The Change Engine

Life is not one thing.

It’s at least seven.

Each one is a doorway into your city, your community, your own life. Pick one. Go deep. See where it leads.

01 / Wellness

Your body. Your mind. Your whole self.

Free clinics, mental health support, nutrition programs, insurance navigators -- your guide to feeling good and getting the care you deserve.

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Good News Stories About Mental Health Progress

Good Good Good is a website that shares positive stories about mental health to fight stigma and highlight progress. The site features inspiring articles like how Harry Styles unknowingly paid for hundreds of therapy sessions, a man whose life was saved by a Stephen Colbert joke, and new research showing better mental health representation in movies. Other stories include successful treatments using psychedelic mushrooms for depression, hospitals reducing suicide attempts with new models, and creative solutions like 'stim hoodies' for people with autism and ADHD. The site also covers research on how aunts support LGBTQ+ youth and how leisure activities improve wellbeing. This collection of positive mental health news helps combat negative stigma by showing real progress, innovative treatments, and community support. The stories demonstrate that mental health awareness is growing, treatments are improving, and people are finding creative ways to support each other's mental wellness.

goodgoodgood.co

Science-Based Ways to Improve Mental Health and Well-Being

Keys to Well-Being: Learn About Happiness and Connection

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Take care

02 / Family Life

The people who shape everything.

Schools worth knowing about. Childcare you can actually find. Youth programs, safety nets, and everything that helps Houston families grow stronger.

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Topics

Early ChildhoodK-12 EducationHigher EducationChildcareParenting SupportFoster Care

Grow together

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Free College Handbook: How to Start Tuition-Free Programs

This handbook helps leaders create free college programs in their communities. Written by experts at the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, it answers 25 common questions about Promise programs - local scholarships that cover college tuition for residents. The guide is for mayors, college leaders, nonprofits, and community groups who want to remove tuition barriers and increase college attendance. Most Promise programs only cover tuition and fees, not housing, food, books, or transportation. But even covering just tuition can change expectations, get more students into college, and make communities better places to live and work. The Kresge Foundation funded this updated 2025 version, which includes videos and connects to a new Promise Programs Hub website with program databases and research.

Berkeley's Guide to Better Teaching and Learning

greatergood.berkeley.edu

Family Support & Parenting Resources from UC Berkeley

greatergood.berkeley.edu

03 / Place

The places we call home.

Parks, libraries, housing, local projects -- what's happening on your block and what your neighbors are building next.

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Ways to Give Money to Habitat for Humanity Montgomery County

Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County, Texas offers many ways for people to donate money to help build affordable homes. You can give money to honor someone you love or remember someone who died. You can donate stocks and other investments. If your company matches donations, your gift can be doubled or tripled. Some companies also give money when their workers volunteer. You can plan to give money in your will or trust to help families for years to come. The organization builds homes for families who need affordable housing. They have offices in Conroe, Texas and a ReStore where people can buy donated items. All donations help families get safe, decent homes they can afford.

Building Better Neighborhoods Through Community Projects

Hurricane Tracker for Houston - Storm Updates and Safety Tips

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Explore nearby

04 / Civic Power

Your power, out loud.

Voting deadlines, town halls, who represents you, how to organize -- the tools and moments where your voice actually shapes what happens.

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What's New in the Commons Library

Stay updated with the latest resources added to help make activism smarter and stronger in your community.

commonslibrary.org

Directory of Australian MPs and Senators

Pillars of Support: Getting Started

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Speak up

05 / Prosperity

What you earn. What you build.

Jobs, benefits, credit-building, small business support -- real paths to financial strength and opportunity.

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Topics

Career CounselingResume & InterviewApprenticeshipsSmall BusinessEntrepreneurshipFinancial Literacy

Build wealth

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How GiveWell Shares Its Mistakes to Help Others Learn

GiveWell is a charity research organization that helps donors find the most effective places to give money for global health and development. They publish a detailed list of all their mistakes from 2006 to now, including research errors, hiring problems, communication failures, and organizational issues. Major mistakes include not publishing all their research, diversity problems in hiring, tone issues in early communications, and confusing charity rating systems. Smaller mistakes include spreadsheet errors, poor planning, and privacy mishaps. They share these mistakes publicly so other organizations can learn from their experiences and so donors can better evaluate whether to trust them. The organization believes in transparency and expects the same openness from charities they recommend. This mistake log shows how they've grown and improved over nearly 20 years of operation, learning to be more diverse, communicate better, and conduct more rigorous research.

How to Give Different Types of Gifts to Help Houston Charities

ghcf.org

Houston Business Tax Breaks & Incentives for Companies

www.houston.org

06 / Environment

The ground beneath all of us.

Air quality, flooding, energy programs, green spaces -- how Houston is facing the climate crisis and what you can do about it.

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Good Stories About Animals and People Who Help Them

Good Good Good is a website that shares positive news stories about animals and the people who care for them. The site features many heartwarming stories, like mini therapy horses bringing joy to lonely seniors, and wildlife-sniffing dogs that can detect hidden trafficked animals with 98% accuracy using just air samples. Other stories include a judge who ruled that dogs are legally considered 'immediate family,' divers discovering a new underwater species that looks like a panda, and a critically endangered parrot making a comeback thanks to berries. The site also covers how Indigenous communities in Bolivia have helped protect nearly 1 million hectares of Amazon rainforest, and how incarcerated men are helping rehabilitate injured squirrels and baby possums in prison. There are stories about rescue dogs helping find lost pets and a rare kitten with 4 ears bringing attention to pets with disabilities. The website aims to celebrate positive news about animals making a difference for people and people making a difference for animals. It also promotes awareness of special days like Jane Goodall Day for climate action.

Houston Wilderness Environmental Programs Help Communities & Nature

Learn About the Piney Woods Forest Near Houston

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Protect it

07 / Belonging

Across every line that divides us.

Bridging, dialogue, inclusion, trust -- the hard and beautiful work of building one community out of many.

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How GiveWell Picks the Best Charities to Fund

GiveWell is an organization that helps people donate money to charities that do the most good. They have strict rules for picking which charities to recommend. First, they only choose charities that have strong evidence showing their programs actually work. This means the charity's work has been studied by researchers multiple times. Second, they look for charities that save lives or help people for the least amount of money - getting the biggest impact for each dollar donated. Third, they make sure the charity can actually use more money effectively, not just collect it. Fourth, they require complete transparency - charities must be open about their work, successes, and failures. For their top charity recommendations, GiveWell has even stricter rules. They must have given the charity at least $10 million and supported them for at least one year to see how they operate. They also want high confidence that the charity will have substantial impact, not just a small chance of huge impact. Most of their recommended charities focus on global poverty and health because a dollar goes much further helping poor people in developing countries than in wealthy countries like the US. GiveWell publishes detailed reports about every charity they review so donors can make informed decisions.

www.givewell.org

How GiveWell Measures the Impact of Charitable Donations

Good News Stories About LGBTQ+ People Making Progress

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Come together

“Most people want to be part of something. They just don't know where to start. That's not a motivation problem. It's a navigation problem.”
The Change Lab

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