Topic: Ideas We Should Steal

Pennsylvania is the only state that doesn’t provide money for public defenders. What would it look like if they — like progressive prosecutors — had the resources to be reformers?

In Batesville, Arkansas, a high school’s solar panels saved the district enough money to raise teacher salaries. A similar program in Philly could save as much as $20,000 per school

A longtime college president urges Pennsylvania to learn from states like Illinois and Louisiana, which are increasing college attendance by requiring high schoolers to submit a free student aid application

The U.K. is giving some teachers a paid year off in the hopes that it will help keep them in their jobs. Could that solve Philly’s teacher retention problem too?

America’s hottest city — Phoenix — lowered surface temperatures of a neighborhood by more than 10 degrees with a new water-based surface on its streets. Could Philly be next?

Attorneys from major law firms and nonprofits alike banned together to help refugees planning to enter the United States in the wake of Trump's ban on Muslim travelers

Organizations like Give Directly take money from donors and give it directly to the poor. Statistics say that's the best way to do it.

Could the answer to our disconnect be a program in 80 countries that allows you to borrow a person—a refugee, a sex worker, a police officer—and ask them anything you want?

The program has helped 25 small, organic farmers preserve and cultivate 355 acres of farmland around Atlanta, launching new generations of growers and a healthy locally produced food scene. Could Philly be next?

In the Age of Self-Care, a Stanford psychologist suggests a better antidote to what ails us right now: focusing on other people