mama's Day Bailout, an annual targeted campaign that gave rise to the community bail fund five years ago, expected donor fatigue this year might limit their work. But they exceeded the 2020 Mother's Day campaign, freeing 25 women, in part from sales of art made by formerly incarcerated women in a partnership with an arts co-op. Cash bail penalizes people too poor to afford to remain free before trial.

    Read More

    • 13064

    Go to Original Story
  • How therapeutic clowning injects humour for a different kind of healing

    Sarah Treleaven
    2021-03-09 13:45:39 UTC
    0

    March 05, 2021 |

    Broadview Magazine |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Canada, Toronto, Ontario

    A growing therapeutic clowning community is helping to bring emotional relief to children and the elderly who are in hospitals and eldercare facilities. While not all patients are receptive to this play therapy, of those who are, some have shown both emotional and medical improvements in their conditions.

    Read More

    • 12656

    Go to Original Story
  • 'Let children be children': Supporting young refugees' mental health in Wales

    Marta Silvia Viganò
    2021-02-23 15:58:10 UTC
    0

    December 15, 2020 |

    The Local |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Wales

    In Wales, the African Community Centre which has previously offered culturally competent mental health care services to youth in the African community in the city, has expanded its services to "Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) young people from asylum backgrounds, ranging from three to 18 years old." The center focuses on using play therapy and one-to-one counselling, but amid the pandemic, they have also introduced online options.

    Read More

    • 12504

    Go to Original Story
  • A Philly jobs program lost six to a year of violence. Can it still help young people thrive?

    Samantha Melamed
    2020-12-02 21:22:11 UTC
    1

    December 02, 2020 |

    The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    PowerCorpsPHL and Mural Arts' Guild have notched impressive results in job placements of young people with criminal records. The programs' employment training, paid apprenticeships, and art therapy classes have all been disrupted by 2020's pandemic, social unrest, and street violence. Private grants have largely made up for budget cuts from the city of Philadelphia. But the lack of face to face training and counseling has been disruptive. Both programs and their trainees are persevering despite longer odds, with workarounds that keep the programs afloat in difficult times.

    Read More

    • 11851

    Go to Original Story
  • The happy hug of a clinic clown

    Priti Salian
    2020-10-28 22:52:45 UTC
    0

    September 25, 2020 |

    MintPress News |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: India, Auroville

    Clinic clowns aren't just bringing joy to elderly dementia patients, they are also fostering a sense of wellbeing and positivity while helping them recall memories from their past through the use of art, music, and improvisation. Because many are volunteers and don't have medical training, a clown academy is now offering a specific training course where clinic clowns can learn about "patient psychology, dealing with care facilities and working in tandem with a medical team."

    Read More

    • 11544

    Go to Original Story
  • In Prison, Learning Magic by Mail

    Annalisa Quinn
    2020-08-17 20:02:53 UTC
    0

    August 14, 2020 |

    The New York Times |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States

    A community of incarcerated magic enthusiasts formed spontaneously around a column published by a magic magazine, thanks to their own initiative and the willingness of Joshua Jay, the magician/columnist, to respond to fan mail. The incarcerated people formed an underground exchange of tips on magic tricks and how to make props from the limited availability of materials in prisons. By perfecting their skills, this community used magic as performative art therapy, easing their sense of isolation and increasing their sense of power and personal worth. One even went pro after his release.

    Read More

    • 10921

    Go to Original Story
  • Surfing for a better life

    Richard Kenny, Lily Freeston
    2020-07-05 00:22:13 UTC
    0

    May 04, 2020 |

    BBC |

    Video |

    3-5 Minutes

    Response Location: South Africa, Cape Town, Western Cape

    A program in Cape Town, South Africa is helping children learn life skills and provide mental health resources through 'surf therapy.' The program called Waves for Change starts each session with some grounding meditation and energizing chants in order to prepare the group before they venture out into the sea, which for some kids was a prior source of fear. For many kids, this has been a way to learn to communicate better and a chance to improve their self-esteem.

    Read More

    • 10556

    Go to Original Story
  • A Second Life for Flowers

    Miriam Zoila Perez
    2020-10-07 14:30:56 UTC
    1

    March 10, 2020 |

    The New York Times |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

    Horticultural therapy – a mix of art therapy, wellness activity, and a way to reuse viable flowers – is gaining popularity amongst hospitals and nursing homes due to its nature-centric therapeutic benefits. Although medical research is limited, some studies have shown that it can have a positive impact on one's mood and participants have expressed sentiments such as, "It relaxes me. Just holding the flowers takes me away from my situation."

    Read More

    • 11349

    Go to Original Story
    PREV 1 2 3 4 5 … NEXT
Please sign in via My Profile before submitting a story. This will allow you to view the status of your submission and get notified if the story is added to the Solutions Story Tracker®.
Filter your search by the language of the story. As the Solutions Story Tracker grows, we are working to include more stories in more languages. Your story submissions can help! Submit stories here.
These factors identify the ways communities overcome the big challenges and help you see the insights. Learn more about the Success Factors here.

Solutions Journalism Around the World

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit quisque faucibus.

Solutions In Focus

Discover curated content about themes that matter to you, exclusively from the Solutions Story Tracker. Explore collections, resources and more.

  • Climate Solutions

  • Advancing Democracy

  • Youth Mental Health


Go to All Solutions in Focus

More Options

  • magnifying glass

    Video Tutorials

    Learn how to find what you need in the Solutions Story Tracker in español and in français.

  • paper and pen

    Submission Guidelines

    This database is powered by user submissions. Submit a story.

  • newspaper with an exclamation point

    Custom Story Alerts

    Get notified when new stories match your interests by setting up custom story alerts in My Profile.

two people are surrounded by question marks

Solutions Story Tracker® FAQ

  • Solutions journalism…
    • Describes a response to a problem and how it works.
    • Seeks to draw out insights that explain success or failure.
    • Presents the available evidence about the effectiveness of a response.
    • Explains the shortcomings or limitations of the response.
    Learn more.
  • The Solutions Story Tracker® is a curated, searchable database of solutions journalism stories — rigorous reporting about responses to social problems. We vet and tag every story in the Story Tracker, which offers an inspiring and useful collection of the thousands of ways people are working to solve problems around the world.

  • You can learn more about how we source, vet, and tag stories here, as well as how we share them. We also have video tutorials in Spanish and French that show how to use the Solutions Story Tracker to find what you need.

  • Story collections are curated by our staff or other partners to explore a theme, pattern, or trend via selected solutions stories and external resources. Some story collections focus on an in-depth exploration of a topic with solutions journalism; others highlight journalists and how they report on topics. Certain story collections include discussion questions and notes, so that educators and community discussion leaders can lead learners to fully engage with the stories.

  • The Solutions Story Tracker® is powered by user submissions. We encourage submissions from journalists, as well as from anyone who has an eye for solutions journalism. Click here to submit. (Why submit? So many reasons!)

  • You can submit a story directly on the Solutions Story Tracker®. You will be prompted to register or log into the Solutions Journalism Network website, if you are already logged in. (It is free to register!) Logging in allows you to track the status of your submissions under My Profile, as well as save your favorite stories, create story collections and story alerts, and access other helpful features of our website.

  • After you submit a story to us and assign it a topic, it is sent to one of our Solutions Story Tracker team members. Our team member evaluates the story for the four qualities of solutions journalism, and on the basics: The story must come from a news outlet and have a date and a byline. If the story meets our criteria, our team tags it accordingly and adds it to the database. If the story falls short of the mark, our team will include the reason why. We include stories in the Story Tracker that meet our standards of solutions journalism. Inclusion does not mean we support the initiatives, policies, organizations or approaches featured in those stories.

    Discover common reasons why a story may miss the mark for inclusion in the Solutions Story Tracker®.

    Learn more about the history of the database.

  • Solutions Journalism Network features these stories in the searchable database making them publicly accessible to anyone who wants to search for rigorous reporting on solutions to social problems. Any story that is added has the potential to make more impact than its original purpose. Added stories are used in journalism trainings, school curricula, research projects, and independent analysis on issue area trends. This now includes artificial intelligence tools, which are applied for educational value to find stories and support story vetting, as well as to extract insights from the stories. SJN has digital products and newsletters that give new life and exposure to the stories meeting people where they are at. Story data also is used to develop innovative tools to reach the general public with solutions journalism as well as some specific research projects requested by researchers. If you have any questions or concerns about our use of story data or added stories, please contact Lita Tirak.

  • News outlets determine whether all users can access their stories — and some limit the number of stories that anyone can view, or require a subscription. The majority of stories in the database can be accessed for free.

  • We work with journalists, academic researchers and others who feel that our database will support their research. We are especially interested in research that seeks to develop new insights about solutions journalism and its spread and its impact on social problems. Please complete all sections of the Data Request Form, and we will contact you to discuss your request in greater detail.

  • We do not fact-check the stories in the Solutions Story Tracker®. We do ensure that each story comes from a credible news source that has its own editorial infrastructure.

  • We worked with Tara Pixley and Jovelle Tamayo of the Authority Collective, who developed a guide for using equitable visuals. We follow this guide when choosing images for our website.

  • We welcome your feedback and additional questions. Please use this form to get in touch.

Site logo

  • BlueSky
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • The Whole Story
  • Flipboard
  • Instagram
  • Contact Us
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
© 2025 Solutions Journalism Network. All rights reserved.

Share

  • share on facebook
  • share via email
  • Copied!