NPR : Subprime Loans: One Woman's Story
Economy
Subprime Loans: One Woman's Story
Listen to this story... by Renee Montagne
Morning Edition, March 16, 2007 · Jennie Halliburton, a 77-year-old widow from Philadelphia, answered an ad offering to "consolidate her debt." She soon found herself with a "subprime loan" that she can't afford and may cost her the home she refinanced. Her lawyer, Allan White, says Halliburton should never have been granted the loan.
16 March 2007
NPR : Urban Poor Cope with Help from Informal Economy
NPR : Urban Poor Cope with Help from Informal Economy
Sharelle, 43, lives in subsidized housing in Harlem. She hasn't had a job in years – but she works all the time. She runs an after-school day care in her apartment, where children are laughing and playing cards. She also looks after an elderly woman in her Harlem neighborhood twice a week.
"I do the housekeeping, clean her bedroom, do the kitchen," said Sharelle, who didn't want her last name aired.
Sometimes she gets a few extra dollars helping her neighbors fill out state tax forms or babysitting. If Sharelle reported this income to the government her rent would go up, so almost all the work she does is under the table.
"Miss Hinxson is off the books, their mother is off the books, the little girl Courtney that I went to pick up is off the books," she said. MORE
Sharelle, 43, lives in subsidized housing in Harlem. She hasn't had a job in years – but she works all the time. She runs an after-school day care in her apartment, where children are laughing and playing cards. She also looks after an elderly woman in her Harlem neighborhood twice a week.
"I do the housekeeping, clean her bedroom, do the kitchen," said Sharelle, who didn't want her last name aired.
Sometimes she gets a few extra dollars helping her neighbors fill out state tax forms or babysitting. If Sharelle reported this income to the government her rent would go up, so almost all the work she does is under the table.
"Miss Hinxson is off the books, their mother is off the books, the little girl Courtney that I went to pick up is off the books," she said. MORE
Transcending the Organization
Transcending the Organization - Schambra Trust Authenticity and Community
The nonprofit sector is identified with small, immediate community and compassion; government is viewed as distant, alienating and unresponsive. It’s been that way for decades, incidentally, through administrations from both parties. Skepticism about big government is often thought to be the hideous spawn of the Reagan Revolution. But in fact, the first shift toward skepticism came from the New Left back in the ’60s, when it attacked Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society as a manipulative, inhumane monstrosity, and opted instead for local, participatory democracy. And participatory democracy is exactly what the nonprofit sector provides, when it’s at its best—it provides immediate, face-to-face civic engagement. You shouldn’t compromise that by attaching your reputation for local democracy and community—your credibility—to a hulking derelict of an institution that Americans have long since decided doesn’t care about them and can’t do anything to address their anxiety and unsettledness. MORE
The nonprofit sector is identified with small, immediate community and compassion; government is viewed as distant, alienating and unresponsive. It’s been that way for decades, incidentally, through administrations from both parties. Skepticism about big government is often thought to be the hideous spawn of the Reagan Revolution. But in fact, the first shift toward skepticism came from the New Left back in the ’60s, when it attacked Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society as a manipulative, inhumane monstrosity, and opted instead for local, participatory democracy. And participatory democracy is exactly what the nonprofit sector provides, when it’s at its best—it provides immediate, face-to-face civic engagement. You shouldn’t compromise that by attaching your reputation for local democracy and community—your credibility—to a hulking derelict of an institution that Americans have long since decided doesn’t care about them and can’t do anything to address their anxiety and unsettledness. MORE
15 March 2007
Getting Teens to Pay Attention
Advertising Age - MediaWorks - Getting Teens to Pay Attention
The aim of the Teen Road Safety campaign was to get teenagers to pay more attention when they were on or near the road. The problem was telling them in a way that didn't come across as simply more adult grief.
The insight that drove the campaign was the issue of friends. If death was too heavy a concept to consider, how about the impact on your circle of friends?
A 30-second ad was created by real teenagers and shot on their medium of choice, the mobile phone. It showed a group of friends larking around by the road before one of them walks into the road without looking and pays a terrible price.
The ad was then distributed via an unbranded website -- notlooking.co.uk -- as well as via mobiles to seed the message prior to its official launch. A week later it was unveiled as a government message in a cinema ad in key movies.
MORE
The aim of the Teen Road Safety campaign was to get teenagers to pay more attention when they were on or near the road. The problem was telling them in a way that didn't come across as simply more adult grief.
The insight that drove the campaign was the issue of friends. If death was too heavy a concept to consider, how about the impact on your circle of friends?
A 30-second ad was created by real teenagers and shot on their medium of choice, the mobile phone. It showed a group of friends larking around by the road before one of them walks into the road without looking and pays a terrible price.
The ad was then distributed via an unbranded website -- notlooking.co.uk -- as well as via mobiles to seed the message prior to its official launch. A week later it was unveiled as a government message in a cinema ad in key movies.
MORE
13 March 2007
The Electronic Product Environmental Asssessment Tool
Welcome to EPEAT©
The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool
What is it?
EPEAT is an environmental procurement tool designed to help institutional purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, notebook computers and monitors based on their environmental attributes. At the same time it helps manufacturers promote environmentally preferable products. EPEAT is the implementation of the IEEE 1680 Standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer products (including laptop and desktop computers, and monitors).
Why is it important?
Electronic products are a part of everyday life, and continued and expanded use of electronic information and communications technologies is likely a key to achieving global sustainability. However, with our current industrial technology and infrastructure electronic products also have unacceptably high social and environmental impacts. Electronic products often:
a. Are very resource intensive to manufacture;
b. Contain significant amounts of toxic and environmentally sensitive materials;
c. Use electricity inefficiently;
d. Have a relatively short useable lifespan;
e. Are inefficiently and/or ineffectively recovered and recycled.
To help alleviate these problems, many organizations are striving to purchase environmentally preferable products and they are using their purchasing power to make products greener. However, until recently it has been very difficult for most purchasers to determine what products are environmentally better than others. EPEAT is an easy-to-use system to help purchasers deal with the technical complexities of determining which products are actually preferable.
How Can I find an EPEAT product?
A searchable listing of EPEAT registered products is maintained on a Product Registry. See http://www.epeat.net
More information?
EPEAT is a project of the Green Electronics Council. For more information, just contact us.
The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool
What is it?
EPEAT is an environmental procurement tool designed to help institutional purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, notebook computers and monitors based on their environmental attributes. At the same time it helps manufacturers promote environmentally preferable products. EPEAT is the implementation of the IEEE 1680 Standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer products (including laptop and desktop computers, and monitors).
Why is it important?
Electronic products are a part of everyday life, and continued and expanded use of electronic information and communications technologies is likely a key to achieving global sustainability. However, with our current industrial technology and infrastructure electronic products also have unacceptably high social and environmental impacts. Electronic products often:
a. Are very resource intensive to manufacture;
b. Contain significant amounts of toxic and environmentally sensitive materials;
c. Use electricity inefficiently;
d. Have a relatively short useable lifespan;
e. Are inefficiently and/or ineffectively recovered and recycled.
To help alleviate these problems, many organizations are striving to purchase environmentally preferable products and they are using their purchasing power to make products greener. However, until recently it has been very difficult for most purchasers to determine what products are environmentally better than others. EPEAT is an easy-to-use system to help purchasers deal with the technical complexities of determining which products are actually preferable.
How Can I find an EPEAT product?
A searchable listing of EPEAT registered products is maintained on a Product Registry. See http://www.epeat.net
More information?
EPEAT is a project of the Green Electronics Council. For more information, just contact us.
8 March 2007
What else to do with our prison communities
SVTC: pubs with descriptions
Toxic Sweatshops:
How UNICOR Prison Recycling Harms Workers, Communities, the Environment, and the Recycling Industry
A 2006 SVTC exposé report on abuse of prison labor in the e-waste recycling industry.
For the first time, prison inmates and staff blow the whistle on deplorable health and safety conditions within UNICOR, a controversial government corporation operated under the Dept. of Justice that uses captive prison labor in a range of industries, including the dismantling of toxic e-waste. Read more
Toxic Sweatshops:
How UNICOR Prison Recycling Harms Workers, Communities, the Environment, and the Recycling Industry
A 2006 SVTC exposé report on abuse of prison labor in the e-waste recycling industry.
For the first time, prison inmates and staff blow the whistle on deplorable health and safety conditions within UNICOR, a controversial government corporation operated under the Dept. of Justice that uses captive prison labor in a range of industries, including the dismantling of toxic e-waste. Read more
Inmates Will Replace Migrants in Colorado Fields - New York Times
Inmates Will Replace Migrants in Colorado Fields - New York Times
Under the program, which has drawn criticism from groups concerned about immigrants’ rights and from others seeking changes in the criminal justice system, farmers will pay a fee to the state, and the inmates, who volunteer for the work, will be paid about 60 cents a day, corrections officials said.
Concerned about the possible shortage of field labor, Dorothy B. Butcher, a state representative from Pueblo and a supporter of the program, said, “The workers on these farms do the weeding, the harvesting, the storing, everything that comes with growing crops for the market.”
....Although chain gangs and prison farms have long been staples of American correctional culture, the concept of inmates working on private farms is unusual. But there are signs that other states are following suit. The Iowa Department of Corrections is considering a similar program because of a migrant labor shortage in that state.
Several Iowa farmers called recently to request inmates in lieu of migrant workers, said Roger Baysden, the director of the state’s prison industries program. One farmer asked for as many as 200 inmates, Mr. Baysden said.
“This feels like the re-invention of the plantation,” said Christie Donner, the group’s executive director. “You have a captive labor force essentially working for their room and board in order to benefit the employer. This isn’t a job training program. It’s an exploitative program.”
But Ari Zavaras, executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections, said the merit of a hard day’s work outdoors was invaluable to an inmate.
“They won’t be paid big bucks, but we’re hoping this will help our inmates pick up significant and valuable job skills,” Mr. Zavaras said. “We’re also assisting farmers who, if they don’t get help, are facing an inability to harvest their crops.”
With the start of the farming season looming, Colorado’s farmers are scrambling to figure out which crops to sow and in what quantity. Some are considering turning to field corn, which is mechanically harvested. And they are considering whether they want to pay for an urban inmate who could not single out a ripe watermelon or discern between a weed and an onion plant.
“This is not a cure-all,” Mr. Pisciotta said. “What our farm laborers do is a skill. They’re born with it, and they’re good at it. It’s not an easy job.”
Under the program, which has drawn criticism from groups concerned about immigrants’ rights and from others seeking changes in the criminal justice system, farmers will pay a fee to the state, and the inmates, who volunteer for the work, will be paid about 60 cents a day, corrections officials said.
Concerned about the possible shortage of field labor, Dorothy B. Butcher, a state representative from Pueblo and a supporter of the program, said, “The workers on these farms do the weeding, the harvesting, the storing, everything that comes with growing crops for the market.”
....Although chain gangs and prison farms have long been staples of American correctional culture, the concept of inmates working on private farms is unusual. But there are signs that other states are following suit. The Iowa Department of Corrections is considering a similar program because of a migrant labor shortage in that state.
Several Iowa farmers called recently to request inmates in lieu of migrant workers, said Roger Baysden, the director of the state’s prison industries program. One farmer asked for as many as 200 inmates, Mr. Baysden said.
“This feels like the re-invention of the plantation,” said Christie Donner, the group’s executive director. “You have a captive labor force essentially working for their room and board in order to benefit the employer. This isn’t a job training program. It’s an exploitative program.”
But Ari Zavaras, executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections, said the merit of a hard day’s work outdoors was invaluable to an inmate.
“They won’t be paid big bucks, but we’re hoping this will help our inmates pick up significant and valuable job skills,” Mr. Zavaras said. “We’re also assisting farmers who, if they don’t get help, are facing an inability to harvest their crops.”
With the start of the farming season looming, Colorado’s farmers are scrambling to figure out which crops to sow and in what quantity. Some are considering turning to field corn, which is mechanically harvested. And they are considering whether they want to pay for an urban inmate who could not single out a ripe watermelon or discern between a weed and an onion plant.
“This is not a cure-all,” Mr. Pisciotta said. “What our farm laborers do is a skill. They’re born with it, and they’re good at it. It’s not an easy job.”
3 March 2007
WP: Cherokee Nation may expel blacks - washingtonpost.com Highlights - MSNBC.com
WP: Cherokee Nation may expel blacks - washingtonpost.com Highlights - MSNBC.com
Cherokees, along with Choctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks and Seminoles, were long known as the "Five Civilized Tribes" because they adopted many of the ways of their white neighbors in the South, including the holding of black slaves.
Cherokees, along with Choctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks and Seminoles, were long known as the "Five Civilized Tribes" because they adopted many of the ways of their white neighbors in the South, including the holding of black slaves.
1 March 2007
in Pgh- Youth Workforce Development Conference
Youth Workforce Development Conference
The 2nd annual Youth Workforce Development Conference, presented jointly by YouthWorks and Urban Youth Action, will be held on Friday, April 27, 2007. The conference theme is: Connecting the Dots: Converging Resource for Tomorrow’s Workforce. A new addition is the Youth Career Fair on Saturday, April 28th, co-sponsored by YouthLINK. Both events will be held at the Omni William Penn Hotel. Youth workforce development professionals, educators and community leaders are invited to submit proposals for workshop presentations. Contact: Karen Bryant, 412.281.6629 x213 or kjbryant@youthworksinc.com
The 2nd annual Youth Workforce Development Conference, presented jointly by YouthWorks and Urban Youth Action, will be held on Friday, April 27, 2007. The conference theme is: Connecting the Dots: Converging Resource for Tomorrow’s Workforce. A new addition is the Youth Career Fair on Saturday, April 28th, co-sponsored by YouthLINK. Both events will be held at the Omni William Penn Hotel. Youth workforce development professionals, educators and community leaders are invited to submit proposals for workshop presentations. Contact: Karen Bryant, 412.281.6629 x213 or kjbryant@youthworksinc.com
12 February 2007
The Implications of Service Offshoring for Metropolitan Economies
An examination of service offshoring—the movement of service jobs overseas—forecasts higher than average job losses in twenty-eight U.S. metropolitan areas between 2004 and 2015. Information technology jobs, and the metropolitan areas where they are concentrated, will be hardest hit. To cushion the service offshoring blow, the paper urges federal, state, and local leaders to together pursue policies that boost productivity and innovation, assist workers who are harmed by offshoring, and modernize approaches to economic and workforce development.
Findings
Service "offshoring"—the movement of service jobs from the United States to other countries, especially low-wage countries—has emerged as a concern of both political and business leaders in recent years. Using occupational data, this study projects the likely job losses from service offshoring between 2004 and 2015 in 246 U.S. metropolitan areas. It finds that:
# Twenty-eight metropolitan areas, with 13.5 percent of the nation's population, are likely to lose between 2.6 and 4.3 percent of their jobs to service offshoring, higher than the average loss among the metropolitan areas studied. Five metropolitan areas—Boulder, CO; Lowell, MA; San Francisco, CA; San Jose, CA; and Stamford, CT—are likely to lose between 3.1 and 4.3 percent of their jobs to service offshoring between 2004 and 2015, while 23 others are likely to lose between 2.6 and 3 percent of their jobs. However, 158 metropolitan areas are likely to lose no more than 2 percent of their jobs as a result of service offshoring.
# Large metropolitan areas and metropolitan areas in the Northeast and West are generally more vulnerable to service offshoring than small metropolitan areas or metropolitan areas in the Midwest or South. Job losses from service offshoring between 2004 and 2015 are projected at 2.4 percent for metropolitan areas with populations of one million or more but only 1.7 percent for metropolitan areas with populations below 250,000. About 2.3 percent of jobs in Northeastern and Western metropolitan areas are likely to be offshored, compared to 2.2 percent in Midwestern metropolitan areas and 2.1 percent in Southern ones.
# Metropolitan areas with large concentrations of information technology service jobs or backoffice jobs are generally more vulnerable to service offshoring than other metropolitan areas. Between 2004 and 2015, service offshoring is likely to cause the loss of 2.6 percent of jobs in metropolitan areas that specialize in information technology services and 2.4 percent of jobs in metropolitan areas that specialize in back-office services but only 1.9 percent of jobs in other metropolitan areas.
# At least 17 percent of computer programming, software engineering, and data entry jobs are likely to be offshored in particular metropolitan areas. Employment of computer programmers, data entry keyers, and software engineers (applications) is projected to fall by at least 17 percent between 2004 and 2015 in Bergen-Passaic, NJ; Boston, MA; Boulder, CO; Danbury, CT; Denver, CO; Hartford, CT; Minneapolis, MN; Nashua, NH; Newark, NJ; Orange County, CA; San Francisco, CA; San Jose, CA; Stamford, CT; and Wilmington, DE because of service offshoring. In Bergen-Passaic, 14 to 17 percent of customer service representatives' and insurance underwriters' jobs are projected to move abroad.
Overall, the loss of service jobs to offshoring in the near future will be modest. However, offshoring's impact will be greater in metropolitan areas with high shares of information technology or back-office service jobs and in particular occupations within metropolitan areas. To reduce vulnerability to service offshoring, federal, state, and local leaders should work in concert to pursue policies that boost productivity and innovation, assist workers who are harmed by offshoring, and modernize approaches to economic and workforce development.
Findings
Service "offshoring"—the movement of service jobs from the United States to other countries, especially low-wage countries—has emerged as a concern of both political and business leaders in recent years. Using occupational data, this study projects the likely job losses from service offshoring between 2004 and 2015 in 246 U.S. metropolitan areas. It finds that:
# Twenty-eight metropolitan areas, with 13.5 percent of the nation's population, are likely to lose between 2.6 and 4.3 percent of their jobs to service offshoring, higher than the average loss among the metropolitan areas studied. Five metropolitan areas—Boulder, CO; Lowell, MA; San Francisco, CA; San Jose, CA; and Stamford, CT—are likely to lose between 3.1 and 4.3 percent of their jobs to service offshoring between 2004 and 2015, while 23 others are likely to lose between 2.6 and 3 percent of their jobs. However, 158 metropolitan areas are likely to lose no more than 2 percent of their jobs as a result of service offshoring.
# Large metropolitan areas and metropolitan areas in the Northeast and West are generally more vulnerable to service offshoring than small metropolitan areas or metropolitan areas in the Midwest or South. Job losses from service offshoring between 2004 and 2015 are projected at 2.4 percent for metropolitan areas with populations of one million or more but only 1.7 percent for metropolitan areas with populations below 250,000. About 2.3 percent of jobs in Northeastern and Western metropolitan areas are likely to be offshored, compared to 2.2 percent in Midwestern metropolitan areas and 2.1 percent in Southern ones.
# Metropolitan areas with large concentrations of information technology service jobs or backoffice jobs are generally more vulnerable to service offshoring than other metropolitan areas. Between 2004 and 2015, service offshoring is likely to cause the loss of 2.6 percent of jobs in metropolitan areas that specialize in information technology services and 2.4 percent of jobs in metropolitan areas that specialize in back-office services but only 1.9 percent of jobs in other metropolitan areas.
# At least 17 percent of computer programming, software engineering, and data entry jobs are likely to be offshored in particular metropolitan areas. Employment of computer programmers, data entry keyers, and software engineers (applications) is projected to fall by at least 17 percent between 2004 and 2015 in Bergen-Passaic, NJ; Boston, MA; Boulder, CO; Danbury, CT; Denver, CO; Hartford, CT; Minneapolis, MN; Nashua, NH; Newark, NJ; Orange County, CA; San Francisco, CA; San Jose, CA; Stamford, CT; and Wilmington, DE because of service offshoring. In Bergen-Passaic, 14 to 17 percent of customer service representatives' and insurance underwriters' jobs are projected to move abroad.
Overall, the loss of service jobs to offshoring in the near future will be modest. However, offshoring's impact will be greater in metropolitan areas with high shares of information technology or back-office service jobs and in particular occupations within metropolitan areas. To reduce vulnerability to service offshoring, federal, state, and local leaders should work in concert to pursue policies that boost productivity and innovation, assist workers who are harmed by offshoring, and modernize approaches to economic and workforce development.
1 February 2007
BLACK and AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH
February is both Black History Month and American History Month.
The fact is, Black history is inextricably interwoven with American history.
Explore the Black aspects of American history with Annenberg Media resources.
> Our brand new series "America's History in the Making"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/ahm1.html> provides information about African enslavement, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.
In the coming weeks, look for links to Video on Demand and the series Web site.
> "Primary Sources: Workshops in American History" asks the question, "Who freed the slaves?" and uncovers the complex answer through primary source documents.
Go to the series Web site
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/prim2.html> for Video on Demand, lecture transcripts, relevant documents, and classroom applications.
> Programs 9 through 12 of "A Biography of America"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/boa3.html> cover the era of American slavery and its aftermath, and Program 24 covers the Civil Rights era.
Find coordinated resources on the series Web site, such as this interactive activity
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/boa4.html> counterposing the very different programs of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois for improving the situation of African Americans.
> "Social Studies in Action: A Teaching Practices Library, K-12" Program 18, "The Amistad Case," shows an effective 8th-grade history lesson employing a mock trial.
Find a summary of events, Video on Demand, and more on the series Web site
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/sslib5.html>.
> "The Africans" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/afr6.html>
reveals the African side of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in Program 4, "Tools of Exploitation."
Other programs in the series discuss various aspects of African history and culture. Click on "Buy Videos and Materials" for purchasing options.
For Literature and Art:
> Read about many authors of different eras, such as Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, Harriet Jacobs, and Frederick Douglass
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/apass7.html> on the Web site for "American Passages: A Literary Survey."
The site also offers links to Video on Demand, lesson activities, and more.
> The searchable American Passages artifact archive contains thousands of historical images, such as this one of a 1943 Harlem street scene alongside verses of a
poem from Countee Cullen's "From the Dark Tower."
The archive contains photos of Malcolm X <http://learner.org/redirect/february/x9.html>
and other figures, fugitive slaves
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/slave10.html>, and much more.
And don't leave the site without creating your own slideshow!
> For ideas on presenting African American literature, watch "The Expanding Canon: Teaching Multicultural Literature in High School"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/canon11.html>. On the series Web site, discover the historical significance of the works of Keith Gilyard
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/canon12.html> and other authors.
> Middle school teachers will benefit from "Teaching Multicultural Literature: A Workshop for the Middle Grades"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/tml13.html>.
On the series Web site, find the poem "Africa Rising"
, a 6th-grade literature lesson using the documentary "Eyes on the Prize" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/tml15.html>, and other material exploring African American historical themes.
> For elementary grades, see "Engaging with Literature: A Video
Library, Grades 3-5" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/engl16.html>,
particularly Program 6, "Building Community."
The program shows lessons built around historical fiction, including "I Have a Dream: The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr." and "Walking the Road to Freedom: A Story About Sojourner Truth."
> A companion of "American Passages," our series "Artifacts & Fiction: Workshop in American Literature"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/artfic17.html> delves deep into hands-on teaching.
Watch Workshop 3, "Social History"
, which considers the rhetorical dimensions of actual slavery documents as context for understanding literature of the era.
> Learn about the life, works, and historical significance of poet Langston Hughes with our hour-long documentary in "Voices & Visions"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/vv11.html>. The program features discussion of Hughes by author James Baldwin.
> The series "A World of Art: Works in Progress"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/artwk20.html> includes a documentary on artist Beverly Buchanan, whose innovative art focuses on the shack as an important symbol of the rural South.
The fact is, Black history is inextricably interwoven with American history.
Explore the Black aspects of American history with Annenberg Media resources.
> Our brand new series "America's History in the Making"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/ahm1.html> provides information about African enslavement, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.
In the coming weeks, look for links to Video on Demand and the series Web site.
> "Primary Sources: Workshops in American History" asks the question, "Who freed the slaves?" and uncovers the complex answer through primary source documents.
Go to the series Web site
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/prim2.html> for Video on Demand, lecture transcripts, relevant documents, and classroom applications.
> Programs 9 through 12 of "A Biography of America"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/boa3.html> cover the era of American slavery and its aftermath, and Program 24 covers the Civil Rights era.
Find coordinated resources on the series Web site, such as this interactive activity
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/boa4.html> counterposing the very different programs of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois for improving the situation of African Americans.
> "Social Studies in Action: A Teaching Practices Library, K-12" Program 18, "The Amistad Case," shows an effective 8th-grade history lesson employing a mock trial.
Find a summary of events, Video on Demand, and more on the series Web site
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/sslib5.html>.
> "The Africans" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/afr6.html>
reveals the African side of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in Program 4, "Tools of Exploitation."
Other programs in the series discuss various aspects of African history and culture. Click on "Buy Videos and Materials" for purchasing options.
For Literature and Art:
> Read about many authors of different eras, such as Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, Harriet Jacobs, and Frederick Douglass
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/apass7.html> on the Web site for "American Passages: A Literary Survey."
The site also offers links to Video on Demand, lesson activities, and more.
> The searchable American Passages artifact archive contains thousands of historical images, such as this one of a 1943 Harlem street scene
poem from Countee Cullen's "From the Dark Tower."
The archive contains photos of Malcolm X <http://learner.org/redirect/february/x9.html>
and other figures, fugitive slaves
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/slave10.html>, and much more.
And don't leave the site without creating your own slideshow!
> For ideas on presenting African American literature, watch "The Expanding Canon: Teaching Multicultural Literature in High School"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/canon11.html>. On the series Web site, discover the historical significance of the works of Keith Gilyard
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/canon12.html> and other authors.
> Middle school teachers will benefit from "Teaching Multicultural Literature: A Workshop for the Middle Grades"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/tml13.html>.
On the series Web site, find the poem "Africa Rising"
> For elementary grades, see "Engaging with Literature: A Video
Library, Grades 3-5" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/engl16.html>,
particularly Program 6, "Building Community."
The program shows lessons built around historical fiction, including "I Have a Dream: The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr." and "Walking the Road to Freedom: A Story About Sojourner Truth."
> A companion of "American Passages," our series "Artifacts & Fiction: Workshop in American Literature"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/artfic17.html> delves deep into hands-on teaching.
Watch Workshop 3, "Social History"
> Learn about the life, works, and historical significance of poet Langston Hughes with our hour-long documentary in "Voices & Visions"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/vv11.html>. The program features discussion of Hughes by author James Baldwin.
> The series "A World of Art: Works in Progress"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/artwk20.html> includes a documentary on artist Beverly Buchanan, whose innovative art focuses on the shack as an important symbol of the rural South.
4 January 2007
Youth and High School Reform, National League of Cities, Institute for Youth, Education, and Families
LINK--
http://www.center-school.org/nlc.php
On Wednesday, October 25, 2006, the Center for Schools and Communities and the National League of Cities offered a live, online presentation on ways municipal leaders and public care systems are working to reengage older youth (16-24) who lack strong connections to school, work and the broader community.
The session previewed forthcoming research findings that will soon be released in a National League of Cities' Institute for Youth, Education, and Families publication.
The publication is built around case study research of eight U.S. cities, including Philadelphia....MORE
http://www.center-school.org/nlc.php
On Wednesday, October 25, 2006, the Center for Schools and Communities and the National League of Cities offered a live, online presentation on ways municipal leaders and public care systems are working to reengage older youth (16-24) who lack strong connections to school, work and the broader community.
The session previewed forthcoming research findings that will soon be released in a National League of Cities' Institute for Youth, Education, and Families publication.
The publication is built around case study research of eight U.S. cities, including Philadelphia....MORE
3 January 2007
Ninth Annual Young Producer’s Award
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has announced the 9th Annual Young Producer’s Ward. It is a scholarship program for high school seniors intending to major in a communications-related field when they enter college. The scholarship is worth $2500 and a first-runner up scholarship is available for $500. The scholarships will be awarded to the individuals who prepare the most creative and effective storyboard and script for a 30-second televised public service announcement (PSA) dealing with the following topic: “Bullies: Don’t Be One; Don’t Tolerate One”. In addition to the monetary award, the winner will have an opportunity to work with area television professionals to produce a broadcast-quality PSA based on the storyboard. Once the PSA is produced, it will be aired on local television stations.
See their website at www.natasmid-atlantic.org/ypa.htm for entry forms, script format, storyboard format, content guidelines and research information. The deadline for submission is February 23, 2007.
4 December 2006
Out of Poverty
Challenges for Pennsylvanians Transitioning Out of Poverty: Research & Policy video teleconferenceLearn more about the barriers to Pennsylvania’s low-income individuals retaining work, Pennsylvania’s migrant youth’s expectations for their future, and current Department of Welfare’s changing policies that are impacting Pennsylvanians. The research and policy implications that will be presented are Pennsylvania based. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about diverse clientele groups living in Pennsylvania.
Poverty & Place: Facilitating Successful Transitions into the Workplace
Jill Findeis, Professor of Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Economics & Demography
Pennsylvania’s Hispanic Youth’s Challenges to Achieve Their Dream
Jill Findeis, Professor of Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Economics & Demography; Tasha Snyder,
Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology & Demography; and Leif Jensen, Professor of Rural Sociology & Demography
2006 Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) Impact Upon Pennsylvania’s DPW Programs
Cheryl Davis, Director of Bureau of Employment and Training Programs, Pennsylvania
Department of Public Welfare
For more information, contact: Natalie Ferry, D.Ed., Penn State Cooperative Extension, (814) 863-6150 or nmf3@psu.edu
26 October 2006
Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams
Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams
No more Excuses for Me! ...jim
No more Excuses for Me! ...jim
"It took us three years," says Adrian's teacher, George Rehmet, of the amount of time they spent trying to locate a place on Adrian's body that would allow him to communicate using a computer. This particular computer has pictures tailored especially for Adrian: photographs or pictures of friends and family, including his baby sister, Alexis, and pictures or words depicting situations or events he would like to write about, such as the weather, trips with family, and meal preferences.
24 October 2006
Money, Love and Responsibility
Your Money Counts
------------------------------------
Sunday, October 29, 2006 - 12 PM to 4 PM
St. Benedict the Moore - Social Hall
91 Crawford Street, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219
Adult Financial Literacy Workshop
There is NO registration fee for the workshop and
lunch will be provided for FREE!
PRE-REGISTRATION FORM
+++ 3 ways to Pre-register
* By faxing a form to Your Sister's Project, Inc. (412) 227-0922
* By Calling Your Sister's Project, Inc. at (412) 288-2501
* By e-mailing: YurSisterProject@aol.com
Pre-Registration ends Oct. 26, 2006***
Free Gift Card to the first 27 participants who Pre-register by Oct. 26, 2006.
See recent photos from a Your Sister's Project seminar at: http://flickr.com/photos/jimuleda/
**Photos compliments of Your Sister's Project - 23 Oct 2006.
------------------------------------
Sunday, October 29, 2006 - 12 PM to 4 PM
St. Benedict the Moore - Social Hall
91 Crawford Street, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219
Adult Financial Literacy Workshop
There is NO registration fee for the workshop and
lunch will be provided for FREE!
PRE-REGISTRATION FORM
+++ 3 ways to Pre-register
* By faxing a form to Your Sister's Project, Inc. (412) 227-0922
* By Calling Your Sister's Project, Inc. at (412) 288-2501
* By e-mailing: YurSisterProject@aol.com
Pre-Registration ends Oct. 26, 2006***
Free Gift Card to the first 27 participants who Pre-register by Oct. 26, 2006.
See recent photos from a Your Sister's Project seminar at: http://flickr.com/photos/jimuleda/
**Photos compliments of Your Sister's Project - 23 Oct 2006.
23 October 2006
Allegheny County Community Seminar
Groveton Village Community Seminar
No-Cost Transitions Seminar
October 23rd thru 26th, 2006
11am to 1pm-Mon-Tues-Weds
8am-12noon-Thurs ONLY!
Groveton Community Center
511 Groveton Drive, Coraopolis, PA 15108
Phone:412.279.2888---Fax:412.429.2014
--Jobs, Work Readiness & Careers.
--CCAC Courses
--YOUR SISTER'S PROJECT--Financial Literacy
--Self-Assessments
--Challenges to Success
--Work Acquisition/Maintenance Strategies
26 OCT 2006-Thursday--
Bidwell Training Center--
--Academic Assessments & Campus Tour
Contact:
Barbara Baulding ACHA- 412-402-2523
bbaulding@achsng.com
No-Cost Transitions Seminar
October 23rd thru 26th, 2006
11am to 1pm-Mon-Tues-Weds
8am-12noon-Thurs ONLY!
Groveton Community Center
511 Groveton Drive, Coraopolis, PA 15108
Phone:412.279.2888---Fax:412.429.2014
--Jobs, Work Readiness & Careers.
--CCAC Courses
--YOUR SISTER'S PROJECT--Financial Literacy
--Self-Assessments
--Challenges to Success
--Work Acquisition/Maintenance Strategies
26 OCT 2006-Thursday--
Bidwell Training Center--
--Academic Assessments & Campus Tour
Contact:
Barbara Baulding ACHA- 412-402-2523
bbaulding@achsng.com
20 October 2006
Wives in Danger from Gun Toting Culture
AlterNet: Wives in Danger from Gun Toting Culture
At later gun shows, I started to pay more attention. Were ex- wives and their demands a threat to some guys at the gun shows? I frequently saw books for sale at the shows such as The Predatory Female by Rev. Lawrence Shannon, whose field guide to dating includes a set of tactics to undermine the supposed Gestapo power of women who rule the divorce and child-custody judicial system. In a radio interview, Shannon said that "victims of the predatory female are strewn all over the nation, writing alimony checks, recovering from gunshot wounds, treating cat scratches, trying to see their children, paying attorney's fees, picking through the detritus of their lives, and struggling to recover from ruined years." The Predatory Female is a collection of warnings about women who prey on the feelings and bank ac- counts of unsuspecting men. Female predators have their eyes on one thing alone -- money. They marry and divorce to get alimony. They use emotions of love, trust, and care to undermine the sacred contract of marriage. They are the new scourges of secular life, hunting down unsuspecting men to get bucks and tear out their hearts.
At later gun shows, I started to pay more attention. Were ex- wives and their demands a threat to some guys at the gun shows? I frequently saw books for sale at the shows such as The Predatory Female by Rev. Lawrence Shannon, whose field guide to dating includes a set of tactics to undermine the supposed Gestapo power of women who rule the divorce and child-custody judicial system. In a radio interview, Shannon said that "victims of the predatory female are strewn all over the nation, writing alimony checks, recovering from gunshot wounds, treating cat scratches, trying to see their children, paying attorney's fees, picking through the detritus of their lives, and struggling to recover from ruined years." The Predatory Female is a collection of warnings about women who prey on the feelings and bank ac- counts of unsuspecting men. Female predators have their eyes on one thing alone -- money. They marry and divorce to get alimony. They use emotions of love, trust, and care to undermine the sacred contract of marriage. They are the new scourges of secular life, hunting down unsuspecting men to get bucks and tear out their hearts.
13 October 2006
The Network on Transitions to Adulthood
The Network on Transitions to Adulthood
A new Network book, The Price of Independence: The Economics of Early Adulthood, is in the works. Network members Sheldon Danziger and
Cecilia Rouse have asked economists to examine the economic situation of today's young people. The book will include chapters on:
* Job Stability - Does job churn delay the transition to adulthood?
* Housing Costs - Do housing costs delay the transition to adulthood?
* Earnings and Wages - Do lower paying jobs force youth to move back home?
* International Perspective - Are U.S. young adults alone in staying home longer?
* And more...
Check out the Network website to catch a sneak peak at the chapters.
Chapters, policy briefs, and summaries
A new Network book, The Price of Independence: The Economics of Early Adulthood, is in the works. Network members Sheldon Danziger and
Cecilia Rouse have asked economists to examine the economic situation of today's young people. The book will include chapters on:
* Job Stability - Does job churn delay the transition to adulthood?
* Housing Costs - Do housing costs delay the transition to adulthood?
* Earnings and Wages - Do lower paying jobs force youth to move back home?
* International Perspective - Are U.S. young adults alone in staying home longer?
* And more...
Check out the Network website to catch a sneak peak at the chapters.
Chapters, policy briefs, and summaries
A+ Schools
A+ Schools
Community Forum on Charter Schools
Mark your calendars now! A+ Schools is sponsoring a Community Forum on Charter Schools to be held on Tuesday, November 14th (please note change of date) at Bidwell Training Center, 1815 Metropolitan Street from 6-8:30PM.
Please share this information with your friends, family co-workers and make plans to attend this event.
Join us for a discussion of the process by which charter schools are established; the state laws that govern that process; the process for funding charter schools, and how it might be improved;
and the relationship between charter schools and local school districts in Pennsylvania and how that relationship can be improved to benefit all students.
Community Forum on Charter Schools
Mark your calendars now! A+ Schools is sponsoring a Community Forum on Charter Schools to be held on Tuesday, November 14th (please note change of date) at Bidwell Training Center, 1815 Metropolitan Street from 6-8:30PM.
Please share this information with your friends, family co-workers and make plans to attend this event.
Join us for a discussion of the process by which charter schools are established; the state laws that govern that process; the process for funding charter schools, and how it might be improved;
and the relationship between charter schools and local school districts in Pennsylvania and how that relationship can be improved to benefit all students.
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