Ideas We Should Steal Revisited

One Stop Contraception Shop

With Roe v. Wade overturned, a national nonprofit's work breaking down barriers to getting effective birth control is more vital than ever

By Jill Harkins
Ideas We Should Steal

Fight City Gun Violence with Better Street Design

One Portland neighborhood reduced gun violence 60 percent by changing traffic patterns and reviving a park. Philly could do that, right?

By Courtney DuChene
Ideas We Should Steal

More Public Defense Spending

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?

By Emily Nonko
Ideas We Should Steal

Raising School Funds through Solar Power

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

By Christina Griffith
Ideas We Should Steal

Make College More Affordable

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

By Elaine Maimon
Ideas We Should Steal

Fully Paid Teacher Sabbaticals

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?

By Quinn O'Callaghan
Ideas We Should Steal

Cool Streets to Cool the Air

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?

By Leah Garden
Ideas We Should Steal

Lawyers Stand Against Muslim Refugee Ban

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

By Jane Levy
Ideas We Should Steal

Fix Poverty by Giving Cash to the Poor

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.

By Saurav Upadhyay
Ideas We Should Steal

Human Library

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?

By Michaela Haas