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From: Akeel Zaheer <azaheer@famlit.org>
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Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:1807] KidsCampaigns Weekly-December 7,1998
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The following is the latest edition of the KidsCampaigns Weekly newsletter.
KidsCampaigns (http://www.kidscampaigns.org/) is published by the Benton
Foundation.
Akeel H. Zaheer
National Center for Family Literacy
Email: azaheer@famlit.org
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KidsCampaigns Weekly--December 7, 1998
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The Forgotten Half Revisited
Researching Media Coverage on Violence Prevention
Focus on the States
Addiction is a Brain Disease--And It Matters
Ideas for the "Giving" Season
Update on Teething Toys and Vinyl Toy Safety
Coalition for America's Children (CAC) Round-Up
Places to Go! Things to Do!
Job Openings
THE FORGOTTEN HALF REVISITED
Kids going to college not only get an advantage in the job market when they
graduate, they also get a few more years of "growing up" time. But what
about the many youngsters who do not go to college, or are unable to
complete college? "The Forgotten Half Revisited: American Youth and Young
Families 1988-2008" is a follow-up report from the American Youth Policy
Forum to "The Forgotten Half," its 1988 landmark report on
non-college-bound youth and what happens to them in America.
For many youngsters "the die is cast by the eighth grade," according to
Lawrence E. Gladieux and Watson Scott Swail, emphasizing the growing
importance of a completed postsecondary education for young people to truly
benefit from America's robust economy. On the positive side, the original
report's call for shifting resources from deterrence to youth development
has been heeded, with more communities taking the lead as "keepers of
values, problem solvers, and as human eco-systems."
The report offers a number of recommendations: focusing on retaining kids in
college as well as ensuring access, building on the opportunities offered by
community colleges, investing in early childhood health and education to see
rewards in more resilient and capable teens, building on the successes in
engaging youth in community service programs and other ways of engaging
youth and adults together in purposeful activities, systemic changes to
create more effective partnerships between educators and employers, and
continued emphasis on "second chance" efforts for kids who temporarily lose
their way.
You can order the full 202-page report (prepaid $15) or the 28-page summary
($2) by sending a check to AYPF, 1836 Jefferson Place, NW, Washington, DC
22036. Call 202-775-9731 for bulk order discounts.
If you want to help mentor a student at risk, find resources on
KidsCampaigns at http://www.kidscampaigns.org/Connect/opportunities.html. A
new resource, "Yes You Can: A Guide for Establishing Mentoring Programs to
Prepare Youth for College," is also available from the Department of
Education (http://www.ed.gov/pubs/YesYouCan/).
Find out more about how kids can be helped to succeed in school and enter
the workforce in KidsCampaigns feature "Helping Kids Succeed in School"
(http://www.kidscampaigns.org/Whoseside/Succeed/2work.html).
RESEARCHING MEDIA COVERAGE ON VIOLENCE PREVENTION
The National Funding Collaborative on Violence Prevention is looking to test
the best news coverage on violence prevention to see how it changes public
opinion. We're looking for your video taped coverage with the following
characteristics:
1. programs that work -- any news segment that profiled a promising
community project and gave it credit for making a difference or trying to.
2. local heros -- profiles of people who are reducing violence in their
communities or organizing others to do so
3. the community pulling together stories -- where a project is highlighted
that shows ordinary people coming together to take charge of a situation or
place and turn it around
4. different spokespeople -- especially any segment where a teacher,
doctor, member of the clergy or police chief has been the principal
spokesperson for violence prevention efforts
Send your tapes to: Susan Bales at the Benton Foundation, 1634 Eye Street,
NW, 11th floor, Washington, DC 20007. Questions? Email them to
susanb@benton.org.
FOCUS ON THE STATES
The Children's Advocacy Institute has released its "Children's Legislative
Report Card" on the 1997-1998 CALIFORNIA legislative session, including
legislators' grades on critical votes for children. If you want to keep
politicians accountable for their promises for kids, here's a handy tool!
The report card also explains issues at stake for children and families
during the recent state legislative session. Call 619-260-4806 for your
copy.
KENTUCKY has just joined over 40 states which have received their federal
waivers for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Work continues
among the different states on realizing the promise of greater health
insurance coverage for kids. Many state CHIP plans are posted at
http://www.hcfa.gov/init/statepln.htm.
Find out about the health status of kids in your state via the KidsCampaigns
state page (http://www.kidscampaigns.org/states/). If you are an
organization working on behalf of kids, you'll find opportunities in your
KidsCampaigns state page to post notices in the Get Started Bulletin Board,
add your organization to the KidsCampaigns database
(http://www.kidscampaigns.org/criteria.html), and/or nominate a volunteer
for a KidsCampaigner profile
(http://www.kidscampaigns.org/states/pocpost.php?state=CT). If you want to
know where to turn for allies and partners to work on behalf of kids in your
state, the KidsCampaigns state pages are a good place to start!
ADDICTION IS A BRAIN DISEASE--AND IT MATTERS
Remember the "this is your brain on drugs" public awareness campaign to
prevent teen drug usage? Now researchers can actually see pictures of
brains showing the marked differences between the brains of addicted and
nonaddicted individuals, with differences evident regardless of the specific
addictive substance. According to Alan Leshner, Director of the National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), these advances in brain imaging techniques
confirm that addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease of the brain, a
concept important for public understanding and policy decisions. Even if a
person voluntarily begins drug use, once addicted, that person "must be
dealt with as if he or she is in a different brain state"-- treated for the
addiction, not just punished or ostracized
(http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/new.htm#journal237).
"Monitoring the Future," the comprehensive annual report on substance abuse
trends among teens is due to be released this week
(http://www.isr.umich.edu/src/mtf/).
Check out the KidsCampaigns' features on teens
(http://www.kidscampaigns.org/Whoseside/parenting.html) for a focus on youth
drug abuse and on KidsCampaigns feature on kids in foster care
(http://www.kidscampaigns.org/Hot/fostercare/index.html) for a focus on
parental substance abuse.
IDEAS FOR THE "GIVING" SEASON
You don't have to be Bill Gates to give something to the children of the
world (http://www.philanthropy.com/premium/update/98/12/98120201.htm).
According to the New York Times (12/2/98), elementary school kids in Denver,
COLORADO have mounted a campaign to give the gift of freedom to people
enslaved in northern Africa. Motivated by outrage and compassion, the kids
have taken on the campaign as a class project, improving their writing
skills so they can write letters to policy makers and taking on additional
chores to earn money to buy freedom for enslaved women and children.
According to "Keeping the American Promise," the publication endorsed by the
National Council for the Social Studies, kindergarteners through second
graders at the Red Bridge School in Kansas City, MISSOURI have researched
local landmarks and raised money to save and protect the monuments and
fountains in their community.
Teenagers across the country can now get their community action kits to
organize Get Out Spoke'n! Campaigns, campaigns to reduce air pollution and
traffic congestion by promoting safer and easier bicycle use opportunities
in their communities. Kits include instructions and guidelines for keeping
trip diaries, interviewing experts, mapping the community, and conducting
surveys to assess the needs of the community and point the way to community
solutions. Campaign Guides and Facilitators' Guides are available from
Earth Force (http://www.earthforce.org) at 800-23-FORCE (800-233-6723).
Find out how you can give your time and talents to kids by visiting
KidsCampaigns' Help Wanted feature
(http://www.kidscampaigns.org/helpwanted/helpwanted.html). Find out more
ideas for how kids can make a positive contribution to their communities and
their own development on KidsCampaigns' feature at
http://www.kidscampaigns.org/Hot/Summit/smart5.html.
UPDATE ON TEETHING TOYS AND VINYL TOY SAFETY
Last week the KidsCampaigns Weekly reported on warnings regarding DINH
ingredients in some soft vinyl toys, including those that are mouthed by
infants and toddlers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has just
issued a statement on this topic
(http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml99/99031.html). If you want to
get the background information on this or other items posted in the
KidsCampaigns Weekly, you can now access a chronological archive of
KidsCampaigns Weeklies, beginning with September, on the KidsCampaigns
website (http://www.kidscampaigns.org/kids-weekly/archive).
COALITION FOR AMERICA'S CHILDREN (CAC) ROUND-UP
The Coalition is pleased to announce that Taryn Houghton will be the CAC's
new part-time assistant. She will begin January 4, 1999.
Join Together (http://www.jointogether.org) develops hands-on materials for
activists concerned about community violence and substance abuse. Two new
brochures from Join Together capture the lessons learned about the community
building rewards from community efforts to reduce substance abuse. Call
617-437-1500 for "How Community Efforts to Reduce Substance Abuse Have
Influenced Race Relations" and/or "How Efforts to Fight Substance Abuse have
Strengthened Civic Infrastructure."
"Youth! The 26% Solution" published by the Activism 2000 project
(http://www.youthactivism.com) describes how young people can make their
voices heard as advocates with policy makers and legislators.
Learn about the meaning of home and homelessness for infants and toddlers,
and what communities can do in "Home is A Base for Living" from Zero to
Three, the organization that focuses on infant and toddler care and
development (http://www.kidscampaigns.org/hot/early/community.html).
The American Library Association would like to remind community leaders that
the Schools and Libraries Corporation is now accepting e-rate applications
for the 1999-2000 funding year. Application instructions and forms are
online (http://www.slcfund.org). ALA's recent survey of libraries indicated
that while 73% of the nation's public libraries now offer internet access to
the public, many are only able to offer the equivalent of "a learner's
permit" to the information superhighway
(http://www.ala.org/oitp/research/survey98.html).
The latest summary of 1997 vital statistics for infant and child health
(http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/abstract/102/6/1333) is available in
the December 6 issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of
Pediatrics.
The National Education Association (NEA) has won a New England Broadcasting
Association "Best of Broadcasting" award for its CD-ROM "It's All About
Kids," designed to train new teachers and help them survive the challenges
of their first year in the classroom.
PLACES TO GO! THINGS TO DO!
Don't be left out of the game in establishing domestic spending priorities
for federal funds. Many Coalition for America's Children members and others
are working now on strategies to increase domestic investment spending in
the federal FY 2000 budget. A meeting to broaden the base and discuss
strategy is set for DECEMBER 9, in WASHINGTON, DC. Email lesterp@rtk.net
for more information.
Want to get involved in promoting better health care for kids in your state?
Why not attend the national grassroots conference "Health Action ‘99:
Putting the Pieces Together," sponsored by Families USA
(www.familiesusa.org) in WASHINGTON, DC on JANUARY 21-23. If you can't go,
you'll still find good information for advocates on their website.
JOB OPENINGS
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is still looking for a Volunteer
Recruitment Manager for the national office, located in Philadelphia. Email
bdribin@bbbsa.org for a job description.
An NAEYC-accredited child care center in the Williamsburg, VIRGINIA area is
seeking an experienced director. E-mail resume to cgarland@cdr.org or mail
by December 17 to Director Search - Child Development Resources, P.O. Box
280, Norge, VA 23127-0280.
Have a great week, everyone!
Jan Richter, KidsCampaigns Outreach Specialist
jan@benton.org
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About KidsCampaigns
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The KidsCampaigns Weekly is the electronic newsletter of KidsCampaigns
(http://www.kidscampaigns.org/), an action and information center for
citizens, businesses, and parents who want to make their communities work
for kids. The Benton Foundation works to realize the social benefits made
possible by the public interest use of communications.
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KidsCampaigns Weekly
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Feel free to forward this information. Please attribute the source to
"KidsCampaigns (http://www.kidscampaigns.org/), published by the Benton
Foundation."
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