Our Work

Raising the Bar for Community Colleges

Work with the Aspen College Excellence Program

The nation’s community colleges are underrecognized, underappreciated, and undervalued—but many are also underperforming. Seven million Americans—nearly half of all people who go to college—attend community college, particularly low-income, Hispanic and African American students who require an affordable option … Continue reading Raising the Bar for Community Colleges →

Filling the Void of Doctors and Nurses in Africa

Work with Seed Global Health

The World Health Organization estimates that in 57 countries around the world there is a dire shortage of 2.4 million doctors, nurses and midwives. The crisis is particularly severe in sub-Saharan Africa, which shoulders nearly a quarter of … Continue reading Filling the Void of Doctors and Nurses in Africa →

Elevating World-Class Environmental Science

Work with the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement

As we face global threats to our environment—from the loss of biodiversity, to climate change, to increasing water scarcity—much of the public dialogue around our environment is driven by politics and hyperbole. Too often the science that should … Continue reading Elevating World-Class Environmental Science →

Teaching Parents About Children’s Pain Through Social Media

Work with the Mayday Fellowship

Fewer than 5 percent of children receive any kind of pain relief during routine immunizations, even though research shows that there are simple, no-cost solutions that work. That’s according to Christine Chambers, PhD, a clinical psychologist, researcher and professor … Continue reading Teaching Parents About Children’s Pain Through Social Media →

Galvanizing Pain Leaders to Advocate for Better Care

Work with the Mayday Fund

The Challenge One hundred million Americans suffer from chronic pain – In 2011, the Institute of Medicine released the report Relieving Pain in America, detailing the chronic pain epidemic in America. With so many Americans suffering from chronic pain and so few resources … Continue reading Galvanizing Pain Leaders to Advocate for Better Care →

Introducing Journalists to World’s Forest Guardians

Work with the World Resources Institute and the Rights and Resources Initiative

The world's forests are being destroyed at a rate of 50 soccer fields every minute, accounting for 11 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. A solution exists that is both cost-effective and available: deforestation rates are dramatically lower in forests where governments actively enforce the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities over their land.

Helping Cities Around the World Ride the Bike Share Boom

Work with the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy

Bike share is one of the fastest growing public transportation modes around the world, with more than 800 municipal systems implemented on five continents. Bike share addresses the question of the “last mile,” how people can travel from large … Continue reading Helping Cities Around the World Ride the Bike Share Boom →

Pushing for Change in Canadian Mining Practices in Central America

Work with the Ford Foundation

In the forests of Central America, far from the eyes of reporters and human rights watchdogs, a war is raging. Canadian-based mining companies, hungry for profit, are clearing the forests that Indigenous Peoples have lived in and protected … Continue reading Pushing for Change in Canadian Mining Practices in Central America →

Generating Support for Land Rights on Behalf of Indigenous Peoples

Work with the Rights and Resources Initiative

Economic development in countries containing most of the world’s tropical forests often takes the shape of natural resource extraction. Governments claim more than 60 percent of these forests. They grant large concessions to multinational companies for logging, mining, … Continue reading Generating Support for Land Rights on Behalf of Indigenous Peoples →

Raising Profile of Forests: Climate Summit 2014

For the last two decades, the climate change conversation had overlooked the role forests play in reducing climate pollution. Forests, if left standing, are major carbon sinks; they are projected to have the potential to absorb and store … Continue reading Raising Profile of Forests: Climate Summit 2014 →