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Lego releases Braille bricks to teach blind and visually impaired children

Emily Dixon

April 24, 2019 |

CNN |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Denmark, Billund, Jutland

The Lego Company has released a new product called Lego Braille Bricks that is designed for blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille in a playful way. The concept was originally proposed to them by two foundations for the blind (one is Danish and one is Brazilian), so Legos prototyped with them to come up with the final set of 250 bricks that feature the complete Braille alphabet, numbers from zero to nine, math symbols, and more. These bricks will improve education for children with vision impairments, and reactions to the product have already been glowing.

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Behavioural science and nudges could make kids better readers

Amar Diwakar

April 23, 2019 |

Apolitical |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

Enrolling parents in simple, scalable ways can improve early child learning outcomes. Building on a model used in the US state of California, firms in the UK are developing an SMS-based curriculum geared toward parents of children entering kindergarten. The method involves sending parents text messages that explain short, easy tasks that both instruct and motivate children, encouraging positive cognitive and behavioral development.

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Marijuana tax money targeted for Colorado's full-day kindergarten rollout

Jon Murray

April 23, 2019 |

The Denver Post |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Colorado may tap into an unlikely funding pool to finance the state's expansion of full-day kindergarten - marijuana taxes could help to pay for new furniture and other infrastructure needs in some of the state's most rural and resource-deprived schools.

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Growing Pima County: Utah turned to private investors to fund public preschool

Luis Carrasco

April 21, 2019 |

Arizona Daily Star |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Salt Lake City, Utah

Understanding that it would be hard to gain support for increased taxes to fund early childhood education in a conservative county, Pima County in Utah turned to a Pay for Success model. In this public-private arrangement, private investors are paid only if a social program achieves its goals.

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For Refugee Children, Reading Helps Heal Trauma

Rachel Cernansky

April 17, 2019 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Jordan, Zaatari, Mafraq Governorate

We Love Reading, an organization backed by UNICEF and USAID, works with all of Jordan's Syrian refugee camps and one of Ethiopia's South Sudanese camps to use storytelling as a tool for psychological healing. It started in 2006 out of Amman, Jordan, and has since gained respect with children specialists and international aid organizations. We Love Reading works on the premise that story time boosts healthy development by giving children the courage and language to speak about what they are going through.

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With business buy-in and property tax boost, Charlotte got on path to universal public pre-K

Sarah Garrecht Gassen

April 07, 2019 |

Arizona Daily Star |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Charlotte, North Carolina

A comprehensive effort by civic and business leaders to expand access to preschool education in Charlotte-Mecklenburg county resulted in a property tax that pays for high-quality preschool. The program is now serving over 600 students in 33 pulic pre-K classrooms.

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‘My Girls Are Getting a Future Here'

Vidhi Doshi

March 26, 2019 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, New Delhi

In India, the construction industry is the second largest employer. Without the ability to pay for child care, mothers are often forced to bring young children to construction sites. Mobile Crèches has started to set up child care facilities on-site, providing relief to parents and a safe education for students.

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Schools in Impoverished, Isolated Brownsville, Texas, Are Thriving: Here's Why

Bekah McNeel

March 04, 2019 |

The 74 |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Brownsville, Texas

In 2013 and 2016, Brownsville, Texas was ranked the poorest city in the U.S. That hasn't stopped students in the border district from outperforming their wealthier Texan peers. Leaders credit data-based interventions, effective principals, family engagement, and effective use of state and federal dollars for the district's remarkable success. "People love silver-bullet stories," Seth Rau, government and community relations coordinator for San Antonio's Independent School District, said. "It's not a turnaround story. It's a story of continuous improvement."

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Iowa communities and businesses work together to find solutions for child care shortages

Molly Duffy

February 22, 2019 |

The Gazette |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Pella, Iowa

In rural Iowa, employers are partnering with child-care providers to fill gaps for working parents. Take Vermeer, a manufacturing company out of Pella, Iowa. Vermeer recently purchased an old barn near its headquarters and transformed the space to serve more than 100 children.

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Paying for success: The story of how Utah became a leader in social impact investing

Emily Hoeven

February 08, 2019 |

Deseret News |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Salt Lake City, Utah

Utah played a key role in passing federal legislation that set aside $100 million for underserved communities — without the government having to pay a dollar upfront. In this model, the government doesn’t pay for any social program that isn’t successful. If there isn't a measurable impact, private investors take the financial hit — not taxpayers. If carefully measured data proves that the program was successful, only then does the government pay back investors.

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