Engaged Citizens

arshadparvez:

INFOGRAPHIC: Hunger And Children In America

BY CLAY DUNN: Sometimes statistics can be difficult to visualize, but our friends at Pivot Point Communications have made it super easy. They created this wonderful graphic that clearly illustrates the hunger problem in America. Check it out and make sure to share with your friends and family.

(via arshadparvez-deactivated2013022)

(Source: hungrytohelp)

tw3news:

Now a fuller picture of what it means to be poor in America.

For years, the Census Bureau’s official measurement of poverty has often been characterized as inadequate. One month after releasing official numbers, the Census Bureau offered a new unofficial count today that looked at the poor through a different lens.

It found there are approximately 49 million people living at or below the poverty line. That’s about 16 percent of the population, or roughly one out of every six people, and 2.5 million more than counted just last month. That’s just one of the changes. The government also assessed in a new way how income and living expenses affect all this.

We round out the picture now with Ron Haskins, co-director of the Brookings Institution’s Center on Children and Families, where, among other things, he follows poverty, inequality and welfare policy. And Heidi Hartmann is president of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a policy research organization focused on women and the economy.

And, Heidi Hartmann, for years, people have complained about the old poverty line and how we arrive at it, basically taking the cost of food and people’s incomes and coming up with a formula. This adds a lot more data into the determination. Is it a better picture of who is poor in the country?

(via photosandactions)

changenationlive:

BRUSSELS, May 29 (UPI) — A UNICEF study of 35 developed countries found the United States had the second-highest rate of child poverty after Romania.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/05/29/US-Second-highest-child-poverty-level/UPI-67641338349787/#ixzz1wNapyciI

cityyear:

What would you say to a young person considering a year of service?

I would say be open to the challenge. I think that to get the most out of it is to be open to do almost anything. Obviously there are some things that are maybe more difficult because you’ve never had the experience or the exposure. You learn these things along the way – you don’t have to come into national service with a whole complete resume. It’s the openness to say I can step up and having the self-confidence to say you know, I can do it.

To read the rest of our interview with Director of AmeriCorps Bill Basl, click here.

gruesomegalaxy:

Things to consider:

Korea pays experiences teachers more and are first ranked in math and reading and third in science.

U.S. teachers are worked the most and paid the 5th worst. And where do U.S. students rank? 14th in reading, 17th in science, and 25th in math.

I’m not saying teacher pay is the only thing that affects low student ranking, but if U.S. teachers are the most worked shouldn’t the student rankings be higher?

politicalprof:

ht: JWG

(Source: courtneymunster)