In The News …

Welcome to Wednesday! Let’s see what’s in the non-profit and local news …

The US Maternal Health Crisis: 14 Numbers You Need To Know — Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday and at Amnesty International, “we’re honoring mothers by fighting for maternal health.” As an update to last year’s report on maternal health in the US, Amnesty has also released some striking numbers: “49: The number of countries that have lower maternal mortality ratios than the US” and “2x: Women living in low-income areas across the US were 2 times as likely to suffer a maternal death.”

Mapping DC’s Food Deserts — Do look over the US Department of Agriculture‘s map of food deserts (low income areas without grocery store access) published on DCentric yesterday: “About 18,000 DC residents live in food deserts … In one such food desert, 39 percent of residents are children. And although Prince George’s County … has more food deserts, DC’s deserts have a higher concentrations of children.” The article also points out that the health problems are two-fold: “Violence and the perception of violence creates environments in which children and adults are less likely to go outside, walk, bike and generally be active.”

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Question for the Day (cont)

Rereading yesterday’s post just now, the following statistic kept leaping out at me:

Studies dating to the 1960s have suggested that children’s experiences inside the classroom are responsible for as little as 20 percent of their overall educational development.

20 percent. For all the focus placed upon on test scores and grading and ranking, the success of a particular student relies (by 80 percent) on factors that their school never sees — of which they might not even be aware. Catalogue Executive Director Barbara Harman made a key point in her response to the NY Times article yesterday:

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Question for the Day

From the “The Fragile Success of School Reform in the Bronx,” NY Times, April 6, 2011:

Upon arrival at [Middle School] 223, students pass through a gantlet of smiling teachers. [Principal Ramon] Gonzalez requires that faculty members stand outside their doors at the start of the school day, part of his effort to set the school off from the grim streets surrounding it. “In our location, kids have to want to come to school,” he says. “This is a very sick district. Tuberculosis, AIDS, asthma rates, homeless shelters, mental-health needs — you name the physical or social ill, and we’re near the top for the city. Which means that when our kids come to school in the morning, when they come through that door, we have to welcome them.”

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7 Question – Sonia Quinonez (SCAN of Northern Virginia)

Greetings! Let’s welcome to “7 Questions” … Sonia Quinonez, Executive Director of SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) of Northern Virginia. Last year alone, 7000 children were reported as victims of abuse in Virginia and SCAN is there to stand up for them, offering parental support groups and education and producing creative public awareness initiatives. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, so this is an ideal time to learn more about SCAN’s essential work in our region.

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

SCAN of Northern Virginia just hosted our annual Allies in Prevention Awards Luncheon last Friday. It was a wonderful gathering of some 190 advocates for children — from front-line child protective services workers to elected officials. We honored five inspiring individuals, who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to improving the lives of children and strengthening families. Leon Harris of WJLA/ABC7 was a delightful emcee introducing us to the Ally Award winners. From a foster parent to a probation officer to a Deputy Director of Community and Human Services, each of the honorees has demonstrated a lifetime of commitment to protecting the most vulnerable children in our community. Our keynote speaker, Christine James-Brown, CEO of the Child Welfare League of America, engaged us in reflections on national advocacy efforts to focus anew on child welfare and the responsibility and accountability each of us has for playing our role in the systems that support families. It was truly an inspiring event.

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In The News …

Welcome to the first Wednesday of the (hopefully not too) rainy month! We have a bundle of Catalogue non-profit news coming your way …

Congratulations to five non-profit leaders — Last night, the winners of the 2010 Exponent Awards were honored by the Meyer Foundation. And of those winners, four are the leaders of Catalogue non-profits: Jean-Michel Giraud of Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place, Layli Miller-Muro of Tahirih Justice Center, Scott Schenkelberg of Miriam’s Kitchen (check out his “7 Questions” interview!), and Adam Tenner of Metro TeenAIDS. Many, many congratulations! You can also check out the Washington Post’s earlier coverage of the award announcement.

Being Bilingual May Boost Your Brain Power — Check out this cool discussion of bilingual families from Monday’s Morning Edition: “Judy and Paul Szentkiralyi both grew up bilingual in the US, speaking Hungarian with their families and English with their peers. When they first started dating, they spoke English [but] when things turned serious they did something unusual — they decided to switch to Hungarian” for their children. Additionally, several Catalogue non-profits, such as the Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS, are also strong evidence for the power in bilingual education!

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Pictures for the Day

Today, catch a glimpse into … Community Help In Music Education (CHIME), which reaches students in 80 DC public schools, teaching them about the music of different cultures and inviting them to experience new instruments for the first time.

In the spring, CHIME brings twenty-two Music Around the World programs to five schools. In the first two photos, kids in kindergarten through 2nd grade take part in world musician Bill Jenkins “Latin Percussion” program and form a cha-cha rhythm band! In the third, Tom Teasley teaches 3rd through 5th graders all about digital music.

(photo by Beki Radovinovic)

(photo by Beki Radovinovic)

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Middle Ground?

I just stumbled upon this article (“For Teachers, Middle School Is Test of Wills”) published four years ago this month in the New York Times as part of a “Critical Years” series, which examined developments in middle school-specific pedagogy and “survival skills.” A few key passages jumped out to me:

Faced with increasingly well-documented slumps in learning at a critical age, educators in New York and across the nation are struggling to rethink middle school, particularly in cities, where the challenges of adolescent volatility, spiking violence and lagging academic performance are more acute.

As they do so, they are running up against a key problem: a teaching corps marked by high turnover, and often lacking expertise in both subject matter and the topography of the adolescent mind […]

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Learning & Housing

From “How a GED Is a Real Advantage…” by Ralph da Costa Nunez, President of the Institute For Children, Poverty & Homelessness, from Saturday’s Huffington Post:

Recent data demonstrate that obtaining a GED has employment and income benefits for all recipients. Nationally, high school dropouts who obtain a GED on average increase their earnings by $115 per week or $3,500 per year.

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In The News …

Welcome to the first Wednesday in March and your weekly news round-up!

State Arts Agencies — Over at Createquity, Ian David Moss follows up on this post by pointing to two new, online national resources for arts advocates. At the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, you can find a simple (albeit unpleasant) breakdown of “major restructuring or funding elimination proposal” by state. The State Arts Appropriation Network, an affiliate of Americans for the Arts, even provides a click-able US map where you can access past and proposed budget numbers. Moss also makes a great point: check to see if your state representatives are already “in the tank for arts funding” so that you can reach out to friends and networks elsewhere!

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7 Questions – Jill Strachan (Capitol Hill Arts Workshop)

Today on “7 Questions,” we have with us … Jill Strachan, Executive Director of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW), which provides educational, exhibition, and performance opportunities to all ages. And which also happens to be just a few hops from my home. Continue reading