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

    July 21, 2021 |

    Struggles from Below Magazine |

    Text |

    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?

    July 20, 2021 |

    The Kansas Leadership Center Journal (KLC Journal) |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    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

    July 20, 2021 |

    The 19th |

    Text |

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

    July 06, 2021 |

    The Washington Post |

    Text |

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

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

    June 24, 2021 |

    The Kansas Leadership Center Journal (KLC Journal) |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    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?

    June 17, 2021 |

    Scientific American |

    Text |

    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

    June 04, 2021 |

    Stateline |

    Text |

    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

    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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  • Okemos Public Schools is changing its mascot. Belding already did and says they have no regrets.

    May 25, 2021 |

    WSYM-TV |

    Broadcast TV News |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: United States, East Lansing, Michigan

    Many parents and community members lobbied the Okemos School Board, which approved a name change for the public school's mascot from one that objectifies and stereotypes Native Americans to one that promotes a positive imagery for students of all races and backgrounds. Belding area schools also approved a name change after parents protested an interim solution that allowed the use of the mascot’s name without imagery as not going far enough. The Native American Heritage Fund provided grants to schools wanting to change their mascots to help mitigate the obstacle of the high costs of rebranding.

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