Challenges

This Year's Challenge Areas

Healthcare

Challenge Partner: Population Reference Bureau (PRB)

PRB uses data to inform people around the world about population, health, and the environment to advance the well-being of current and future generations. Find out more at www.prb.org. Follow us on Twitter @PRBdata.

Internet & Cybersecurity

Challenge Partner: Lumen

Lumen is an independent research project studying cease and desist letters concerning online content. The database collects and analyzes requests to remove material from the web. Lumen’s goal is to facilitate research about the different kinds of complaints and requests for removal -both legitimate and questionable - that are being sent to Internet publishers and service providers, and to provide as much transparency as possible about the “ecology” of such notices, in terms of who is sending them and why, and to what effect.

Environmental Justice

Challenge Partner: Connecticut Green Bank

The Connecticut Green Bank’s mission is to confront climate change and provide all society a healthier and more prosperous future by increasing and accelerating the flow of private capital into markets that energize the green economy. The Connecticut Green Bank is the nation’s first green bank. Established by the Connecticut General Assembly in July 2011, the Connecticut Green Bank supports the Governor’s and Legislature’s energy strategy to achieve cleaner, less expensive, and more reliable sources of energy while creating jobs and supporting local economic development. The Bank has also convened events and projects to discuss and advance environmental justice among community and policy voices. For more information on Connecticut Green Bank, please visit https://www.ctgreenbank.com/.

Transportation

Challenge Partner: Portland, Maine Sustainability Office

The Portland, Maine Sustainability Office undertakes initiatives designed to make Portland a vibrant, environmentally friendly community now and into the future. One of the current key products is the One Climate Future Plan within which Portland and South Portland are jointly working to create a prosperous and inclusive low-carbon future. Through climate impact assessments, vulnerability assessments, and evaluations of greenhouse gas inventory the team working on this action plan is addressing a multitude of dimensions: buildings & energy use, waste reduction, climate resilience, and transportation & land use.For more information about the Sustainability Office, please visit https://www.portlandmaine.gov/1890/Sustainability-Office

Housing & City Planning

Challenge Partner: Housing Forward MA

In Massachusetts, there is an urgent and growing need for affordable and middle-income housing. This housing is a critical ingredient of any thriving economy; not only creating jobs and tax revenue for cities and towns, but lowering the cost of living and helping local businesses to grow organically by adding jobs here. The shortage of affordable, workforce housing will only grow in importance as Massachusetts begins the long post-Coronavirus rebuilding of our economy. Housing Forward-MA is focused on developing and disseminating accurate data related to housing and real estate development in Massachusetts and the broader economic impacts of housing supply and demand. By providing training, education, and model policy proposals our organization will support organizing and advocacy efforts for affordable, workforce housing across the state. For more information about Housing Forward MA, please visit https://www.housingforwardma.org/.