Solutions Journalism
Solutions Journalism is rigorous reporting on responses to social problems. The Solutions Journalism Hub of the South, housed at UGA’s Cox Institute, trains students to tell “the whole story” by applying the same investigative and thorough reporting skills to ways in which people and organizations are responding to the challenges and obstacles in our communities.
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How Invisible Scars Turn Pain into Purpose
Editor’s Note: This series of stories explores how individuals have turned challenging experiences and obstacles into opportunities — particularly around mental health. July 23, 2017. Freedom Day. That’s when a nightmare ended for Genesis, only six days shy of her 18th birthday. That’s when the FBI finally rescued her. The…
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Madison County Volunteers Monitor, Advocate for South Fork Broad River
Ruth Ann Tesanovich, retired scientist and certified Adopt-a-Stream volunteer, wades through the stream behind her Madison County home with a lifetime’s experience in a lab. She tests for oxygen levels and combs through to identify critters that indicate stream health. The task is more than scientific. Her family has almost…
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Addressing Healthcare Shortages in Georgia Begins with Education
Georgia is facing the effects of a nationwide trend of physician shortages, with rural areas being hit harder than metro regions. The University of Georgia and its students are investing in programs like Mini Medical School and the Lake Country Rural Health Initiative that are aiming to create long-term solutions,…
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Laid with Love: Hippie Hens Homestead Works Toward Ethical Sustainability
As more people look for ways to live sustainably, small farms like Hippie Hens Homestead are leading by example. Raising chickens for fresh eggs not only cuts down on waste costs but also promotes self-reliance and ethical animal care. For Lacy Martin, sustainability goes far beyond efficiency. It’s about respect…
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Klassy Kats: Working Toward Solutions That Are Cat, Community Centered
Citizens of Butts County are no strangers to seeing animals dropped off on the side of the road or strays living on backroads. Butts is a rural county that is constantly dealing with overpopulation of animals. Over halfway through 2025, 497 cats had been taken in solely by Butts County…
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From Soil to System: How Marigold Collective is Redefining Local Food Access
Each Saturday, Winterville’s Pittard Park becomes a living, breathing testament of community resilience and sustainability. Local vendors line the walkways, tables overflowing with bright leafy greens and fresh homemade bread, while live music and the scent of roasted coffee set the mood. Responding to Community Need Athens-Clarke County qualifies as…
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How One Man’s Hobby is Helping Reduce Waste in Athens
It was the combination of frequent trips to resale shops mixed with his tennis burnout that led Athens resident David Ragsdale to his new hobby: cast iron restoration — the process of searching for, stripping down and seasoning decades-old cookware to give it a new life. “My lady likes Pyrex,…
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Sustainable Merch Finds a Home in Athens’ Music Scene
In Athens, a town known for its DIY approach to music, local bands and students are rethinking a critical part of the music industry: merch. Right now, streaming accounts for 84% of recorded music revenues in the United States. The thing is, musicians aren’t earning the majority of their revenue through collecting…
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Overcrowding: How Local Dog Rescue, Animal Shelter Find Solutions
In the back corner of Dirt Road Doggies Rescue, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Tink-Tink wags her tail behind chain-link fencing, waiting for her chance at a forever home. Without a foster or adopter, she is becoming another statistic — one of thousands of dogs in Northeast Georgia caught in…