"People underestimate the amount of stress that men of color are going through," says Edwin Desamour, the dean at John B. Stetson Charter. And, he adds, even those going through it underestimate its impact.

In addition to empowering the young to find their own voices, Healthy NewsWorks, Big Picture Alliance, and Hopeworks teach valuable life skills.

In the past two decades, 13 of the city's 19 maternity wards have closed. Philadelphia's maternal mortality rate is high, especially for women of color. Cause and effect? Not so fast, says Malcolm Burnley, who takes a deep look at the factors contributing to poor maternal health outcomes in the city.

"We in the suburbs, whether in Villanova or Haverford, are quite close to the city — and also deeply separated. A planetary health lens requires us to understand our interdependence, and to do community-building and world-building."

Mental health, youth leadership, the digital divide and nine more themes we'll be focusing our reporting on next year.