Home

Hannah Ashmore and Sara Samborn with Kenna, a Michigan Conservation Dog trained to sniff out invasive spotted lanternflies.

Michigan resident trains “Conservation Dogs” to sniff out invasive species

By
●
Environment & Sustainability
●
August 21, 2026
Ann Arbor dog trainer Hannah Ashmore is building a network of dogs and handlers trained to sniff out environmental threats that human eyes can miss.
Latest stories
Is PreK for All meeting its goals?
By
●
Education
●
August 31, 2026
Roadmap co-author encouraged by how the state is expanding its Great Start Readiness Program into universal pre-K.
Michigan’s free universal pre-K program could serve 70,000 4-year-olds this school year
By
●
Education
●
August 31, 2026
Launched in 2023, PreK for All now has no income qualifications.
Tiny house villages are increasingly responding to the homeless crisis in America’s fast-growing cities
By
●
Housing
●
August 30, 2026
Tiny house villages represent a community-driven mechanism for people to find housing and community amid poverty and exclusion.
Dementia care navigators help Coloradans get the support they need
By
●
Health
●
August 29, 2026
Launched in 2024 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the GUIDE model provides care and support for Medicare beneficiaries living with dementia as well as their caregivers.
The teenage girls behind a $25 minimum wage fight in rural Alaska
By
●
Economic Development
●
August 28, 2026
Nome is one of the most expensive towns in America. Six young women there are hoping to get a minimum wage initiative on the November ballot.
A University of Michigan dentist displays an implant overdenture. Implant overdentures involves surgically inserting small metal posts into the patient's jaw, providing a stable, permanent structure to securely hold dentures in place. 
University of Michigan program offers expensive denture treatment for free
By
●
Healthcare
●
August 27, 2026
The University of Michigan’s Senior Implant Overdenture Restorative (SenIOR) program offers implant overdentures for free and is aiming to improve insurance coverage for the treatment.
GuardCare partnership brings free healthcare to Ohio Appalachian residents
By
●
Healthcare
●
August 27, 2026
GuardCare provided free health services to nearly 500 Ohio residents, highlighting both collaborative solutions and persistent gaps in dental care.
Free Wonderschool platform will help Michigan families find childcare faster
By
●
Child care
●
August 25, 2026
Scheduled to launch early 2027, the platform will connect parents to available childcare and preschool spaces with one application.
Small Business Social Hours foster success through face-to-face connection
By
●
Economic Development
●
August 25, 2026
Why face-to-face networking opportunities are even more important for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
A publication of

Issue Media Group is a multi-local network of digital news outlets focused on community transformation through solutions journalism. We highlight the people and projects tackling challenges and driving change. Through its national, regional and local publications, IMG connects communities, shares impactful solutions, and inspires progress.

Around the Country
Tiny house villages are increasingly responding to the homeless crisis in America’s fast-growing cities
Tiny house villages represent a community-driven mechanism for people to find housing and community amid poverty and exclusion.
Dementia care navigators help Coloradans get the support they need
Launched in 2024 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the GUIDE model provides care and support for Medicare beneficiaries living with dementia as well as their caregivers.
The teenage girls behind a $25 minimum wage fight in rural Alaska
Nome is one of the most expensive towns in America. Six young women there are hoping to get a minimum wage initiative on the November ballot.
University of Michigan program offers expensive denture treatment for free
The University of Michigan’s Senior Implant Overdenture Restorative (SenIOR) program offers implant overdentures for free and is aiming to improve insurance coverage for the treatment.
Micro forests attract not only birds and bees but Metro Detroiters, too
Whether you call them micro, mini, or pocket forests, they are taking root around the world — and in metro Detroit. They help the environment, provide refuge to native species, and respite to people seeking green spaces — especially in urban areas.
A new collaborative funding effort for arts in Florida
Art Everywhere awarded close to 30 arts organizations a combined $350,000 in grants for events that can establish Pinellas County as a cultural destination.
Top 5 Articles

Support solutions journalism

Common Ground curates solutions-based issues journalism from across the Issue Media Group network and other national media outlets. It is a platform that reports on the big ideas and the people moving communities forward, creating a place where communities share ideas, solutions, and inspiration. When a neighborhood innovates — from revitalizing housing to improving public transit — those success stories connect with others facing similar challenges. By linking local experiences into a larger, solutions-driven narrative, Common Ground helps communities learn from each other and move forward together.

Support us

Our Partners

WKKF logo
Kresge Foundation logo
IFF logo
JP Morgan Chase logo
Ford Foundation logo
Delta Dental Foundation logo