In Sri Lanka, 'the Ocean Is For Everyone'

More than fifty years ago, Cuba eradicated widespread illiteracy in one calendar year, and its literacy rate still leads the world. They achieved it by sending "brigades" of teachers and students to teach adults and children for two weeks.

Job training is an invaluable resource to prisoners who may not have any other resources for such a thing. A new job center, established with a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, aims to assist 1,000 Milwaukee County offenders over two years.

The City University of New York’s College of Staten Island is among a handful but growing number of colleges that are offering peer advocate training programs to former substance abusers. These certified trainings are enabling vulnerable adults to pursue higher education, acquire skills, and use their experience to not just find employment but also support patients with recovery.

Math requirements are a common barrier preventing students from successfully graduating from community college in Washington state. Schools are offering a new way for non-STEM majors to earn the credit; Statway teaches students accessible statistics mixed with real-world examples as an alternate to the traditional algebra-precalculus trajectory.

For millennials looking to gain a stronger sense of commitment to social justice and service work, religious traditions can provide a helpful framework. The Nuns and Nones program in Burlingame, California, places young participants into convents. In exchange for low-income housing, the young people help provide care and company for the aging sisters, while also drawing lessons from their participation in—and devotion to—service work.

By making listening and communication a priority, employers can improve employee retention. In Ohio, Mansfield Plumbing Products designated an employee liaison whose job is to listen to employees and facilitate communication between workers and management. By implementing clear communication channels, employers can better learn how to address their workers' needs.

The Eris Conflict Resolution life-coaching company is using conflict mediation and resolution to help those experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace. The company works with both stakeholders and the businesses involved in one-on-one mediation, course modules, and the option of conflict mediation certification to give them the tools to end the harassment safely. Since opening, 19 of the 27 clients have seen the results they were hoping for.

Comal Heritage Food Incubator trains immigrant and refugee women to start their own businesses in the food industry. Comal offers coaching, financial support, and connections to social services. It also pays trainees, which has been vital to endure the food industry shutdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. The group also ensures members have food, rent assistance, school supplies, or diapers for their children. They partner with the Denver Metro Emergency Food Network, delivering about 290,000 meals since the pandemic began. The model is working in other cities, including Seattle and San Francisco.

A city-sponsored program in Bogotá, Colombia, sends outreach teams to businesses and events to teach men to do household tasks and help them talk about their feelings. The effort aims to redefine what it means to be a man and undo the traditional idea of machismo, or toxic masculinity.

Sin Título started as a socially conscious clothing brand but has since evolved into a mutli-faceted brand that hosts mental health discussion panels and other events that aim to amplify marginalized voices and offer healing opportunities for the local Latinx population. One such event is their journaling series, the first of which, “Self Love Journal Club,” attracted about 100 people.