essay about problems in community

How to Write the Community Essay – Guide with Examples (2023-24)

September 6, 2023

Students applying to college this year will inevitably confront the community essay. In fact, most students will end up responding to several community essay prompts for different schools. For this reason, you should know more than simply how to approach the community essay as a genre. Rather, you will want to learn how to decipher the nuances of each particular prompt, in order to adapt your response appropriately. In this article, we’ll show you how to do just that, through several community essay examples. These examples will also demonstrate how to avoid cliché and make the community essay authentically and convincingly your own.

Emphasis on Community

Do keep in mind that inherent in the word “community” is the idea of multiple people. The personal statement already provides you with a chance to tell the college admissions committee about yourself as an individual. The community essay, however, suggests that you depict yourself among others. You can use this opportunity to your advantage by showing off interpersonal skills, for example. Or, perhaps you wish to relate a moment that forged important relationships. This in turn will indicate what kind of connections you’ll make in the classroom with college peers and professors.

Apart from comprising numerous people, a community can appear in many shapes and sizes. It could be as small as a volleyball team, or as large as a diaspora. It could fill a town soup kitchen, or spread across five boroughs. In fact, due to the internet, certain communities today don’t even require a physical place to congregate. Communities can form around a shared identity, shared place, shared hobby, shared ideology, or shared call to action. They can even arise due to a shared yet unforeseen circumstance.

What is the Community Essay All About?             

In a nutshell, the community essay should exhibit three things:

• An aspect of yourself, 2. in the context of a community you belonged to, and 3. how this experience may shape your contribution to the community you’ll join in college.

It may look like a fairly simple equation: 1 + 2 = 3. However, each college will word their community essay prompt differently, so it’s important to look out for additional variables. One college may use the community essay as a way to glimpse your core values. Another may use the essay to understand how you would add to diversity on campus. Some may let you decide in which direction to take it—and there are many ways to go!

To get a better idea of how the prompts differ, let’s take a look at some real community essay prompts from the current admission cycle.

Sample 2023-2024 Community Essay Prompts

1) brown university.

“Students entering Brown often find that making their home on College Hill naturally invites reflection on where they came from. Share how an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you, and what unique contributions this might allow you to make to the Brown community. (200-250 words)”

A close reading of this prompt shows that Brown puts particular emphasis on place. They do this by using the words “home,” “College Hill,” and “where they came from.” Thus, Brown invites writers to think about community through the prism of place. They also emphasize the idea of personal growth or change, through the words “inspired or challenged you.” Therefore, Brown wishes to see how the place you grew up in has affected you. And, they want to know how you in turn will affect their college community.

“NYU was founded on the belief that a student’s identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education. That sense of opportunity for all students, of all backgrounds, remains a part of who we are today and a critical part of what makes us a world-class university. Our community embraces diversity, in all its forms, as a cornerstone of the NYU experience.

We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community. Please respond in 250 words or less.”

Here, NYU places an emphasis on students’ “identity,” “backgrounds,” and “diversity,” rather than any physical place. (For some students, place may be tied up in those ideas.) Furthermore, while NYU doesn’t ask specifically how identity has changed the essay writer, they do ask about your “experience.” Take this to mean that you can still recount a specific moment, or several moments, that work to portray your particular background. You should also try to link your story with NYU’s values of inclusivity and opportunity.

3) University of Washington

“Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. (300 words max) Tip: Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints.”

UW ’s community essay prompt may look the most approachable, for they help define the idea of community. You’ll notice that most of their examples (“families,” “cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood”…) place an emphasis on people. This may clue you in on their desire to see the relationships you’ve made. At the same time, UW uses the words “individual” and “richly diverse.” They, like NYU, wish to see how you fit in and stand out, in order to boost campus diversity.

Writing Your First Community Essay

Begin by picking which community essay you’ll write first. (For practical reasons, you’ll probably want to go with whichever one is due earliest.) Spend time doing a close reading of the prompt, as we’ve done above. Underline key words. Try to interpret exactly what the prompt is asking through these keywords.

Next, brainstorm. I recommend doing this on a blank piece of paper with a pencil. Across the top, make a row of headings. These might be the communities you’re a part of, or the components that make up your identity. Then, jot down descriptive words underneath in each column—whatever comes to you. These words may invoke people and experiences you had with them, feelings, moments of growth, lessons learned, values developed, etc. Now, narrow in on the idea that offers the richest material and that corresponds fully with the prompt.

Lastly, write! You’ll definitely want to describe real moments, in vivid detail. This will keep your essay original, and help you avoid cliché. However, you’ll need to summarize the experience and answer the prompt succinctly, so don’t stray too far into storytelling mode.

How To Adapt Your Community Essay

Once your first essay is complete, you’ll need to adapt it to the other colleges involving community essays on your list. Again, you’ll want to turn to the prompt for a close reading, and recognize what makes this prompt different from the last. For example, let’s say you’ve written your essay for UW about belonging to your swim team, and how the sports dynamics shaped you. Adapting that essay to Brown’s prompt could involve more of a focus on place. You may ask yourself, how was my swim team in Alaska different than the swim teams we competed against in other states?

Once you’ve adapted the content, you’ll also want to adapt the wording to mimic the prompt. For example, let’s say your UW essay states, “Thinking back to my years in the pool…” As you adapt this essay to Brown’s prompt, you may notice that Brown uses the word “reflection.” Therefore, you might change this sentence to “Reflecting back on my years in the pool…” While this change is minute, it cleverly signals to the reader that you’ve paid attention to the prompt, and are giving that school your full attention.

What to Avoid When Writing the Community Essay  

• Avoid cliché. Some students worry that their idea is cliché, or worse, that their background or identity is cliché. However, what makes an essay cliché is not the content, but the way the content is conveyed. This is where your voice and your descriptions become essential.
• Avoid giving too many examples. Stick to one community, and one or two anecdotes arising from that community that allow you to answer the prompt fully.
• Don’t exaggerate or twist facts. Sometimes students feel they must make themselves sound more “diverse” than they feel they are. Luckily, diversity is not a feeling. Likewise, diversity does not simply refer to one’s heritage. If the prompt is asking about your identity or background, you can show the originality of your experiences through your actions and your thinking.

Community Essay Examples and Analysis

Brown university community essay example.

I used to hate the NYC subway. I’ve taken it since I was six, going up and down Manhattan, to and from school. By high school, it was a daily nightmare. Spending so much time underground, underneath fluorescent lighting, squashed inside a rickety, rocking train car among strangers, some of whom wanted to talk about conspiracy theories, others who had bedbugs or B.O., or who manspread across two seats, or bickered—it wore me out. The challenge of going anywhere seemed absurd. I dreaded the claustrophobia and disgruntlement.

Yet the subway also inspired my understanding of community. I will never forget the morning I saw a man, several seats away, slide out of his seat and hit the floor. The thump shocked everyone to attention. What we noticed: he appeared drunk, possibly homeless. I was digesting this when a second man got up and, through a sort of awkward embrace, heaved the first man back into his seat. The rest of us had stuck to subway social codes: don’t step out of line. Yet this second man’s silent actions spoke loudly. They said, “I care.”

That day I realized I belong to a group of strangers. What holds us together is our transience, our vulnerabilities, and a willingness to assist. This community is not perfect but one in motion, a perpetual work-in-progress. Now I make it my aim to hold others up. I plan to contribute to the Brown community by helping fellow students and strangers in moments of precariousness.    

Brown University Community Essay Example Analysis

Here the student finds an original way to write about where they come from. The subway is not their home, yet it remains integral to ideas of belonging. The student shows how a community can be built between strangers, in their responsibility toward each other. The student succeeds at incorporating key words from the prompt (“challenge,” “inspired” “Brown community,” “contribute”) into their community essay.

UW Community Essay Example

I grew up in Hawaii, a world bound by water and rich in diversity. In school we learned that this sacred land was invaded, first by Captain Cook, then by missionaries, whalers, traders, plantation owners, and the U.S. government. My parents became part of this problematic takeover when they moved here in the 90s. The first community we knew was our church congregation. At the beginning of mass, we shook hands with our neighbors. We held hands again when we sang the Lord’s Prayer. I didn’t realize our church wasn’t “normal” until our diocese was informed that we had to stop dancing hula and singing Hawaiian hymns. The order came from the Pope himself.

Eventually, I lost faith in God and organized institutions. I thought the banning of hula—an ancient and pure form of expression—seemed medieval, ignorant, and unfair, given that the Hawaiian religion had already been stamped out. I felt a lack of community and a distrust for any place in which I might find one. As a postcolonial inhabitant, I could never belong to the Hawaiian culture, no matter how much I valued it. Then, I was shocked to learn that Queen Ka’ahumanu herself had eliminated the Kapu system, a strict code of conduct in which women were inferior to men. Next went the Hawaiian religion. Queen Ka’ahumanu burned all the temples before turning to Christianity, hoping this religion would offer better opportunities for her people.

Community Essay (Continued)

I’m not sure what to make of this history. Should I view Queen Ka’ahumanu as a feminist hero, or another failure in her islands’ tragedy? Nothing is black and white about her story, but she did what she thought was beneficial to her people, regardless of tradition. From her story, I’ve learned to accept complexity. I can disagree with institutionalized religion while still believing in my neighbors. I am a product of this place and their presence. At UW, I plan to add to campus diversity through my experience, knowing that diversity comes with contradictions and complications, all of which should be approached with an open and informed mind.

UW Community Essay Example Analysis

This student also manages to weave in words from the prompt (“family,” “community,” “world,” “product of it,” “add to the diversity,” etc.). Moreover, the student picks one of the examples of community mentioned in the prompt, (namely, a religious group,) and deepens their answer by addressing the complexity inherent in the community they’ve been involved in. While the student displays an inner turmoil about their identity and participation, they find a way to show how they’d contribute to an open-minded campus through their values and intellectual rigor.

What’s Next

For more on supplemental essays and essay writing guides, check out the following articles:

• How to Write the Why This Major Essay + Example
• How to Write the Overcoming Challenges Essay + Example
• How to Start a College Essay – 12 Techniques and Tips
• College Essay

Kaylen Baker

With a BA in Literary Studies from Middlebury College, an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Translation from Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Kaylen has been working with students on their writing for over five years. Previously, Kaylen taught a fiction course for high school students as part of Columbia Artists/Teachers, and served as an English Language Assistant for the French National Department of Education. Kaylen is an experienced writer/translator whose work has been featured in Los Angeles Review, Hybrid, San Francisco Bay Guardian, France Today, and Honolulu Weekly, among others.

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10 Community Problems and 10 Solutions

We present here 10 community problems and 10 solutions. They cover food, energy, housing, social, education, economics, transportation, and more.

We all live and interact in communities of various sizes. Our towns and cities are the communities most people think of, but we also work in communities, go to school and/or take our kids to schools that have their own community structures, and we usually belong to various social and recreational communities too. As a person and parent living on this planet of finite resources, I’m very focused on solutions and approaches that make our communities more sustainable. As the Director of the One Community Global nonprofit , I’m also interested in community solutions that can be applied globally.

With this in mind, here are 10 common community problems and 10 solutions. If you’d like information on how One Community is integrating these into ultra-sustainable communities that will function as self-sufficient and self-replicating teacher/demonstration hubs , click the related icons.

FOOD SOLUTIONS

Large-scale applications for global change.

Duplicable food infrastructure designed to produce food that is grown on-site. Food grown this way will be fresher and can be produced without pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. In addition, it will be more diverse than what people find in the grocery store because it is grown as part of our open source botanical garden model .

ENERGY SOLUTIONS

Duplicable energy infrastructure including solar , wind , and hydro to help people eliminate their power bills and be a source of revenue for those still connected to the grid. Also, built to evolve and grow with the evolution and expansion of new technologies too.

HOUSING SOLUTIONS

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EDUCATION SOLUTIONS

Duplicable education models designed for all ages, built to exceed traditional educational standards, and modifiable for application in a homeschooling environment, a traditional schooling environment, or for use as a complete community-based private schooling program.

SOCIAL/RECREATIONAL SOLUTIONS

Duplicable social architecture and recreation models built within “ True Community ” and designed to provide a more enriching and fulfilling living experience . All on-site, freely available, and providing more activity diversity than most metropolitan areas.

SUSTAINABLE ECONOMICS

Duplicable for-profit and non-profit business infrastructure that prioritizes cooperation and collaboration over competition. Resource based economy application and a model for sharing it globally .

STEWARDSHIP SOLUTIONS

Duplicable “Highest Good” approaches to all aspects of life . This includes community and individually applicable lifestyle considerations and small and large-scale recycling, reuse, and repurposing options for all areas: paper , plastic , glass , polystyrene/styrofoam , clothing/cloth , food and other perishable items , and even non-recyclables .

TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS

Transportation is another common community challenge. It includes cost of ownership and maintenance, parking and other space needs, and vehicle contributions to the climate crisis. Co-ownership, ride sharing, alternative transportation (bike, scooter, moped, etc.), and public transportation are all common solutions to this. The larger the community participating, the more effective and convenient these solutions all are.

DIY duplicable housing infrastructure designed to demonstrate community and localized living with almost everything a person needs or would want within walking distance. Models like these will eliminate the need for regular car use, but everyone will still have access to a car anytime they need or want one.

VALUES DIFFERENCES

Values differences are arguably the most destructive community challenge. Religion, politics, lifestyle preferences, dietary preferences, how to raise kids, pets, etc. can all be areas where people passionately differ in their opinions and perspectives. If unresolvable conflicts are arising, your values differences may not be sustainable. One way to address this is to choose to focus on the areas you agree. A second way is to be more transparent with your values and primarily build community with others who share them.

Duplicable and adaptable values structures based on compassion, kindness, and what we call living and creating for “ The Highest Good of All .”

GLOBAL IMPLEMENTATION

Almost everyone can look at the list above and see something they would like to implement but find really challenging. Some would even like to implement all of these ideas, but how? Local, national, and global communities are the answer. Groups of people will find it easier to implement these solutions, even the individual ones. Find a group or start one, there are so many resources out there and every action makes a difference. The bigger the community, the bigger the difference.

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Blog > Essay Advice , Supplementals > How to Write a Community Supplemental Essay (with Examples)

How to Write a Community Supplemental Essay (with Examples)

Admissions officer reviewed by Ben Bousquet, M.Ed Former Vanderbilt University

Written by Kylie Kistner, MA Former Willamette University Admissions

Key Takeaway

If you're applying to college, there's a good chance you'll be writing a Community Essay for one (or lots) of your supplementals. In this post, we show you how to write one that stands out.

This post is one in a series of posts about the supplemental essays . You can read our core “how-to” supplemental post here .

When schools admit you, they aren’t just admitting you to be a student. They’re also admitting you to be a community member.

Community supplemental essays help universities understand how you would fit into their school community. At their core, Community prompts allow you to explicitly show an admissions officer why you would be the perfect addition to the school’s community.

Let’s get into what a Community supplemental essay is, what strategies you can use to stand out, and which steps you can take to write the best one possible.

What is a Community supplemental essay?

Community supplemental essay prompts come in a number of forms. Some ask you to talk about a community you already belong to, while others ask you to expand on how you would contribute to the school you’re applying to.

Let’s look at a couple of examples.

1: Rice University

Rice is lauded for creating a collaborative atmosphere that enhances the quality of life for all members of our campus community. The Residential College System and undergraduate life is heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural tradition each student brings. What life perspectives would you contribute to the Rice community? 500 word limit.

2: Swarthmore College

Swarthmore students’ worldviews are often forged by their prior experiences and exposure to ideas and values. Our students are often mentored, supported, and developed by their immediate context—in their neighborhoods, communities of faith, families, and classrooms. Reflect on what elements of your home, school, or community have shaped you or positively impacted you. How have you grown or changed because of the influence of your community?

Community Essay Strategy

Your Community essay strategy will likely depend on the kind of Community essay you’re asked to write. As with all supplemental essays, the goal of any community essay should be to write about the strengths that make you a good fit for the school in question.

How to write about a community to which you belong

Most Community essay prompts give you a lot of flexibility in how you define “community.” That means that the community you write about probably isn’t limited to the more formal communities you’re part of like family or school. Your communities can also include friend groups, athletic teams, clubs and organizations, online communities, and more.

There are two things you should consider before you even begin writing your essay.

What school values is the prompt looking for?

Whether they’re listed implicitly or explicitly, Community essay prompts often include values that you can align your essay response with.

To explain, let’s look at this short supplemental prompt from the University of Notre Dame:

If you were given unlimited resources to help solve one problem in your community, what would it be and how would you accomplish it?

Now, this prompt doesn’t outright say anything about values. But the question itself, even being so short, implies a few values:

a) That you should be active in your community

b) That you should be aware of your community’s problems

c) That you know how to problem-solve

d) That you’re able to collaborate with your community

After dissecting the prompt for these values, you can write a Community essay that showcases how you align with them.

What else are admissions officers learning about you through the community you choose?

In addition to showing what a good community member you are, your Community supplemental essays can also let you talk about other parts of your experience. Doing so can help you find the perfect narrative balance among all your essays.

Let’s use a quick example.

If I’m a student applying to computer science programs, then I might choose to write about the community I’ve found in my robotics team. More specifically, I might write about my role as cheerleader and principle problem-solver of my robotics team. Writing about my robotics team allows me to do two things:

Show that I’m a really supportive person in my community, and

Show that I’m on a robotics team that means a lot to me.

Now, it’s important not to co-opt your Community essay and turn it into a secret Extracurricular essay , but it’s important to be thinking about all the information an admissions officer will learn about you based on the community you choose to focus on.

How to write about what you’ll contribute to your new community

The other segment of Community essays are those that ask you to reflect on how your specific experiences will contribute to your new community.

It’s important that you read each prompt carefully so you know what to focus your essay on.

These kinds of Community prompts let you explicitly drive home why you belong at the school you’re applying to.

Here are two suggestions to get you started.

Draw out the values.

This kind of Community prompt also typically contains some kind of reference to values. The Rice prompt is a perfect example of this:

Rice is lauded for creating a collaborative atmosphere that enhances the quality of life for all members of our campus community . The Residential College System and undergraduate life is heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural tradition each student brings. What life perspectives would you contribute to the Rice community? 500 word limit.

There are several values here:

a) Collaboration

b) Enhancing quality of life

c) For all members of the community

d) Residential system (AKA not just in the classroom)

e) Sharing unique life experiences and cultural traditions with other students

Note that the actual question of the prompt is “What life perspectives would you contribute to the Rice community?” If you skimmed the beginning of the prompt to get to the question, you’d miss all these juicy details about what a Rice student looks like.

But with them in mind, you can choose to write about a life perspective that you hold that aligns with these five values.

Find detailed connections to the school.

Since these kinds of Community prompts ask you what you would contribute to the school community, this is your chance to find the most logical and specific connections you can. Browse the school website and social media to find groups, clubs, activities, communities, or support systems that are related to your personal background and experiences. When appropriate based on the prompt, these kinds of connections can help you show how good a fit you are for the school and community.

How to do Community Essay school research

Looking at school values means doing research on the school’s motto, mission statement, and strategic plans. This information is all carefully curated by a university to reflect the core values, initiatives, and goals of an institution. They can guide your Community essay by giving you more values options to include.

We’ll use the Rice mission statement as an example. It says,

As a leading research university with a distinctive commitment to undergraduate education, Rice University aspires to pathbreaking research , unsurpassed teaching , and contribution to the betterment of our world . It seeks to fulfill this mission by cultivating a diverse community of learning and discovery that produces leaders across the spectrum of human endeavor.

I’ve bolded just a few of the most important values we can draw out.

As we’ll see in the next section, I can use these values to brainstorm my Community essay.

How to write a Community Supplemental Essay

Step 1: Read the prompt closely & identify any relevant values.

When writing any supplemental essay, your first step should always be to closely read the prompt. You can even annotate it. It’s important to do this so you know exactly what is being asked of you.

With Community essays specifically, you can also highlight any values you think the prompt is asking you to elaborate on.

Keeping track of the prompt will make sure that you’re not missing anything an admissions officer will be on the lookout for.

Step 2: Brainstorm communities you’re involved in.

If you’re writing a Community essay that asks you to discuss a community you belong to, then your next step will be brainstorming all of your options.

As you brainstorm, keep a running list. Your list can include all kinds of communities you’re involved in.

Communities:

• Model United Nations
• Youth group
• Instagram book club
• My Discord group

Step 3: Think about the role(s) you play in your selected community.

Narrow down your community list to a couple of options. For each remaining option, identify the roles you played, actions you took, and significance you’ve drawn from being part of that group.

Community: Orchestra

These three columns help you get at the most important details you need to include in your community essay.

Step 4: Identify any relevant connections to the school.

Depending on the question the prompt asks of you, your last step may be to do some school research.

Let’s return to the Rice example.

After researching the Rice mission statement, we know that Rice values community members who want to contribute to the “betterment of our world.”

Ah ha! Now we have something solid to work from.

With this value in mind, I can choose to write about a perspective that shows my investment in creating a better world. Maybe that perspective is a specific kind of fundraising tenacity. Maybe it’s always looking for those small improvements that have a big impact. Maybe it’s some combination of both. Whatever it is, I can write a supplemental essay that reflects the values of the university.

Community Essay Mistakes

While writing Community essays may seem fairly straightforward, there are actually a number of ways they can go awry. Specifically, there are three common mistakes students make that you should be on the lookout for.

They don’t address the specific requests of the prompt.

As with all supplemental essays, your Community essay needs to address what the prompt is asking you to do. In Community essays especially, you’ll need to assess whether you’re being asked to talk about a community you’re already part of or the community you hope to join.

Neglecting to read the prompt also means neglecting any help the prompt gives you in terms of values. Remember that you can get clues as to what the school is looking for by analyzing the prompt’s underlying values.

They’re too vague.

Community essays can also go awry when they’re too vague. Your Community essay should reflect on specific, concrete details about your experience. This is especially the case when a Community prompt asks you to talk about a specific moment, challenge, or sequence of events.

Don’t shy away from details. Instead, use them to tell a compelling story.

They don’t make any connections to the school.

Finally, Community essays that don’t make any connections to the school in question miss out on a valuable opportunity to show school fit. Recall from our supplemental essay guide that you should always write supplemental essays with an eye toward showing how well you fit into a particular community.

Community essays are the perfect chance to do that, so try to find relevant and logical school connections to include.

Community Supplemental Essay Example

Example essay: robotics community.

University of Michigan: Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (Required for all applicants; minimum 100 words/maximum 300 words)

From Blendtec’s “Will it Blend?” videos to ZirconTV’s “How to Use a Stud Finder,” I’m a YouTube how-to fiend. This propensity for fix-it knowledge has not only served me well, but it’s also been a lifesaver for my favorite community: my robotics team(( The writer explicitly states the community they’ll be focusing on.)) . While some students spend their after-school hours playing sports or video games, I spend mine tinkering in my garage with three friends, one of whom is made of metal.

Last year, I Googled more fixes than I can count. Faulty wires, misaligned soldering, and failed code were no match for me. My friends watched in awe as I used Boolean Operators to find exactly the information I sought.(( The writer clearly articulates their place in the community.)) But as I agonized over chassis reviews, other unsearchable problems arose.

First((This entire paragraph fulfills the “describe that community” direction in the prompt.)) , there was the matter of registering for our first robotics competition. None of us familiar with bureaucracy, David stepped up and made some calls. His maturity and social skills helped us immediately land a spot. The next issue was branding. Our robot needed a name and a logo, and Connor took it upon himself to learn graphic design. We all voted on Archie’s name and logo design to find the perfect match. And finally, someone needed to enter the ring. Archie took it from there, winning us first place.

The best part about being in this robotics community is the collaboration and exchange of knowledge.((The writer emphasizes a clear strength: collaboration within their community. It’s clear that the writer values all contributions to the team.))  Although I can figure out how to fix anything, it’s impossible to google social skills, creativity, or courage. For that information, only friends will do. I can only imagine the fixes I’ll bring to the University of Michigan and the skills I’ll learn in return at part of the Manufacturing Robotics community((The writer ends with a forward-looking connection to the school in question.)) .

Want to see even more supplemental essay examples? Check out our college essay examples post . 

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Essays on Community

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Policy Changes for The Social Work Shared Case

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• Social Justice
• Discourse Community
• Self Identity
• Personal Identity
• Citizenship
• Social Norms
• Social Mobility
• Social Cohesion
• The Perils of Indifference

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Regions & Countries

4. views of problems facing urban, suburban and rural communities.

In urban and rural communities alike, about half see drug addiction as a top-tier problem: 50% and 46%, respectively, say this is a major problem in their local community. A smaller but substantial share of adults living in suburban areas (35%) say drug addiction is a major problem where they live.

There is more concern about affordable housing, poverty, crime and the quality of public schools among urban residents than there is among their suburban and rural counterparts. For example, 52% of adults living in urban areas say the availability of affordable housing is a major problem in their local community, compared with 34% in the suburbs and 36% in rural areas. Similarly, urban residents are about twice as likely as those living in the suburbs to say crime is a major problem where they live (35% vs. 16%). One-in-five rural residents say crime is a major problem in their community.

Some problems stand out as being particularly acute in rural areas. Rural residents are significantly more likely than those living in urban or suburban areas to say the availability of jobs: 42% of rural residents say this is a major problem in their community, compared with 34% of urban and 22% of suburban residents. Rural residents are also significantly more likely to say access to public transportation is a major problem where they live.

While relatively few adults across community types say access to good doctors and hospitals, high-speed internet and grocery stores are major problems where they live, significant shares say each is at least a minor problem. Rural residents stand out in each case. When it comes to access to health care, two-thirds of rural residents say this is either a major or minor problem where they live. By comparison, roughly the same share of suburbanites (64%) say this is not a problem where they live. Similarly, while 58% of adults in rural areas say access to high-speed internet is a problem for them – including 24% who say it is a major problem – smaller shares of urban (43%) and suburban (36%) residents say this is a problem where they live. Suburban residents are significantly less likely than their urban or rural counterparts to characterize access to grocery stores as a problem in their community. Only 20% do, compared with 33% of those in urban areas and 43% in rural areas.

Concern over racism is roughly comparable in urban and rural communities – 21% of urban residents and 17% of rural residents say this is a major problem. A slightly smaller share (13%) say this is a major problem in the suburbs.

The condition of roads, bridges and other infrastructure is a major problem for 36% of urban, 27% of suburban and 32% of rural residents. Traffic, on the other hand, is a much bigger problem for those living in cities (36% say this is a major problem) or suburbs (29%) than it is for adults living in a rural area (13%).

Sharp socio-economic divide on concerns about drug addiction

Across community types, majorities of Americans say drug addiction is a problem in their community. Overall, 42% say this is a major problem and an additional 45% say it is a minor problem.

Similarly, those who describe themselves as upper class express less concern about drug addiction than do those who describe themselves as middle or lower class. In fact, fully 50% of lower-class adults say drug addiction is a major problem where they live. These gaps hold up – for the most part – across community types, although the class differences are not evident among rural residents.

Rural residents more likely to say availability of jobs is a major problem where they live

This gap can be seen across community types, with significantly larger shares of nonwhites voicing concern about the availability of jobs where they live. In rural areas, where a higher share overall says jobs are a problem, 53% of nonwhites and 38% of whites characterize this as a major problem.

Views on the availability of jobs differ by educational attainment and income as well. Overall, 22% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or more education say this is a major problem in their local community, compared with 35% of those with some college or less education. Similarly, adults with annual household incomes of less than $30,000 are about twice as likely as those with incomes of $75,000 or higher to say the availability of jobs is a major problem in their community (43% vs. 20%). These patterns are consistent among urban, suburban and rural residents.

Among suburban and rural residents who say the availability of jobs is a major problem in their community, relatively few are optimistic that things will improve over the next decade – 20% of those living in rural areas and 21% of suburbanites.

Wide racial gaps on a range of community problems

There are also socio-economic divides on several of these problems. When it comes to poverty, crime and infrastructure, as well as access to quality medical care, high-speed internet, and grocery stores, adults with less than a four-year college degree are significantly more likely than college graduates to express high levels of concern. For example, 32% of adults without a bachelor’s degree say poverty is a major problem where they live, compared with 24% of those who have a four-year college degree or more. Similarly, while about one-in-five adults without a four-year college degree (17%) say access to high-speed internet is a major problem in their community, only 8% of college graduates say the same.

The educational divides in views about these local problems are less consistent than the racial divides across community types. On views about crime and access to doctors, less educated adults express higher levels of concern than those with a bachelor’s or higher degree in urban, suburban and rural areas.

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Young adults in the u.s. are less likely than those in most of europe to live in their parents’ home, a majority of young adults in the u.s. live with their parents for the first time since the great depression, as millennials near 40, they’re approaching family life differently than previous generations, as family structures change in u.s., a growing share of americans say it makes no difference, with billions confined to their homes worldwide, which living arrangements are most common, most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

Essay On Social Issues

500 words essay on social issues.

Social Issues is an undesirable state which opposes society or a certain part of society. It refers to an unwanted situation that frequently results in problems and continues to harm society . Social issues can cause a lot of problems that can be beyond the control of just one person. Through an essay on social issues, we will learn why they are harmful and what types of social issues we face.

Drawbacks of Social Issues

Social issues have a lot of drawbacks that harms our society. They are situations that have an adverse and damaging result on our society. They arise when the public leaves nature or society from an ideal situation.

If you look closely, you will realize that almost all types of social issues have common origins. In the sense that they all are interconnected somehow. Meaning to say, if one solves the other one is also most likely to resolve.

Social issues have a massive lousy effect on our society and ultimately, it affects all of us. In order to solve some social issues, we need a common approach. No society is free from social issues, almost every one of them has some social issue or the other.

For instance, in India, you will find a lot of social issues which the country is facing. It ranges from the caste system to child labour and gender inequality to religious conflicts. Thus, we are going through a critical time where we all must come together to free our society from undesirable social evils.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Major Social Issues

There are a lot of social issues we are facing right now, some more prominent than the others. First of all, poverty is a worldwide issue. It gives birth to a lot of other social issues which we must try to get away with at the earliest.

Further, countries like India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and more are facing the issue of the caste system since times unknown. It results in a lot of caste violence and inequality which takes the lives of many on a daily basis.

Moreover, child labour is another major social issue that damages the lives of young children. Similarly, illiteracy also ruins the lives of many by destroying their chances of a bright future.

In developing countries mostly, child marriage still exists and is responsible for ruining many lives. Similarly, dowry is a very serious and common social issue that almost all classes of people partake in.

Another prominent social issue is gender inequality which takes away many opportunities from deserving people. Domestic violence especially against women is a serious social issue we must all fight against.

Other social issues include starvation, child sex abuse, religious conflicts, child trafficking, terrorism , overpopulation, untouchability, communalism and many more. It is high time we end these social issues.

Conclusion of the Essay on Social Issues

A society can successfully end social issues if they become adamant. These social issues act as a barrier to the progress of society. Thus, we must all come together to fight against them and put them to an end for the greater good.

FAQ on Essay on Social Issues

Question 1: What is the meaning of social problem?

Answer 1: A social problem refers to any condition or behaviour which has a negative impact on a large number of people. It is normally recognized as a condition or behaviour that needs to be addressed.

Question 2: What are the effects of social issues?

Answer 2: Social issues affect our society adversely. Most importantly, it disturbs the harmony of society and gives rise to hostility and suspicion. Moreover, it creates large-scale social dissatisfaction, suffering and misery.

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Community Problem

Till recently, the community I live in was primarily a residential,

middle class neighborhood that enjoyed a feeling of peace and security in

what was seen as a safe district. Today, that same community is

increasingly worried about a growing problem of juvenile delinquency caused

by the commercial and low cost residential developments in next-door areas.

While the community is concerned about juvenile delinquency leading to a

higher crime rate, there is also worry over negative influences impacting

younger members given the inevitable intermingling of children in schools

The signs of juvenile delinquency first manifested itself in the

appearance of graffiti in what was earlier a green, pristinely clean

neighborhood; the seemingly aimless loitering of congregations of youth

(youth gangs) at street corners, in malls and parks; and stray incidents of

reported burglaries. At first, the tendency was to ignore the signs of

change but when the frequency of such incidents began rising, disturbing

the historically safe and peaceful pattern of community life, the community

collectively began to perceive that it was faced with the problem of

juvenile delinquency. In fact, it would be of interest to note that though

there is no official definition, the situation nevertheless meets three out

of the six criteria that are commonly used to identify a community problem:

frequency; duration; scope or range; disruption of personal or community

life; deprivation of legal and moral rights; and problem perception

Having said that, while there was enough tangible evidence to define

loss of safety as a community problem, there was reason to doubt the

veracity of the worry over younger community members getting negatively

impacted by the juvenile delinquents in district schools and surrounding

neighborhoods. However, here too, scholarly literature on the subject

indicated that the grounds for such concerns are unfortunately all too

real: 'aˆone must understand the pre-delinquent, as well as the

delinquentaˆdelinquency is merely one of a wide variety of youthful

maladjustmentsaˆchild's becoming a delinquent is largely determined

byaˆcommunity practice.' (Bloch & Flynn, 16)

To date, any community effort to solve the problem has been in the

area of police complaints, setting up of neighborhood watches and advising

children to stay away from kids not from the immediate vicinity. While, no

doubt, the need to protect the community from crime is of undeniable

importance, the fact of the matter is that neither police nor watch dog

patrols are going to solve the core problem. If anything, such measures are

only likely to cause resentment and a further widening of the gap between

different branches of a growing community. In other words, the first step

to a long-term solution is to accept that the definition of the community

has now changed and has expanded to include the newcomers.

Secondly, any solution needs to take cognizance of the fact that the

social and behavioral sciences have clearly established that community

problems focused on people creating the problems as the root cause only

leads to victim-blaming and less to effective solutions. Advances in the

fields of human and community development have also further revealed that

the only effective approach to achieving commonly shared goals lies in

changing the behavior of entire populations and thereby building a healthy

Leading from the aforesaid, it is evident that part of the solution

lies in recognizing that the new families in the expanded neighborhood

will, without doubt, share some goals common to humanity and society at

large. This, in turn, will lead to a deeper understanding of the problems

of the figurative other group,' from which will emerge 'effective

collaborative partnershipsaˆbringing about community changeaˆdefined as those

that are new or have been modifiedaˆafter school activitiesaˆpoliciesaˆfamily-

friendly policies in businesses; and practicesaˆincreased opportunities for

academic achievementaˆrelate to community determined goals.' (Bremby &

Key to the success of any overall community effort then is an

understanding of the above as well as an understanding of the adolescent

need for social autonomy yet a sense of relatedness to the adult world.

This last was identified as an important factor in the documented success

of the Teen Outreach program in reducing teenage pregnancies, drop out

rates and school failures (Allen et al.).

Naturally, any solution to the problem of juvenile delinquency will

involve multiple approaches and processes, the details of which cannot be

described here owing to limitations of space. However, an overall framework

to the solution i.e. prevention of juvenile delinquency would be: the sum

total of all activities that contribute to healthy personalities in

children; the addressing of particular environmental conditions believed to

contribute to juvenile delinquency; and specific preventive services

provided to individual children or groups of children (Bloch & Flynn, 512).

In summation, the solution to this particular community problem lies in

Bibliography: Allen, Joseph P., et al. 'Programmatic prevention of adolescent problem behaviors: the role of autonomy, relatedness, and volunteer service in the teen outreach program.' American Journal of Community Psychology 22.5 (1994): 617+. Questia. 6 Oct. 2003 . 'Analyzing Community Problems: What is a community problem'' Contributed: Berkowitz, Bill. Ed. Rabinowitz, Phil. Community Tool Box. University of Kansas Web site. 6 Oct. 2003: http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/en/sub_section_main_1017.htm Bloch, Herbert A., and Frank T. Flynn. Delinquency: The Juvenile Offender in America Today. New York: Random House, 1956. Francisco, Vincent T., and Roderick Bremby. 'Promoting Community Change for Juvenile Justice: Collaborative Change and Community Partnerships.' Corrections Today Dec. 2001: 64+. Questia. 6 Oct. 2003 .

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How to Write the “Community” and “Issue” Yale Essays

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Hale Jaeger in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info. 

What’s Covered

The “community” essay: choosing a community, structuring the “community” essay, the “issue” essay: choosing your issue, issues to avoid, structuring the “issue” essay.

In this article, we discuss strategies for writing Yale University ’s “Community” and “Issue” supplemental essays. Applicants using the Common App or Coalition Application to apply to Yale are required to choose one of these two prompts and respond to it in 400 words or fewer. The first prompt is the “Issue” essay prompt, which reads:

Yale carries out its mission “through the free exchange of ideas in an ethical, interdependent, and diverse community.” Reflect on a time when you exchanged ideas about an important issue with someone holding an opposing view. How did the experience lead you either to change your opinion or to sharpen your reasons for holding onto it? (400 words)

The second prompt is the “Community” essay prompt:

Reflect on a time when you have worked to enhance a community to which you feel connected. Why have these efforts been meaningful to you? You may define community however you like. (400 words)

In this article, we discuss choosing topics for each of these essays and strategies to structure them.

The Yale “Community” essay prompt clearly states that you can define community however you wish, which means you can choose to write about any kind of community that you feel you are a member of. When considering potential communities, start by brainstorming any groups you are part of that have defined boundaries, such as your town, school, team, or religious organization.

There are also informal communities that you could choose from, such as your friend group, family, coworkers, or neighborhood. Even though these groups have less of a formal definition, they are still communities. What matters most is that the community that you choose is important to you, that you have contributed to it, and that you have learned something from it.

When structuring this essay, think about it in three sections. The first introduces the community, the second demonstrates your contributions to the community, and the third explains what the community has given and taught you. As you write, keep in mind that this essay is a two-way street; you want to show what you have given to your community and what it has given you.

Introduce the Community

The first step in writing this essay is to introduce the community. Explain who is part of the community and what the community is like. Highlight the community’s structure by demonstrating how you are part of it and how you interact with your peers, superiors, or inferiors within the group. It is also important to depict the community’s dynamic in this part of the essay. For example, is it fun, relaxed, and loving, or is it rigorous, challenging, and thought provoking? 

Show What You’ve Contributed

The next section of this essay should discuss your engagement with this community and what you’ve contributed to it. Consider what you’ve done, what initiatives you’ve brought to the community, and what your role is within it. You can also highlight anything that you had to give up to be part of the community.

Show What You’ve Learned

The last part of this essay should discuss what you have gained and learned from this community. For this portion, consider things that the community has given and taught you, as well as ways that it has helped you grow. Think about how this community has shaped who you are and who you are becoming.

The other prompt option is the “Issue” essay. The first step for this one is to define what your issue is. It doesn’t matter what you choose, as long as it’s something that has enough nuance for you to talk about it in a complex and intelligent way.

Make sure it’s an issue of some relevance to you; otherwise, it will come across as dispassionate. As you write this essay, you should show that you are somebody who cares about an issue that they think is significant. 

Grand Issues

When selecting an issue, you can either choose a grand one or a local one. Grand issues are big, unsolved problems that are common in society, such as cancer, homelessness, or food insecurity. If you do choose a grand issue, remind yourself of its personal importance. While grand issues are full of nuance, they may lack personal meaning. Examples of personal connections to grand issues could be if you have encountered homelessness, lived with food insecurity, or have lost someone to cancer.

Local Issues

Another topic option is to write about an issue that is local. For example, maybe your high school has a teaching staff that doesn’t represent the diversity of the student body. While this is not a global issue, it’s something that strongly affects you and your community. 

Perhaps you live in a town that is directly suffering from the opioid crisis, or you have divorced parents and have started an activist group for children of divorced parents. Both of these examples of local issues also have personal importance. 

When choosing a topic to write about, avoid issues that you don’t have any connection to and that aren’t personally important. These are often problems that are too grand and can’t be made personal, such as world peace. 

Another category of issues to avoid is anything that doesn’t align with Yale’s values. Yale, like most universities in the United States, generally has a liberal lean. As such, it is likely not in your best interest to write a strong defense of socially conservative values. While there are values that you are free to hold and express—and Yale welcomes people of all backgrounds and ideologies—this essay is not necessarily the best place to express them.

You are most likely applying to Yale because it’s a place that you want to be and have something in common with. This essay is a great opportunity to emphasize the values that you share with the university rather than the things that divide you. Since a reader only has five to seven minutes to go over your entire application, you don’t want them to come away with the sense that you are somebody who won’t thrive at Yale.

Define the Issue and Highlight Past Experiences

When writing the “Issue” essay, start by identifying the issue and sharing how you came across it. Then, provide insight into why it is meaningful to you and your relationship with it.

Next, show the reader how you have already engaged with the problem by detailing your past with the issue. 

Discuss Future Plans to Approach the Issue

After this, you can look forward and discuss your future with this issue. A great strategy is to write about how your Yale education will address the problem and how your field of study relates to it. You can also highlight any Yale-specific programs or opportunities that will give you insight or context for tackling the issue. 

Alternatively, if there is something about this issue that Yale’s academic flexibility will enable you to explore, you can share that in this part of the essay. For example, maybe you are interested in health policy and plan to take classes in the sciences. You also want to take classes in the history of health, science, and medicine, as well as political science and economics courses, which you plan to utilize to write new healthcare policies.

Another option is to focus on an aspect of Yale’s community, such as peers, professors, or mentors who will help develop your ability to navigate the issue. Ultimately, you want to demonstrate in this essay that what (and how) you learn at Yale will prepare you to take action and move forward with confronting your issue in the future.

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to write a great community service essay.

College Admissions , Extracurriculars

Are you applying to a college or a scholarship that requires a community service essay? Do you know how to write an essay that will impress readers and clearly show the impact your work had on yourself and others?

Read on to learn step-by-step instructions for writing a great community service essay that will help you stand out and be memorable.

What Is a Community Service Essay? Why Do You Need One?

A community service essay is an essay that describes the volunteer work you did and the impact it had on you and your community. Community service essays can vary widely depending on specific requirements listed in the application, but, in general, they describe the work you did, why you found the work important, and how it benefited people around you.

Community service essays are typically needed for two reasons:

#1: To Apply to College

• Some colleges require students to write community service essays as part of their application or to be eligible for certain scholarships.
• You may also choose to highlight your community service work in your personal statement.

#2: To Apply for Scholarships

• Some scholarships are specifically awarded to students with exceptional community service experiences, and many use community service essays to help choose scholarship recipients.
• Green Mountain College offers one of the most famous of these scholarships. Their "Make a Difference Scholarship" offers full tuition, room, and board to students who have demonstrated a significant, positive impact through their community service

Getting Started With Your Essay

In the following sections, I'll go over each step of how to plan and write your essay. I'll also include sample excerpts for you to look through so you can get a better idea of what readers are looking for when they review your essay.

Step 1: Know the Essay Requirements

Before your start writing a single word, you should be familiar with the essay prompt. Each college or scholarship will have different requirements for their essay, so make sure you read these carefully and understand them.

Specific things to pay attention to include:

• Length requirement
• Application deadline
• The main purpose or focus of the essay
• If the essay should follow a specific structure

Below are three real community service essay prompts. Read through them and notice how much they vary in terms of length, detail, and what information the writer should include.

From the Equitable Excellence Scholarship:

"Describe your outstanding achievement in depth and provide the specific planning, training, goals, and steps taken to make the accomplishment successful. Include details about your role and highlight leadership you provided. Your essay must be a minimum of 350 words but not more than 600 words."

From the Laura W. Bush Traveling Scholarship:

"Essay (up to 500 words, double spaced) explaining your interest in being considered for the award and how your proposed project reflects or is related to both UNESCO's mandate and U.S. interests in promoting peace by sharing advances in education, science, culture, and communications."

From the LULAC National Scholarship Fund:

"Please type or print an essay of 300 words (maximum) on how your academic studies will contribute to your personal & professional goals. In addition, please discuss any community service or extracurricular activities you have been involved in that relate to your goals."

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas

Even after you understand what the essay should be about, it can still be difficult to begin writing. Answer the following questions to help brainstorm essay ideas. You may be able to incorporate your answers into your essay.

• What community service activity that you've participated in has meant the most to you?
• What is your favorite memory from performing community service?
• Why did you decide to begin community service?
• What made you decide to volunteer where you did?
• How has your community service changed you?
• How has your community service helped others?
• How has your community service affected your plans for the future?

You don't need to answer all the questions, but if you find you have a lot of ideas for one of two of them, those may be things you want to include in your essay.

Writing Your Essay

How you structure your essay will depend on the requirements of the scholarship or school you are applying to. You may give an overview of all the work you did as a volunteer, or highlight a particularly memorable experience. You may focus on your personal growth or how your community benefited.

Regardless of the specific structure requested, follow the guidelines below to make sure your community service essay is memorable and clearly shows the impact of your work.

Samples of mediocre and excellent essays are included below to give you a better idea of how you should draft your own essay.

Step 1: Hook Your Reader In

You want the person reading your essay to be interested, so your first sentence should hook them in and entice them to read more. A good way to do this is to start in the middle of the action. Your first sentence could describe you helping build a house, releasing a rescued animal back to the wild, watching a student you tutored read a book on their own, or something else that quickly gets the reader interested. This will help set your essay apart and make it more memorable.

Compare these two opening sentences:

"I have volunteered at the Wishbone Pet Shelter for three years."

"The moment I saw the starving, mud-splattered puppy brought into the shelter with its tail between its legs, I knew I'd do whatever I could to save it."

The first sentence is a very general, bland statement. The majority of community service essays probably begin a lot like it, but it gives the reader little information and does nothing to draw them in. On the other hand, the second sentence begins immediately with action and helps persuade the reader to keep reading so they can learn what happened to the dog.

Step 2: Discuss the Work You Did

Once you've hooked your reader in with your first sentence, tell them about your community service experiences. State where you work, when you began working, how much time you've spent there, and what your main duties include. This will help the reader quickly put the rest of the essay in context and understand the basics of your community service work.

Not including basic details about your community service could leave your reader confused.

Step 3: Include Specific Details

It's the details of your community service that make your experience unique and memorable, so go into the specifics of what you did.

For example, don't just say you volunteered at a nursing home; talk about reading Mrs. Johnson her favorite book, watching Mr. Scott win at bingo, and seeing the residents play games with their grandchildren at the family day you organized. Try to include specific activities, moments, and people in your essay. Having details like these let the readers really understand what work you did and how it differs from other volunteer experiences.

Compare these two passages:

"For my volunteer work, I tutored children at a local elementary school. I helped them improve their math skills and become more confident students."

"As a volunteer at York Elementary School, I worked one-on-one with second and third graders who struggled with their math skills, particularly addition, subtraction, and fractions. As part of my work, I would create practice problems and quizzes and try to connect math to the students' interests. One of my favorite memories was when Sara, a student I had been working with for several weeks, told me that she enjoyed the math problems I had created about a girl buying and selling horses so much that she asked to help me create math problems for other students."

The first passage only gives basic information about the work done by the volunteer; there is very little detail included, and no evidence is given to support her claims. How did she help students improve their math skills? How did she know they were becoming more confident?

The second passage is much more detailed. It recounts a specific story and explains more fully what kind of work the volunteer did, as well as a specific instance of a student becoming more confident with her math skills. Providing more detail in your essay helps support your claims as well as make your essay more memorable and unique.

Step 4: Show Your Personality

It would be very hard to get a scholarship or place at a school if none of your readers felt like they knew much about you after finishing your essay, so make sure that your essay shows your personality. The way to do this is to state your personal strengths, then provide examples to support your claims. Take some time to think about which parts of your personality you would like your essay to highlight, then write about specific examples to show this.

• If you want to show that you're a motivated leader, describe a time when you organized an event or supervised other volunteers.
• If you want to show your teamwork skills, write about a time you helped a group of people work together better.
• If you want to show that you're a compassionate animal lover, write about taking care of neglected shelter animals and helping each of them find homes.

Step 5: State What You Accomplished

After you have described your community service and given specific examples of your work, you want to begin to wrap your essay up by stating your accomplishments. What was the impact of your community service? Did you build a house for a family to move into? Help students improve their reading skills? Clean up a local park? Make sure the impact of your work is clear; don't be worried about bragging here.

If you can include specific numbers, that will also strengthen your essay. Saying "I delivered meals to 24 home-bound senior citizens" is a stronger example than just saying "I delivered meals to lots of senior citizens."

Also be sure to explain why your work matters. Why is what you did important? Did it provide more parks for kids to play in? Help students get better grades? Give people medical care who would otherwise not have gotten it? This is an important part of your essay, so make sure to go into enough detail that your readers will know exactly what you accomplished and how it helped your community.

"My biggest accomplishment during my community service was helping to organize a family event at the retirement home. The children and grandchildren of many residents attended, and they all enjoyed playing games and watching movies together."

"The community service accomplishment that I'm most proud of is the work I did to help organize the First Annual Family Fun Day at the retirement home. My job was to design and organize fun activities that senior citizens and their younger relatives could enjoy. The event lasted eight hours and included ten different games, two performances, and a movie screening with popcorn. Almost 200 residents and family members attended throughout the day. This event was important because it provided an opportunity for senior citizens to connect with their family members in a way they aren't often able to. It also made the retirement home seem more fun and enjoyable to children, and we have seen an increase in the number of kids coming to visit their grandparents since the event."

The second passage is stronger for a variety of reasons. First, it goes into much more detail about the work the volunteer did. The first passage only states that she helped "organize a family event." That really doesn't tell readers much about her work or what her responsibilities were. The second passage is much clearer; her job was to "design and organize fun activities."

The second passage also explains the event in more depth. A family day can be many things; remember that your readers are likely not familiar with what you're talking about, so details help them get a clearer picture.

Lastly, the second passage makes the importance of the event clear: it helped residents connect with younger family members, and it helped retirement homes seem less intimidating to children, so now some residents see their grand kids more often.

Step 6: Discuss What You Learned

One of the final things to include in your essay should be the impact that your community service had on you. You can discuss skills you learned, such as carpentry, public speaking, animal care, or another skill.

You can also talk about how you changed personally. Are you more patient now? More understanding of others? Do you have a better idea of the type of career you want? Go into depth about this, but be honest. Don't say your community service changed your life if it didn't because trite statements won't impress readers.

In order to support your statements, provide more examples. If you say you're more patient now, how do you know this? Do you get less frustrated while playing with your younger siblings? Are you more willing to help group partners who are struggling with their part of the work? You've probably noticed by now that including specific examples and details is one of the best ways to create a strong and believable essay .

"As a result of my community service, I learned a lot about building houses and became a more mature person."

"As a result of my community service, I gained hands-on experience in construction. I learned how to read blueprints, use a hammer and nails, and begin constructing the foundation of a two-bedroom house. Working on the house could be challenging at times, but it taught me to appreciate the value of hard work and be more willing to pitch in when I see someone needs help. My dad has just started building a shed in our backyard, and I offered to help him with it because I know from my community service how much work it is. I also appreciate my own house more, and I know how lucky I am to have a roof over my head."

The second passage is more impressive and memorable because it describes the skills the writer learned in more detail and recounts a specific story that supports her claim that her community service changed her and made her more helpful.

Step 7: Finish Strong

Just as you started your essay in a way that would grab readers' attention, you want to finish your essay on a strong note as well. A good way to end your essay is to state again the impact your work had on you, your community, or both. Reiterate how you changed as a result of your community service, why you found the work important, or how it helped others.

Compare these two concluding statements:

"In conclusion, I learned a lot from my community service at my local museum, and I hope to keep volunteering and learning more about history."

"To conclude, volunteering at my city's American History Museum has been a great experience. By leading tours and participating in special events, I became better at public speaking and am now more comfortable starting conversations with people. In return, I was able to get more community members interested in history and our local museum. My interest in history has deepened, and I look forward to studying the subject in college and hopefully continuing my volunteer work at my university's own museum."

The second passage takes each point made in the first passage and expands upon it. In a few sentences, the second passage is able to clearly convey what work the volunteer did, how she changed, and how her volunteer work benefited her community.

The author of the second passage also ends her essay discussing her future and how she'd like to continue her community service, which is a good way to wrap things up because it shows your readers that you are committed to community service for the long-term.

What's Next?

Are you applying to a community service scholarship or thinking about it? We have a complete list of all the community service scholarships available to help get your search started!

Do you need a community service letter as well? We have a step-by-step guide that will tell you how to get a great reference letter from your community service supervisor.

Thinking about doing community service abroad? Before you sign up, read our guide on some of the hazards of international volunteer trips and how to know if it's the right choice for you.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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• Table of Contents
• Troubleshooting Guide
• A Model for Getting Started
• Justice Action Toolkit
• Best Change Processes
• Databases of Best Practices
• Online Courses
• Ask an Advisor
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• About the Tool Box
• How to Use the Tool Box
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• Online Training Courses
• Capacity Building Training
• Training Curriculum - Order Now
• Community Check Box Evaluation System
• Build Your Toolbox
• Facilitation of Community Processes
• Community Health Assessment and Planning
• Section 5. Analyzing Community Problems

Chapter 3 Sections

• Section 1. Developing a Plan for Assessing Local Needs and Resources
• Section 2. Understanding and Describing the Community
• Section 3. Conducting Public Forums and Listening Sessions
• Section 4. Collecting Information About the Problem
• Section 6. Conducting Focus Groups
• Section 7. Conducting Needs Assessment Surveys
• Section 8. Identifying Community Assets and Resources
• Section 9. Developing Baseline Measures
• Section 10. Conducting Concerns Surveys
• Section 11. Determining Service Utilization
• Section 12. Conducting Interviews
• Section 13. Conducting Surveys
• Section 14. SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
• Section 15. Qualitative Methods to Assess Community Issues
• Section 16. Geographic Information Systems: Tools for Community Mapping
• Section 17. Leading a Community Dialogue on Building a Healthy Community
• Section 18. Creating and Using Community Report Cards
• Section 19. Using Public Records and Archival Data
• Section 20. Implementing Photovoice in Your Community
• Section 21. Windshield and Walking Surveys
• Section 22. Using Small Area Analysis to Uncover Disparities
• Section 23. Developing and Using Criteria and Processes to Set Priorities
• Section 24. Arranging Assessments That Span Jurisdictions
• Main Section

Communities have problems, just like people

Problems are part of life. We all deal with individual problems, families have family issues, and communities have community problems. Communities must come together to solve their problems, just like families.

When communities try to solve problems, they start just like individuals do. They must reflect and analyze the issue to help come to a solution. But, before discussing solutions, problems must be identified.

So, after discussing a little bit about what problems look like, this section will explain what analyzing community problems is about, why it can be helpful, and then how to do it.

What is a community problem?

Problems can arise in any part of a community and come from any aspect of community life. There's a long list of nominees, and you probably know some of the main contenders. Can you name the leading problems in your community? Chances are you can at least start the list.

Below are examples of community problems:

Example Community Problems: Adolescent pregnancy, access to clean drinking water, child abuse and neglect, crime, domestic violence, drug use, pollution, mismanagement of resources, lack of funding for schools and services, ethnic conflict, health disparities, HIV/ AIDS, hunger, inadequate emergency services, inequality, jobs, lack of affordable housing, poverty,  transportation, violence, racism and police brutality.

What others would you add?

Rather than aim for a complete problem list, here are some criteria you may consider when identifying community problems:

• The problem occurs too frequently  (frequency )
• The problem has lasted for a while ( duration )
• The problem affects many people ( scope, or range )
• The problem is disrupting to personal or community life, and possibly intense ( severity )
• The problem deprives people of legal or moral rights ( equity )
• The issue is perceived as a problem ( perception )

This last criterion, perception, is an important one, and can also help indicate readiness for addressing the issue within the community.

What is seen as a problem can vary from place to place and group to group in the same community. Although there's no official definition of a community problem, the above examples and criteria above should help you begin to name and analyze community problems.

Why should I analyze a community problem?

Analyzing community problems is a way of thinking carefully about a problem or issue before acting on a solution. It first involves identifying reasons a problem exists and then, identifying possible solutions and a plan for improvement.

Example: The downtown area of a community is declining. Stores are closing, and moving out; no new stores are moving in. We want to revitalize that downtown. How should we do it?

Our thinking here is simple:

• We should start by analyzing why the decline is taking place, that is, why the problem is occurring. Without knowing causes, we cannot fix the problem. Jumping in and trying to fix it without analysis can cause a bigger problem and waste resources.
• An in-depth analysis will lead to better long-run solutions.

Starting with an analysis can help…

To better identify what the problem or issue is.

Kids gather on the street. Sometimes they drink, and sometimes, they get rowdy. What is the problem here? The drinking, the rowdiness, the gathering itself? Or, is it possible that kids have nowhere else to go and few positive alternatives for engagement? Before looking for solutions, you would want to clarify just what is the problem (or problems) here. Unless you are clear, it's hard to move forward.

Problems are usually symptoms of something else. What is that something? We should find out.

To determine the barriers and resources associated with addressing the problem.

It's good practice and planning to anticipate barriers and obstacles before they might arise. By doing so, you can mitigate them. Analyzing community problems can also help you understand the resources you need. The better equipped you are with the right resources and support, the higher your chances of success.

To develop the best action steps for addressing the problem.

Having a plan of action is always better than taking a few random shots at the problem. If you know where you are going, you are more likely to get there.

Having a deeper understanding of a problem before you start trying to solve it helps you cover all of your bases. There's nothing worse for member involvement and morale than beginning to work on a problem, and running up against lots of obstacles, especially when they are avoidable.

When you take a little time to examine a problem first, you can anticipate some of these obstacles before they come up, and give yourself and your members better odds of coming up with a successful solution.

When should I analyze a community problem?

Every community problem benefits from analysis. The only possible exception is when the problem is an immediate crisis that requires action at this very moment . And even then, reviews should be conducted after to help plan for the next crisis.

However, there are conditions when an analysis is especially critical:

• When the community problem is not defined clearly
• When little is known about the community problem or its possible consequences
• When you want to find causes that may improve the chance of successfully addressing the problem
• When people are jumping to conclusions and solutions much too soon
• When you need to find collaborative partners to help take action.

How should I analyze a community problem?

The ultimate goal is to understand the problem better and to deal with it more effectively, so the method you choose should accomplish that goal. We'll offer some step-by-step guidelines here and go over a couple of specific ways to determine the causes of the problem.

1. Justify the choice of the problem .

Apply the criteria we’ve listed above – frequency, duration, range, severity, equity, perception – as well as asking yourself whether your organization or another can address it effectively, in order to decide whether the problem is one that you should focus on.

Let’s take the problem we used as an example earlier: The percentage of overweight and obese children in the community has been steadily increasing, and now approaches 25%. Since we know that childhood obesity tends to lead to adult obesity, and that obesity and being overweight are linked to chronic conditions – diabetes, heart disease, stroke – this is a problem that needs to be addressed now. Our organization has the will and the ability to do it.

2. Frame the problem .

State the problem without implying a solution or blaming anyone , so that you can analyze it without any assumptions and build consensus around whatever solution you arrive at.  One way is to state it in terms of a lack of a positive behavior, condition, or other factor, or  the presence or size of a negative behavior, condition, or other factor.

There are too many children in the community who are overweight or obese. The problem is particularly serious among low-income families.

3. Identify whose behavior and/or what and how environmental factors need to change for the problem to begin to be solved.

This can be as straightforward as individuals changing their behavior from smoking to not smoking, or as complex as persuading legislators to change laws and policies (e.g., non-smoking ordinances) in order to change others’ behavior (smokers don’t smoke in buildings or enclosed spaces used by the public) in order to benefit yet another group by changing the environment (children are protected from secondhand smoke in public.)

All, and particularly low-income, children should have the opportunity and the motivation to eat more healthily and exercise more. Parents may need to change their children’s – and perhaps their own – diets, and schools may need to adjust their lunch programs and exercise schedules. In low-income neighborhoods, there needs to be greater access to healthy food and more safe places for children to play or participate in sports, both outdoors and indoors.

4. Analyze the root causes of the problem.

The real cause of a problem may not be immediately apparent.  It may be a function of a social or political system, or may be rooted in a behavior or situation that may at first glance seem unrelated to it. In order to find the underlying cause, you may have to use one or more analytical methods, including critical thinking and the “But Why?” technique .

Very briefly, the latter consists of stating the problem as you perceive it and asking “But why?” The next step is to answer that question as well as you can and then asking again, “But why?” By continuing this process until you get an answer that can’t be reduced further, you can often get to the underlying cause of the problem, which will tell you where to direct your efforts to solve it.

The difference between recognizing a problem and finding its root cause is similar to the difference between a doctor’s treating the symptoms of a disease and actually curing the disease. Once a disease is understood well enough to cure, it is often also understood well enough to prevent or eliminate. Similarly, once you understand the root causes of a community problem, you may be able not only to solve it, but to establish systems or policies that prevent its return.

There are too many children in the community who are overweight or obese . The problem is particularly serious among low-income families. (But why?) Because many low-income children don’t eat a healthy diet and don’t exercise enough. (But why?) Because their parents, in many cases, don’t have the knowledge of what a healthy diet consists of, and because, even if they did, they lack access in their neighborhoods to healthy foods – no supermarkets, produce markets, farmers’ markets, or restaurants serving healthy food – and therefore shop at convenience stores and eat out at fast food places. Kids don’t play outside because it’s too dangerous – gang activity and drug dealing make the street no place for children. (But why?) Parents may never have been exposed to information about healthy food – they simply don’t have the knowledge. Market owners view low-income neighborhoods as unprofitable and dangerous places to do business. The streets are dangerous because there are few job opportunities in the community, and young men turn to making money in any way possible. By this point, you should have a fair understanding of why kids don’t eat healthily or get enough exercise. As you continue to question, you may begin to think about advocacy with local officials for incentives to bring supermarkets to low-income neighborhoods, or for after-school programs that involve physical exercise, or for parent nutrition education or for anti-gang programs…or for all of these and other efforts besides. Or continued questioning may reveal deeper causes that you feel your organization can tackle.

5. Identify the restraining and driving forces that affect the problem .

This is called a force field analysis. It means looking at the restraining forces that act to keep the problem from changing (social structures, cultural traditions, ideology, politics, lack of knowledge, lack of access to healthy conditions, etc.) and the driving forces that push it toward change (dissatisfaction with the way things are, public opinion, policy change, ongoing public education efforts, existing alternatives to unhealthy or unacceptable activity or conditions, etc.) Consider how you can use your understanding of these forces in devising solutions to the problem.

Forces restraining change here include: The desirability and availability of junk food – kids like it because it tastes good (we’re programmed as a species to like fat, salt, and sugar), and you can get it on every corner in practically any neighborhood. The reluctance of supermarket chains to open stores in low-income neighborhoods. The domination of the streets by gangs and drug dealers. Some forces driving change might be : Parents’ concern about their children’s weight. Children’s desire to participate in sports or simply to be outdoors. Media stories about the problem of childhood obesity and its consequences for children, both now and in their later lives. A full force field analysis probably would include many more forces in each category.

6. Find any relationships that exist among the problem you’re concerned with and others in the community.

In analyzing root causes, you may have already completed this step. It may be that other problems stem from the same root cause, and that there are other organizations with whom you could partner. Understanding the relationships among community issues can be an important step toward resolving them.

We’ve already seen connections to lack of education, unemployment, lack of after-school programs, and gang violence and crime, among other issues. Other organizations may be working on one or more of these, and a collaboration might help both of you to reach your goals.

7. Identify personal factors that may contribute to the problem .

Whether the problem involves individual behavior or community conditions, each individual affected by it brings a whole collection of knowledge (some perhaps accurate, some perhaps not), beliefs, skills, education, background, experience, culture, and assumptions about the world and others, as well as biological and genetic traits. Any or all of these might contribute to the problem or to its solution…or both.

A few examples : Genetic predisposition for diabetes and other conditions. Lack of knowledge about healthy nutrition. Lack of knowledge/ skills for preparing healthy foods.

8. Identify environmental factors that may contribute to the problem.

Just as there are factors relating to individuals that may contribute to or help to solve the problem you’re concerned with, there are also factors within the community environment that may do the same. These might include the availability or lack of services, information, and other support; the degree of accessibility and barriers to, and opportunities for services, information, and other support; the social, financial, and other costs and benefits of change; and such overarching factors as poverty, living conditions, official policy, and economic conditions.

Sample environmental factors : Poverty Lack of employment and hope for young men in low-income neighborhoods Lack of availability of healthy food in low-income neighborhoods General availability – at school as well as elsewhere – of snack foods high in salt, sugar, and fat Constant media bombardment of advertising of unhealthy snacks, drinks, and fast food

9. Identify targets and agents of change for addressing the problem .

Whom should you focus your efforts on, and who has the power to improve the situation?  Often, these may be the same people. The best solution to a particular problem may be policy change of some sort, for instance, and the best route to that may be to mount an advocacy effort aimed at officials who can make it happen. People who are suffering from lack of skills or services may be the ones who can do the most to change their situation. In other cases, your targets may be people whose behavior or circumstances need to change, and you may want to recruit agents of change to work with you in your effort. The point of this step is to understand where and how to direct your work most effectively.

Targets of change might include : Parents of children in low-income neighborhoods (or all parents in the community) for education purposes The children themselves Elementary and middle school teachers School officials responsible for school food programs Executives and Public Relations officers of supermarket chains Gang members and youth at risk of becoming gang members A short list of potential agents of change : Parents of children in low-income neighborhoods (or all parents in the community) as controllers of their children’s diets The Superintendent of Schools, School Committee, and school administrators, as well as those directly responsible for school food programs Local public officials who could create incentives for markets to move into underserved neighborhoods Community Recreation Commissions, school officials, YMCAs, and other entities that might create safe outdoor and indoor physical activity programs for children Community hospitals, clinics, and private medical practices Public relations offices of national or regional fast food restaurant chains

With your analysis complete, you can develop a strategic plan that speaks to the real causes of the problem and focuses on those targets and/or agents of change that are most likely to contribute to improving the situation.

Going beyond the basics -- does analysis really work?

Try this analysis out with a current problem in your own community setting.

What do you conclude? We hope you'll find some value in analysis. We do know that when we have tried this method with real problems in our own communities, we have drawn some additional conclusions of our own, going beyond the basics:

• Analyzing community problems can be hard work . It takes real mental effort. We're not used to sitting down and thinking deeply about a problem. (We're too busy!)
• Real community problems are likely to be complex . Economic development may depend on the global economy, a force you can't have much effect on. You may have opposition, either from within the community itself, or from powerful forces trying to protect their own interests.
• When you go looking for reasons and underlying causes for significant problems, you are likely to find more than one . Several different reasons may be influencing the problem, in different amounts, all at the same time. It may not be an easy task to untangle all the reasons and their relative strengths, but it may be necessary in order to reach a solution.
• The problem may not only have more than one reason; it may have more than one solution too . Problems often call for multi-pronged solutions. That is, difficult problems often must be approached from more than one direction. So in revitalizing the downtown, you might want to (a) beautify the streets; (b) expand the staff of the chamber of commerce; (c) run sidewalk sales; (d) look for outside loans; and (e) recruit new businesses. These are all parts of the solution. Many different types of actions might be necessary for revitalization.

When analyzing real community problems, the analysis may show multiple reasons behind the problem. The analysis may not always be easy. The solution may be more difficult still.

But that's why problems are problems. Community problems exist precisely because they often resist clear analysis and solution. They persist despite our efforts. They can be real challenges.

Yet this doesn't mean we are helpless. Analysis, including the analytic methods we have described, can take you a long way. With good analysis, some resources, and enough determination, we believe even the most troublesome problems can be addressed, and ultimately, solved.

Online Resources

Assessment Primer: Analyzing the Community, Identifying Problems and Setting Goals  is provided by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America and the National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute. This helpful primer is designed to provide clear guidelines for anti-drug coalitions in defining their communities and assessing the real needs within them.

Best Practices to Address Community Gang Problems from HealthyPeople.gov is a report that provides guidance to communities that are considering how to address a youth gang problem.

Framing the Issue , by Trudy Rice, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel and Karla Trautman, is a useful resource that explains how to analyze community problems and access community data. It includes a detailed step-by-step presentation.

Print Resources

Avery, M., Auvine, B., Streibel, B., & Weiss, L. (1981).  Building united judgement: A handbook for consensus decision making . Madison, WI: Center for Conflict Resolution. (Available from the Center at P.O. Box 2156, Madison, WI 53701 -2156).

Cox, F. (1995). Community problem solving: A guide to practice with comments. In Rothman, J., Erlich, J., & Tropman, J. (eds.),  Strategies of community intervention  (5th ed., pp. 146-162). Itasca, IL: F. E. Peacock.

Dale, D., & Mitiguy, N. (1978).  Planning for a change: A citizen's guide to creative planning and program development . Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts, Citizen Involvement Training Project.

Johnson, D., & Johnson, F. (1997).  Joining together: Group theory and group skills  (6th ed.) Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Lawson, L., Donant, F., & Lawson, J. (1982).  Lead on! The complete handbook for group leaders . San Luis Obispo, CA: Impact Publishers.

Mondross, J., & Wilson, S. (1994).  Organizing for power and empowerment .  New York, NY: Columbia University Press.

A List of 339 Problem Solution Essay Topics & Questions

A problem solution essay is a type of persuasive essay. It’s a piece of writing that presents a particular problem and provides different options for solving it. It is commonly used for subject exams or IELTS writing tasks.

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In this article, we’ll take a look at how to write this type of essay. We will also provide ideas of good problem and solution essay topics to ease students’ writing process. But first: check out our custom writing service in case you need academic assistance!

• 🔝 Top 10 Topics

✅ How to Write a Problem Solution Essay

⭐ top 10 problem and solution essay topics for 2024.

• 🧑🤝🧑 Topics about Society
• 🏫 Topics on Education
• 💵 Business & Finance Topics
• 🍎 Health & Psychology Topics
• 🌎 Environment Topics
• 🐶 Topics about Animals
• 🔬 Science & Technology Topics
• 🏠 Local Problem Solution Topics
• 😄 Funny & Easy Topics
• 🤔 Other Problem Solution Topics

🔍 References

🔝 top 10 problem solution essay topics.

• The best way to improve logistics
• How to prevent drunk driving
• How can we prevent stroke?
• Ways to promote independent music
• How to prevent teen pregnancy
• Can schools help with childhood obesity?
• Ways to teach children financial literacy
• What can we do to stop human trafficking?
• Can teaching self-defense reduce violence?
• Building dams to fight the flooding problem

When starting to write an essay, think about a problem in the community that needs to be resolved. Sometimes, you will get a ready topic, like at an IELTS exam.

The topics might vary, but the outline of an essay will remain the same. First, write a list of actions that can help to solve the problem. Then, pick the three that you like best and evaluate them.

Once you get your solutions, start writing.

Any essay, whether it’s for high school or college, should be well-structured. Problem solution essays consist of two paragraphs: problem description and solution . The first section is generally divided into several parts:

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• Introduction. Provide the definition of the problem, some general background, and thesis statement with possible solutions.
• Situation. Give clear examples on the issue so that readers can understand it better.
• Problem. Describe the issue and its effect on people.

In the solution section, you need to identify several potential solutions and evaluate their effectiveness. It should include:

• Two or more possible solutions .
• Evaluation and critical assessment of the solutions.
• Conclusion with a summary of the main points of the text.

Now, you have a general idea about the writing process. To help facilitate your writing, take a look at the topic ideas below.

• Is group therapy effective against BPD?
• Can smart fridges prevent binge eating?
• Can having remote workers decrease costs?
• Sustainable homes as a way to save energy
• How nature reserves prevent wildlife extinction
• Reducing education costs with online education
• Is gun control a way to stop mass shootings?
• Can class discussions help fight youth violence?
• One-child policy as a way to stop overpopulation
• Is car sharing effective for decreasing CO2 emissions?

🧑🤝🧑 Problem and Solution Topics about Society

Social issues are problems of every level that influence the members of our society. They may refer to various factors, such as racial inequality or bullying, that affect the well-being of people or the community as a whole. Here are some problem-solving topics that will help you start writing.

• A part of the world’s population lives in conditions that don’t meet their basic needs. What are the ways to alleviate or prevent poverty ?
• There were several instances when social media websites were accused of gathering people’s private information . What are the ways to ensure privacy in the digital age?
• A vast number of girls get pregnant and give birth before the age of 20. What are some ways to reduce the teenage pregnancy rate in your country?
• Body shaming is one of the biggest problems of today’s society. What are the ways to solve this issue?
• Despite an increase in public awareness about the adverse effects of racism , the issue persists. How can we eliminate it?
• Unemployment negatively affects the living conditions of many people. It also facilitates such issues as domestic violence and depression. How can unemployment rates be improved in your country?

• Education is a fundamental human right, yet many people in some developing countries remain illiterate. How can we solve this issue?
• Habits such as smoking and overeating negatively affect people’s health. How can we better promote healthy lifestyles ?
• Victims of domestic violence often develop physical disabilities, chronic health problems, and stress. In what ways can we reduce domestic violence in our society?
• Inequality in payment, sexual harassment, and difficulty getting promoted are some of the issues women face at workplaces. What can our society do to increase equality ?
• Celebrities often appear to look flawless, which affects people’s body image . How can we promote healthier beauty standards ?
• When children observe violent behaviors , they become more aggressive. In what ways can we prevent them from witnessing violence?
• Health care is a major social issue, as many people don’t have access to high-quality services. How can we improve this situation?
• The ownership of guns increases the chances of unintentional shootings, which can result in casualties. How can gun control policies be improved?
• The consumption of illegal drugs often leads to overdosing. In what ways can people be persuaded not to do drugs?
• Drunk driving is the leading cause of vehicle accidents. What is the best way to restrict people from doing it?
• Human trafficking is a grave problem that affects countries all over the world. How can it be prevented?
• Women often report being sexually assaulted while in college. What can we do to reduce this problem?
• Homeless people are more likely to engage in abuse or violent behavior. What can be done to solve the issue?
• Parental divorce is a traumatic experience for a child. How can its adverse effects be eliminated?

🏫 Problem Solution Essay Topics on Education

The educational system is riddled with issues. You can think of numerous drawbacks that need to be addressed to make education better. Below are several examples of problem solution essay topics that will inspire you to write.

• In the pandemic environment, many students had to resort to online education , often with questionable quality. What are the ways to make e-learning effective?
• Many schools fail to provide adequate sex education programs. How can we reduce the stigma around this topic?
• Numerous students get bad grades due to reasons other than laziness. How can we help struggling learners?
• For many students, a strict schedule remains a big issue. Should students be offered the possibility of flexibility?
• Many private and public schools require a strict uniform . Are there ways to express one’s individuality without violating the dress code?
• A majority of students in schools and colleges admit to cheating . What are the ways to put an end to this behavior?
• Technology usage in education can be beneficial, as it might improve engagement and individual learning. How can schools become more adaptable to digitalization?
• Learning a foreign language can help students develop additional mental abilities. Should it be mandatory in all schools?
• Students often find themselves delaying or postponing tasks. It leads to lower grades and health issues, such as headaches or insomnia . How can we reduce the levels of student procrastination ?
• Obesity is associated with the leading causes of death in the US. Should the educational system include more physical education classes to build a fitter community?
• Students with learning disorders may have a feeling of frustration when mastering a subject. In what ways can colleges adapt to their needs?
• There are many subjects in school, and not all of them are equally useful for everyone. How can we make sure that students are learning what is best for them?
• Schools often put more funding into science, mathematics, and humanities. Should they also fund physical education (PE)?
• Gifted education allows talented students to learn more and move ahead at their pace. At the same time, it creates inequality. How can these programs be improved?
• Disruptive children usually prevent themselves and other students in class from working. What are the ways to deal with these students to make the work effective?
• The core curriculum for all schools allows all children to be taught all subjects but can be a bit strict. Should all schools have the same curriculum?
• Students are often provided with college preparation classes that don’t prepare them for work. Should schools focus more on getting students job-ready?
• Bullying and violence are the major issues at school that affect mental and physical health. What can teachers do to prevent these behaviors at school?
• The majority of students don’t perform equally well in all subjects. Instead, they excel in certain ones and fail in others. Should learners be allowed to choose their courses?
• Printed books are not easy to update, as new editions are often costly. Should schools move to digital textbooks ?

💵 Business & Finance Problem Solutions Topics

A significant number of issues can arise while managing a business or creating a startup. It can be related to anything from cybersecurity to marketing strategies. If you are into entrepreneurship, consider choosing a problem solutions topic from the list below.

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• Raising minimum wages might result in the loss of jobs. What are the alternatives?
• Job dissatisfaction often stems from issues related to wages, career progression, and leadership approach. How can we increase job satisfaction?
• The high unemployment rate brings an economic loss to the government, as well as causes individual sufferings. What are the possible methods to reduce it?

• A large number of startups fail in the first year of functioning. How can governments ensure their sustainability?
• Low employee productivity can create serious setbacks for businesses. What are the ways to increase productivity?
• Bad customer service damages the company’s reputation and leads to the loss of clients. What are the steps to fix this issue?
• The lack of teamwork might result in efficiency and productivity drop. How can we improve team cooperation in the company?
• Inflation negatively affects people with fixed wages and large amounts of cash savings. How can it be avoided?
• Carrying a student loan debt and failure to repay one may result in serious financial troubles. How can we solve the problems associated with student credit?
• The lack of performance monitoring might lead to unintended behaviors within the organization. How can we persuade people to start using a set of performance indicators?
• A significantly high number of people live from payday to payday, failing to accumulate savings. What is the best way to save money monthly?
• Bad investments rarely bring any profit. How can people avoid poor investments?
• Financial crisis can lead to mass job losses and businesses shutting down. How can we overcome recessions effectively?
• The biggest challenge for small businesses during a pandemic is staying open and making a profit. How can governments support small businesses in case of another epidemic?
• Poor marketing might result in financial problems and low customer volumes. How can you improve an average marketing strategy ?
• Imagine a company whose cash flow is adequate, yet there aren’t enough financial resources for it to grow. What are the ways to manage a strapped budget?
• Employee turnover has immediate consequences for a company. How can we reduce it?
• Business competition can harm small businesses through price factors and labor costs. How can they handle the competition?
• Poor workflow directly affects the revenue of the company. How can companies manage it effectively?
• Unsatisfied customers might spread the word about the ineffectiveness of the company. How can organizations increase customer satisfaction ?

🍎 Health & Psychology Problem Solving Topics

Problems related to health and mental well-being are common in the modern world. It’s not surprising, considering the influence of consumerist culture and environmental factors. You can address any issue you’re particularly concerned about. The following problem solution essay topics will give you an idea of where to start.

• There are several reasons for poor mental health among older people in the US. What are the ways to improve it?
• Substance addiction affects individuals because of the stigma associated with it. In what ways can we help people in recovery?
• A significant number of people suffer from eating disorders , which affects their mental and physical states. How can society prevent it?
• Depression is a common disorder among teenagers. How can teachers and parents help them manage it?
• Birth order can impact the way parents treat their children and children’s behavior. Can we, as a society, raise more awareness about the effects of birth order ?
• Post-traumatic stress disorder is experienced by people who suffered from trauma. How can society help those who have it?
• Peer pressure forces people to do things that they might not want to do. How can we reduce its influence?
• Romantic relationships often fail due to misunderstandings. How do we raise awareness about the possible difference in love styles?
• Schizophrenia is a complicated mental illness that has a severe impact on one’s life. How can society help people seek treatment for this disorder?
• Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) might isolate themselves from peers. How can teachers and parents help kids with social skills impairments?
• Alzheimer’s disease affects intellectual and physical abilities, memory, and personality. How can people prevent its development?
• Somatization disorder is a tendency to feel psychological pain in the form of physical. What is the best treatment for its symptoms?
• Prolonged use of defense mechanisms makes people feel as if they aren’t in control of their own emotions. How can we help people overcome these feelings?
• A significant percentage of children have ADHD . How can we help children with this disorder?
• Nowadays, many people have sleep disorders. How can insomnia be prevented?
• The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 caused many children to feel lonely and detached. What can parents do to help their kids in case of another pandemic?
• Suicide is a growing problem among people of all ages. What can we do to prevent it?
• Constant stress negatively affects sleep quality. What techniques can help improve it?
• It’s natural for parents to help their children as much as possible. But because of this, they often put them under too much pressure. How can we help parents find the right balance?
• Constant stress increases the chances of stroke . What are the ways to reduce the risk?

🌎 Problem Solving Topic Ideas about Environment

Today’s most significant environmental issue is climate change, but it’s not the only one. There are more global problems that need to be resolved. If you’re concerned about the environment, here are some problem-cause-solution topics for you.

• Drinking water has become an uncommon thing in many countries due to pollution. What can people do to help with this problem?
• Climate change has numerous adverse effects, such as shifting seasons and new sicknesses. How can this issue be effectively addressed?
• Vehicles release a significant amount of greenhouse gases , which contributes to global warming. Should there be a rule about reducing car usage to facilitate the solution to the environmental problem?
• Woodlands produce oxygen and help regulate the temperature. Unfortunately, a vast amount of wooded areas is lost due to deforestation . What are the possible ways to solve this problem?
• Marine life is suffering because of the amount of carbon in the water. How can people protect it?
• Air pollution poses a serious danger to people’s health . How can we reduce its adverse effects?
• Overpopulation results in a deficiency of assets like water, food, and fuel. How can we control it?
• Ozone depletion leads to an increase in the amount of ultraviolet. It results in cancer and other skin diseases. How can we solve this problem?
• Due to overpopulation , people use natural resources faster than nature can replenish them. How can we prevent its depletion?
• Leftover food is a massive problem, as it wastes water and farmland. How can we reduce it?
• Pesticides used to grow fruits and vegetables might cause health problems. How can we promote organic farming ?

• Polluted soil contains chemicals dangerous to humans, animals, and plants. Is there something that can help to avoid soil pollution ?
• Using bicycles reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. How can governments promote the usage of bicycles to reduce air pollution ?
• Natural disasters result from Earth’s processes and negatively affect people’s lives. What can we do to prepare for natural hazards?
• Fluorinated gases used in refrigerators and hair sprays significantly contribute to climate change. How can we minimize their impact on the environment?
• Oil spills harm wildlife and marine life, as well as contribute to climate change. How can major companies prevent that from happening?
• Marine life is drowning in plastic, which creates major environmental issues. How can we stop plastic pollution in the ocean?
• The rapid loss of biodiversity threatens our health and economic stability. What can we, as consumers, do to solve this issue?
• A significant amount of money is spent on cleaning garbage. Still, it’s not enough to get rid of it completely. What are the solutions to the problem of littering ?
• Noise pollution creates discomfort and lowers the quality of people’s lives. What are the practical ways to reduce it?

🐶 Problem Solution Essay Topics about Animals

Animals have existed on our planet way before the emergence of humans. As time went by, many species vanished or became endangered due to people’s activities. Factory farms, fur industry, poaching— all of these issues require a solution. If you’re passionate about this topic, try exploring one of the following prompts.

• Circus animals are often violently forced to jump through rings of fire, ride bicycles, and do other activities. How can we stop the use of wild animals in circuses?
• Experiments on animals lead to reduced quality of their life and are often ineffective. How can we help stop this practice?
• Hunting causes pain and suffering to animals and disrupts the patterns created in the animal communities, such as wolf packs. How can people reduce hunting?
• The animals in zoos are deprived of natural habitat and are forced to be near people. How can we make zoos as comfortable as possible for them?
• The fur industry takes millions of animals’ lives away. How can people stop it?
• One of the issues animal shelters face is the lack of public awareness. What are the strategies to improve their work?
• Many animals live in abusive environments, where they’re neglected or physically hurt. What are the solutions to this problem?
• Dog Hunters Association argues for the right to use dogs in hunting. How can we change their attitude towards animals?
• Dogs from puppy mills are often poorly treated and suffer from a variety of diseases. How can this practice be stopped?
• Due to human activities, many animals are on the brink of extinction. How can we protect endangered species ?
• Dog meat is still used for human consumption in some parts of Asia. What are the ways to stop the inhumane trade?
• Some animal species are sold, either alive or dead, to various countries. What are the ways to stop the wildlife trade and keep animals safe in their natural environment?
• One of the primary reasons for animal extinction is poaching . What are the solutions to this issue?
• After adopting animals, some people decide that they no longer want them and send them to shelters. How can we prevent this from happening?
• Killing horses for meat is inhumane, and horse meat consumption is dangerous. How can we stop these practices?
• With more forests being cleared for farming and building, wild animals lose their natural habitats. How can people make safer environments for them?
• Ring fighting leaves animals with severe wounds that might lead to death. What can we do to stop it?
• Some countries continue to kill whales for commercial purposes, which threatens their existence. How can we stop whaling?
• The continuation of the ivory trade results in thousands of elephants being killed annually. What actions should be taken to stop it?
• Factory farms work to maximize profit, which is why animals are kept in inhumane conditions. What are the ways to reduce this cruelty?

🔬 Science & Technology Problem Solutions Topics

Scientific and technological processes are complicated and riddled with issues. Advances in these fields increase as well as worsen the quality of human life. In case you’re interested in science or technology, have a look at these problem solution essay topics.

• With the widespread use of technology, students can find everything online, which affects their critical thinking . What are the most effective ways to preserve this ability?
• There’s a price we have to pay for living in a digital age . It includes the loss of online data privacy. What is the best way to maintain it?
• To run research, scientists need large amounts of money, which often becomes an issue. How can they get more funding?
• A significant percentage of research papers contain wrong results due to poor study design . What is the best way to improve it?
• Scientists rarely want to replicate existing research. The results might turn out insignificant, and some studies are too hard to replicate. How can scientists be encouraged to do it nevertheless?
• Peer review is meant to prevent poor-quality works from being published. Yet, it doesn’t always work. How can the peer review system be fixed?
• Often, not everyone can access a published study due to journals being expensive. How can we make knowledge more accessible?
• Many people are unaware of scientific research in crucial areas such as nutrition . What is the best way to communicate scientific facts to a larger population?
• Cyber attacks are a significant threat to many businesses, as they involve the theft of large amounts of information. What are the ways to prevent them from happening?
• Artificial intelligence implementation creates new challenges, such as the risk of unemployment. How can we solve emerging technological problems?
• Technological advances allowed some countries to transition to cashless societies . While it has many advantages, it also creates some security concerns. What is the best solution for these issues?
• With technology advancing at a quicker pace, it is harder to find talented personnel to work with it. How can you help the employees to adapt to new technologies?
• While many researchers have ideas for studies, only a few get financial support for them. How can the government support scientists more effectively?

• Mobile apps, social media, and games distract people from the real world. How can we stop smartphone addiction ?
• Many graduating Ph.D. students have limited training for jobs outside of academic research. What can universities do to change the situation for the better?
• Wearable computers, such as Apple Watch , have become very convenient. Yet, they create additional privacy and security issues. How can we overcome the challenges of body-borne computers?
• Cyberbullying victims might experience psychological issues, such as depression, anxiety, and social exclusion. What is the best way to prevent it?
• Environmental issues, such as air and water pollution , negatively affect the quality of life. How can technology help us save the environment?
• Scientists are often obligated to publish research only with statistically significant results. How can bias towards certain studies be eliminated?
• The constant stress and underpayment cause talented people to quit their careers in science. How can they be encouraged to continue working in their field?

🏠 Local Problem Solution Essay Topics

Another excellent idea for your essay is to write about the problems in your community. Think about the issues that need to be resolved, and start your writing. These topics will facilitate your creativity.

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• A significant number of people view affordability of healthcare as a pressing problem, as it is quite expensive. How can healthcare costs be reduced in your community?
• Children may be exposed to hazardous labor, which can harm their health. What can be done to stop child labor in your country?
• Youth violence increases the possibility of future behavior and mental health problems. How can people stop this type of violent behavior in your community?
• The rise in rent prices makes housing hard to afford. How can housing in your country be improved?
• People who leave school or college often feel unprepared for work. This makes them feel anxious about getting a job. How can school leavers in your country be helped to get employed?
• When they get older, many young adults struggle to manage their finances. What is the best way to improve financial literacy in your community?
• A good internet connection has become a necessity for many people. This also made access to high-speed internet a major issue. How can you solve this problem in your local community?
• Drug addiction is a public health problem that affects many people, especially youth. What are the solutions to the drug abuse problem in your country?
• Traffic congestion causes environmental issues, as well as vehicle breakdowns. What is the best way to stop this in your country?
• Poverty leads to a lack of education, malnutrition, social exclusion, and limited access to other essential services. How can this problem be solved in your country?
• Crime can cause short-term problems, like an injury , and long-term ones, such as depression or PTSD . How can illegal behavior be reduced in your community?
• After graduating from college, many students face difficulties in finding a job. How can educational institutions in your country help graduates get employed?
• Public transportation can be frustrating with its inflexibility and delays. How can it be improved in your country?
• Lack of car parking areas is a common problem in urban areas. How can people solve this issue in your city?
• Junk food advertisements target children, which later leads to an increase in childhood obesity. How can we protect young people in your country from being affected by these advertisements?
• Hate crime affects the security of individuals and societies as a whole. How can such crimes be prevented in your community?
• Corruption is a global issue that negatively affects the economic and political systems of the country. What are the measures to resolve this issue in your state?
• Low fertility rates reduce the population size of a country. If your country has low birth rates, how can it be improved?
• Media propaganda has the potential of promoting violent behavior and reducing trust in the government. How should this problem be dealt with in your country?
• The number of acts of domestic violence against women, men, and children continues to grow drastically in many societies. How should these cases be handled in your country?

😄 Funny & Easy Problem Solution Essay Topics

Problems are not always serious and yet require a solution. Whether it’s a choice of cereal or a friend zone, it’s an issue that has to be dealt with. Take a look at the funny problem solution essay topics list, and choose the one you like the most.

• We often buy items that we never use afterward. How can we prevent ourselves from buying unnecessary stuff ?
• Your favorite soccer team keeps losing, and it’s affecting your mood. What’s the best way to cope with this continuous disappointment?
• You’ve invented a cool, new nickname for yourself. How do you get people to use it?
• You love playing League of Legends with your friend. They’re the worst support, but they insist on having this role. What should you do about it?
• Santa Claus is a beloved figure for many children. But they can’t believe in him forever. How should parents tell their kids that Santa isn’t real?
• Water is crucial to human survival. Still, some people don’t like its bland taste. How can you stay hydrated without resorting to unhealthy, sugary drinks?
• Happiness matters, as it makes people feel at ease. What can you do to make your community happier?
• Your partner loves jazz while you prefer death metal. How do you overcome this musical discrepancy?

• A sturdy case can ruin the appearance even of the most beautiful phone. How can one compromise effectively on this issue?
• House parties are fun, but your neighbors probably disagree. How can you throw a noisy party without upsetting those who live close by?
• It’s hard to keep up the spark in long-distance relationships. Conversations via Zoom quickly get boring. What are fun things a couple can do together on the internet?
• Many people believe that legalizing marijuana will reduce its consumption levels and solve social and economic issues. What are the other solutions to cannabis use?
• Taking a perfect selfie requires much patience. How can you make creating a fantastic picture of yourself easier?
• Pizza is great, but it’s not particularly healthy. How can you upgrade your favorite junk food to make it more nourishing?
• Studies have shown that growing houseplants is good for the mood. But what do you do if you simply don’t have a green thumb?
• Exercising is important, but it’s not fun for everyone. What can unathletic people do to stay fit without suffering?
• Being the funny one among friends often prevents people from taking you seriously. What can change people’s attitude towards you?
• Some people face the issue of “having a lot of clothes, but nothing to wear.” How can we fix this problem?
• Your friends want to go on a trip soon, but you’re broke. What are the best strategies for students to save $100 in four weeks?

🤔 Other Problem Solution Essay Topics

• What can we do about the problem of smoking in teenagers?
• Obesity as a global problem of modern society
• Reading problems and how to help students with reading disabilities
• The solutions to environmental effects of e-waste
• Potential solutions to noise pollution
• The migration issue and how to solve it
• The discussion and solution of COVID-19 ethical dilemma
• The problem of lack of parking in big cities and how to help it
• Nursing shortage as a national healthcare issue
• Agriculture in Honduras: existing challenges and possible solutions
• The issue of patient safety
• The problem of safety and efficiency amidst staff deficiency
• The problem of substance abuse and mental health issues within the homeless African American community
• The issue of medically assisted suicide
• The problem of obesity in India
• Medicare challenges and issues facing America
• The problem of institutional racism: effects and possible solutions
• Contemporary issues in health care delivery
• Solution of every-day problems: scientific method
• The issue of genetically modified crops
• Librarian management consultancy: challenges and solutions
• The software patent issues in China
• The solution to compassion fatigue and related issues in nursing
• Is e-cigarettes smoking a solution?
• Problems in a contemporary health environment and how to overcome them
• American government contemporary issues
• Can obesity problem be solved by proper nutrition and exercise?
• Diversity and cross-cultural issues in the global workplace
• Ethical issues and dilemmas in business
• Finding solutions for ethical dilemma
• Translating Emirati proverbs: problems and solutions
• How to solve traffic congestion in my school district
• The Rock Blocks company’s recruiting issues and solutions
• Staffing problem solution: HR metrics and workforce analytics
• Solving the health problems of the United States
• Possible solutions to health disparities
• Problems of sitting for long and their solutions
• Will banning plastic bags not solve pollution problem?
• Problem of predicting fluid responsiveness and its solution
• Escalating drug prices: the ways to avoid the problem
• The best way to address obesity in the United States
• Solution to the world poverty problem
• Gun violence: the ways to overcome the issue
• Design solutions for improving website quality and effectiveness
• Is simplification the best way to express ideas?
• Fairtrade: better solution to underdevelopment
• The problem of drug addiction in America and the solutions to it
• Can charging children as adults solve juvenile criminal problems?
• Stress in law: reasons and solutions
• The ways to solve the increasing incidence of criminals reverting
• Communication solutions for atmospheric scientist
• Are financial rewards the best way to increase work motivation?
• The environmental effects of the deforestation problem and how to solve it
• Recycling: finding the solution
• The use of the Internet to solve crimes
• The solution to social inequality and discrimination
• Encryption as a corporate security technological solution
• Principal threats to a building efficiency research and ways to overcome them
• Lack of social tolerance as the cause of discriminatory behavior problem and its solutions
• Environmental problems and their potential solutions
• Why technostress is harmful to psychological well-being and ways to reduce it
• Infant’s health: growth problems and solutions
• Community policing: the alternative solution to youth crime
• Strategies to overcome the organization’s problem due to community losses
• Metropolitan police service: identity management solution
• The problem of sexual harassment in the army and the ways to eliminate it
• Reasons of anti-Asian crimes and ways to deal with the problem
• Green logistics: implementation issues and solutions
• Technological solutions for effective communication
• Ways to defend against cyber terrorism
• Workplace conflict problem and its solutions
• Doha negotiations: possible solutions and outcomes
• Handling difficult conversations and ways to avoid conflict escalation
• Healthcare in Canada: problems and solutions
• Problem of verbal orders in medicine and how to overcome it
• Law contracts and ways to break the contract
• Cinemark USA, Inc.: problems and solutions
• Air pollution solutions: how to improve air quality
• The problem of homelessness in Los Angeles and the ways to reduce it
• Jamaica’s economy: problems and solutions
• Solutions to poverty in urban areas
• Australian economy: economic problems and ways of its solving
• Decrease the disparity between rich and poor solution
• Lebanon’s environmental problems and solutions
• Ways of treating obesity in older patients
• The global water crisis: issues and the ways to avoid them
• The Bauer school’s parking problem and solution
• Ways of reducing human trafficking of children
• Heartland payment system data breach problem solution
• Immigration policy in US. problem and how to solve it
• The ways to overcome the investment problem
• The problem of dysfunctional companies and its solution
• Du Bois vs. Washington: racist problem solution
• Fad diets’ impact on human health: problem solution
• Environmental challenges for NAFTA and how to solve them
• Three solutions to the problem of pollution externalities
• Buying things to solve personal problems
• Remington Peckinpah Davis Inc.’s problem solution
• Problem solution: best snacks INC.
• Solutions to the problem of steroids in sports and athletics
• Problem solution: global communications
• The problem of global warming and ways of its solution
• Cyber-bullying and ways to solve the problem
• Losses of personal data: problem and solution
• Obamacare: the solution to the healthcare problem
• The problem of Palestinian-Israeli conflict and viable solution
• The problem of coral reef depletion and how to address it
• Social security long-term solvency problems
• Economic crisis: bailout plan as solution
• The problem of anterior spacing in dentistry female patients and possible solutions
• Rising sea levels: how to reduce the global concern
• Organ trafficking problem and policy solution
• Cultural issues and their solutions in project management
• Transforming the Texas plant: possible solutions to the problems
• Nursing understaffing and evidence-based solution
• Critical thinking to solve hard problems
• Healthcare disparities and the ways to overcome them
• Pressure injury prevention: evidence-based solution
• Nursing stress solutions: benefits and support
• The problem of violence in nursing and its solutions
• What is the best way to stimulate economic growth?
• Decision making process in management: problem solving
• Pressure ulcers issue and defense of solution
• Land pollution and ways to minimize pollution in the US
• Vancouver’s housing crisis and solution
• The problem of stress and solutions for working students
• Seven ways to find help in starting a business
• Courtelaney Pass police department: potential problem solutions
• The problem of plagiarism, its reasons and solutions
• Ways of managing conflict
• Political corruption and how to address it
• Low wages and inequality problem and its solutions in the USA
• Child abuse and ways for its elimination
• The problem of infant mortality issue in India: possible solutions
• Domestic violence problem and the ways to overcome them
• Ways of avoiding cross-cultural miscommunication
• Risk incidence solution to the problem of substance use disorder
• Is assisted suicide a humane solution?
• Successful ways of preventing crime by Blundell
• Iron seeding oceans: global warming solution

Thank you for reading this article! Hopefully, these topics will help you write your problem-solution essay. Also, don’t forget to send this article to your friends, who might find it useful!

Further reading:

• 182 Free Ideas for Argumentative or Persuasive Essay Topics
• 200 Creative Topics for Opinion Essays
• 180 Excellent Evaluation Essay Topics
• 140 Classification Essay Topics and Ideas
• 150+ Excellent Narrative Essay Topics
• 260 Good Descriptive Essay Topics and Writing Tips
• 135 Creative Definition Essay Topics and Writing Tips
• Prewriting for Problem Solution Essays: Thoughtful Learning
• Structuring Your Essay: Solent University
• Analyzing Community Problems and Solutions: The University of Kansas
• 10 Major Challenges Facing Public Schools: Public School Review
• Major Issues in Education: 20 Hot Topics: Trade Schools
• The 10 Biggest Challenges Businesses Face Today (and Need Consultants for): Hiscox UK
• How to Overcome Financial Stress and Improve Finances: Bank of America
• The Most Important Health Problems (and Why They Matter): Harvard
• 5 Health Problems You’re Actually Not Too Young For: John Hopkins Medicine
• 10 Health Problems Related to Stress that You Can Actually Fix: WebMD
• Top 25 Environmental Concerns: Conserve Energy Future
• All Our Fights: The Humane Society of the United States
• The 7 Biggest Problems Facing Science, According to 270 Scientists: Vox
• Problems that Face Urban, Suburban, and Rural Communities in America: Pew Research Center
• 14 Major Tech Issues & What Can Solve Them: Built In
• Five of the World′s Biggest Environmental Problems: DW.com
• Top 10 Most Common Health Issues: University of Rochester
• Against the Environment. Problems in Society/Nature Relations: Frontiers
• Business Financing Problems: Chron.com
• Social Issues and Community Interactions: The National Academies Press
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Review of the Fund’s Capacity Development Strategy—Towards a More Flexible, Integrated, and Tailored Model

Publication Date:

April 9, 2024

Electronic Access:

Free Download . Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file

Capacity Development (CD), comprising technical assistance and training, fosters economic development by improving human capital and institutions in member countries. Every five years, the IMF reviews its CD Strategy to ensure that CD continues to be of high quality and well-focused on the needs of its members. This review calls for CD to become more flexible, integrated with the Fund’s policy advice and lending, and tailored to respond to member needs. The review benefitted from the recent independent evaluation of the Fund’s CD and a wide range of inputs, including internal and external consultations, surveys of recipients and development partners, staff background studies and recommendations of an External Advisory Group. The vision for CD is informed by the Fund’s comparative advantages and surveillance priorities. The proposals of the current review center around the six key areas: (1) strengthening CD prioritization and integration; (2) enhancing the funding model; (3) strengthening monitoring and evaluation; (4) modernizing modalities; (5) enhancing field presence; and (5) strengthening human resources policies for staff working on CD.

Policy Paper No. 2024/014

Monetary policy Political economy

9798400270697/2663-3493

PPEA2024014

Please address any questions about this title to [email protected]

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Guest Essay

The Problem With Saying ‘Sex Assigned at Birth’

By Alex Byrne and Carole K. Hooven

Mr. Byrne is a philosopher and the author of “Trouble With Gender: Sex Facts, Gender Fictions.” Ms. Hooven is an evolutionary biologist and the author of “T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone That Dominates and Divides Us.”

As you may have noticed, “sex” is out, and “sex assigned at birth” is in. Instead of asking for a person’s sex, some medical and camp forms these days ask for “sex assigned at birth” or “assigned sex” (often in addition to gender identity). The American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association endorse this terminology; its use has also exploded in academic articles. The Cleveland Clinic’s online glossary of diseases and conditions tells us that the “inability to achieve or maintain an erection” is a symptom of sexual dysfunction, not in “males,” but in “people assigned male at birth.”

This trend began around a decade ago, part of an increasing emphasis in society on emotional comfort and insulation from offense — what some have called “ safetyism .” “Sex” is now often seen as a biased or insensitive word because it may fail to reflect how people identify themselves. One reason for the adoption of “assigned sex,” therefore, is that it supplies respectful euphemisms, softening what to some nonbinary and transgender people, among others, can feel like a harsh biological reality. Saying that someone was “assigned female at birth” is taken to be an indirect and more polite way of communicating that the person is biologically female. The terminology can also function to signal solidarity with trans and nonbinary people, as well as convey the radical idea that our traditional understanding of sex is outdated.

The shift to “sex assigned at birth” may be well intentioned, but it is not progress. We are not against politeness or expressions of solidarity, but “sex assigned at birth” can confuse people and creates doubt about a biological fact when there shouldn’t be any. Nor is the phrase called for because our traditional understanding of sex needs correcting — it doesn’t.

This matters because sex matters. Sex is a fundamental biological feature with significant consequences for our species, so there are costs to encouraging misconceptions about it.

Sex matters for health, safety and social policy and interacts in complicated ways with culture. Women are nearly twice as likely as men to experience harmful side effects from drugs, a problem that may be ameliorated by reducing drug doses for females. Males, meanwhile, are more likely to die from Covid-19 and cancer, and commit the vast majority of homicides and sexual assaults . We aren’t suggesting that “assigned sex” will increase the death toll. However, terminology about important matters should be as clear as possible.

More generally, the interaction between sex and human culture is crucial to understanding psychological and physical differences between boys and girls, men and women. We cannot have such understanding unless we know what sex is, which means having the linguistic tools necessary to discuss it. The Associated Press cautions journalists that describing women as “female” may be objectionable because “it can be seen as emphasizing biology,” but sometimes biology is highly relevant. The heated debate about transgender women participating in female sports is an example ; whatever view one takes on the matter, biologically driven athletic differences between the sexes are real.

When influential organizations and individuals promote “sex assigned at birth,” they are encouraging a culture in which citizens can be shamed for using words like “sex,” “male” and “female” that are familiar to everyone in society, as well as necessary to discuss the implications of sex. This is not the usual kind of censoriousness, which discourages the public endorsement of certain opinions. It is more subtle, repressing the very vocabulary needed to discuss the opinions in the first place.

A proponent of the new language may object, arguing that sex is not being avoided, but merely addressed and described with greater empathy. The introduction of euphemisms to ease uncomfortable associations with old words happens all the time — for instance “plus sized” as a replacement for “overweight.” Admittedly, the effects may be short-lived , because euphemisms themselves often become offensive, and indeed “larger-bodied” is now often preferred to “plus sized.” But what’s the harm? No one gets confused, and the euphemisms allow us to express extra sensitivity. Some see “sex assigned at birth” in the same positive light: It’s a way of talking about sex that is gender-affirming and inclusive .

The problem is that “sex assigned at birth”— unlike “larger-bodied”— is very misleading. Saying that someone was “assigned female at birth” suggests that the person’s sex is at best a matter of educated guesswork. “Assigned” can connote arbitrariness — as in “assigned classroom seating” — and so “sex assigned at birth” can also suggest that there is no objective reality behind “male” and “female,” no biological categories to which the words refer.

Contrary to what we might assume, avoiding “sex” doesn’t serve the cause of inclusivity: not speaking plainly about males and females is patronizing. We sometimes sugarcoat the biological facts for children, but competent adults deserve straight talk. Nor are circumlocutions needed to secure personal protections and rights, including transgender rights. In the Supreme Court’s Bostock v. Clayton County decision in 2020, which outlawed workplace discrimination against gay and transgender people, Justice Neil Gorsuch used “sex,” not “sex assigned at birth.”

A more radical proponent of “assigned sex” will object that the very idea of sex as a biological fact is suspect. According to this view — associated with the French philosopher Michel Foucault and, more recently, the American philosopher Judith Butler — sex is somehow a cultural production, the result of labeling babies male or female. “Sex assigned at birth” should therefore be preferred over “sex,” not because it is more polite, but because it is more accurate.

This position tacitly assumes that humans are exempt from the natural order. If only! Alas, we are animals. Sexed organisms were present on Earth at least a billion years ago, and males and females would have been around even if humans had never evolved. Sex is not in any sense the result of linguistic ceremonies in the delivery room or other cultural practices. Lonesome George, the long-lived Galápagos giant tortoise , was male. He was not assigned male at birth — or rather, in George’s case, at hatching. A baby abandoned at birth may not have been assigned male or female by anyone, yet the baby still has a sex. Despite the confusion sown by some scholars, we can be confident that the sex binary is not a human invention.

Another downside of “assigned sex” is that it biases the conversation away from established biological facts and infuses it with a sociopolitical agenda, which only serves to intensify social and political divisions. We need shared language that can help us clearly state opinions and develop the best policies on medical, social and legal issues. That shared language is the starting point for mutual understanding and democratic deliberation, even if strong disagreement remains.

What can be done? The ascendance of “sex assigned at birth” is not an example of unhurried and organic linguistic change. As recently as 2012 The New York Times reported on the new fashion for gender-reveal parties, “during which expectant parents share the moment they discover their baby’s sex.” In the intervening decade, sex has gone from being “discovered” to “assigned” because so many authorities insisted on the new usage. In the face of organic change, resistance is usually futile. Fortunately, a trend that is imposed top-down is often easier to reverse.

Admittedly, no one individual, or even a small group, can turn the lumbering ship of English around. But if professional organizations change their style guides and glossaries, we can expect that their members will largely follow suit. And organizations in turn respond to lobbying from their members. Journalists, medical professionals, academics and others have the collective power to restore language that more faithfully reflects reality. We will have to wait for them to do that.

Meanwhile, we can each apply Strunk and White’s famous advice in “The Elements of Style” to “sex assigned at birth”: omit needless words.

Alex Byrne is a professor of philosophy at M.I.T. and the author of “Trouble With Gender: Sex Facts, Gender Fictions.” Carole K. Hooven is an evolutionary biologist, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, an associate in the Harvard psychology department, and the author of “T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone That Dominates and Divides Us.”

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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The MOBIUS online library catalog will temporarily suspend services MOBIUS borrowing and lending services starting on April 18 as it migrates to a new operating and software system. For material requests, please use interlibrary loans via ILLiad . For further details, see the Temporary Disruption to MOBIUS Service article .

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Winners of the 2024 Neureuther Essay Contest

The Washington University Libraries are pleased to announce the winners of the 37th annual  Neureuther Student Book Collection Essay Competition . Named for Carl Neureuther, a 1940 graduate of the Washington University School of Business who set up an endowed book fund for the University Libraries, the contest was designed to inspire reading for pleasure among students and to encourage the development of personal book collections.

The competition is open to all full-time Washington University students, and awardees win four cash prizes of $1000 and $500 at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Participants submit brief essays about the books in their collections. Washington University faculty read the essays to select the award-winning entries.

undergraduate student winners

In the undergraduate category, Brooke Sanchez , a first-year student majoring in political science, was awarded the first prize for her essay, “ Unveiling the Comfort of Female Narratives: Tragedy, Identity, and Embodied Power .” Eliana Jenkins , a senior majoring in global studies and writing, won the second prize for her essay, “ A Lust Letter to Print: Understanding Human Carnality Through the Zines of the World .”

graduate student winners

Perry Parsons , an MA student in theatre and performance studies, won the first prize in the graduate category for the essay, “ My Culture of One; Eight Relational Dances With My Books .” Nicholas Dolan , a PhD student in English and American literature, won the second prize for his essay, “ My Mother’s Planned Parenthood: A Book Sale Elegy .”

The organizing committee thanks all the students who participated in this year’s contest. Neureuther competition’s award-winning essays, from 2003 to the present, can be accessed on  Open Scholarship .

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Ask a new question

How can I successfully install the April 2024 cumulative update KB5036892 for Windows 10?

I update successfully with automatic updates every month, usually with no problem. But this month, the cumulative update KB5036892 will not install. This is the message I get:

Some update files are missing or have problems. We'll try to download the update again later. Error code: (0x8007000d)

I tried the following to fix it:

Ran the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Tried the standalone installer using the download from the Microsoft Update Catalog for KB5036892

Ran sfc /scannow and verified there are no integrity problems in system files

Ran the Shawn Brink WuReset2.0.bat script available on answers.microsoft.com

After each fix listed above, I rebooted and ran Windows Update or the standalone installer again, but I always get the same error message listed above, with error code 0x8007000d.

Details of the Windows 10 installation:

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4590S CPU @ 3.00GHz 3.00 GHz

Installed RAM 8.00 GB

System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

Pen and touch Pen and touch support with 10 touch points

Edition Windows 10 Pro

The system has worked well with Windows 10 ever since it was upgraded to Windows 10 in 2016, and has been regularly updated with automatic updates with no serious issues over the last eight years until now

Windows is running in a virtual environment (Xen), and the only problem this has caused is the KB5034441 WinRE update fails to install. The Disk management utility shows that the installation has a 511 MB Recovery Partition, but I presume it is not configured such that Windows Update can install KB5034441. Does the KB5036892 update depend on KB5034441 being installed correctly? I don't want to spend time fixing my system so KB5034441 installs successfully on my system unless KB5036892 requires that KB5034441 is installed.

So I am stumped now, and ask for suggestions about how to get my installation updated with the latest security patches contained in KB5036892. If it is necessary to fix my WinRE partition so KB5034441 can install, I also ask for suggestions on how to manually fix the WinRE partition so KB5034441 installs successfully.

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Thank you for replying. I have downloaded the update and let it fail once.

Here is the CBS Log of the failed update: Link to CBS Log of failed update

It did not fix the problem. The following text shows the PowerShell output I got:

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Remove-WindowsPackage -Online -PackageName "Microsoft-Windows-Printing-PMCPPC-FoD-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~10.0.19041.1"

Remove-WindowsPackage : The specified package is not valid Windows package.

At line:1 char:1

+ Remove-WindowsPackage -Online -PackageName "Microsoft-Windows-Printin ...

+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Remove-WindowsPackage], COMException

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.Dism.Commands.RemoveWindowsPackageCommand

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>

After reboot, I get the same error when I try to download and install the latest cumulative update.

As for the possibility of disk corruption, since this is a virtual machine it is easy to shut down the machine and attach the system volume to another virtual machine as D: and use chkdsk to check the system volume for disk corruption:

C:\WINDOWS\system32>chkdsk D: /R

The type of the file system is NTFS.

Volume label is WINDOWS.

Stage 1: Examining basic file system structure ...

978432 file records processed.

File verification completed.

Phase duration (File record verification): 26.49 seconds.

24777 large file records processed.

Phase duration (Orphan file record recovery): 0.00 milliseconds.

0 bad file records processed.

Phase duration (Bad file record checking): 0.71 milliseconds.

Stage 2: Examining file name linkage ...

2217 reparse records processed.

1438090 index entries processed.

Index verification completed.

Phase duration (Index verification): 2.18 minutes.

0 unindexed files scanned.

Phase duration (Orphan reconnection): 5.32 seconds.

0 unindexed files recovered to lost and found.

Phase duration (Orphan recovery to lost and found): 16.20 seconds.

Phase duration (Reparse point and Object ID verification): 11.15 seconds.

Stage 3: Examining security descriptors ...

Security descriptor verification completed.

Phase duration (Security descriptor verification): 1.17 seconds.

229830 data files processed.

Phase duration (Data attribute verification): 0.60 milliseconds.

CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...

40831336 USN bytes processed.

Usn Journal verification completed.

Phase duration (USN journal verification): 1.51 seconds.

Stage 4: Looking for bad clusters in user file data ...

978416 files processed.

File data verification completed.

Phase duration (User file recovery): 18.59 minutes.

Stage 5: Looking for bad, free clusters ...

150333895 free clusters processed.

Free space verification is complete.

Phase duration (Free space recovery): 0.00 milliseconds.

Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems.

No further action is required.

153074859 KB total disk space.

76402731 KB in 416337 files.

408480 KB in 229831 indexes.

0 KB in bad sectors.

1096697 KB in use by the system.

34784 KB occupied by the log file.

75166950 KB available on disk.

512 bytes in each allocation unit.

306149718 total allocation units on disk.

150333900 allocation units available on disk.

Total duration: 21.85 minutes (1311526 ms).

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

If I am interpreting this output correctly, chkdsk is not reporting any disk corruption on the system volume.

1 person found this reply helpful

Thanks for the suggestion, I will try a repair install when I have enough time, probably tomorrow. I will report the results here.

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Computer Science > Computation and Language

Title: language models as compilers: simulating pseudocode execution improves algorithmic reasoning in language models.

Abstract: Algorithmic reasoning refers to the ability to understand the complex patterns behind the problem and decompose them into a sequence of reasoning steps towards the solution. Such nature of algorithmic reasoning makes it a challenge for large language models (LLMs), even though they have demonstrated promising performance in other reasoning tasks. Within this context, some recent studies use programming languages (e.g., Python) to express the necessary logic for solving a given instance/question (e.g., Program-of-Thought) as inspired by their strict and precise syntaxes. However, it is non-trivial to write an executable code that expresses the correct logic on the fly within a single inference call. Also, the code generated specifically for an instance cannot be reused for others, even if they are from the same task and might require identical logic to solve. This paper presents Think-and-Execute, a novel framework that decomposes the reasoning process of language models into two steps. (1) In Think, we discover a task-level logic that is shared across all instances for solving a given task and then express the logic with pseudocode; (2) In Execute, we further tailor the generated pseudocode to each instance and simulate the execution of the code. With extensive experiments on seven algorithmic reasoning tasks, we demonstrate the effectiveness of Think-and-Execute. Our approach better improves LMs' reasoning compared to several strong baselines performing instance-specific reasoning (e.g., CoT and PoT), suggesting the helpfulness of discovering task-level logic. Also, we show that compared to natural language, pseudocode can better guide the reasoning of LMs, even though they are trained to follow natural language instructions.

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