Survey Data Finds People Who Live Somewhere Longer, Like It Less

Criticism of state officials for public discontent about Connecticut and data indicating that more people are moving out of Connecticut than moving in has been quite steady for a number of years, and was advertised quite widely during the most recent gubernatorial campaign. Now, data reported by Governing magazine may put into perspective the consternation about Connecticut, given that the state’s population is among the oldest in the nation (ranking 7^th).  Generally, Connecticut residents have been here for a long time.

“Citizen survey data support the notion that those who have resided in their communities longest tend to have more negative feelings about them,” the magazine reported.

The National Research Center (NRC), a research firm that conducts citizen satisfaction surveys, provided Governing with data measuring citizens’ attitudes in roughly 300 localities nationwide. About two-thirds of those with residency of less than five years in a community rated the overall direction of their jurisdictions as “excellent” or “good,” compared to only 48 percent among those who had lived in an area for more than 20 years. Results for other questions yielded similar differences, according to the Governing article, titled “Familiarity Breeds Contempt” in print editions.

“The very characteristics of a community that attract new residents may serve as a source of frustration for some who’ve been around a while. Results for survey questions on confidence in government and treating all citizens fairly also show a drop off among longtime residents,” the magazine reported.

Ashley Kirzinger, who conducts citizen surveys at the University of Illinois at Springfield, told Governing she’s found the same link in her research on local governments in Illinois: The longer people live in a community, the lower the ratings they’ll give a jurisdiction after controlling for age, education, income and race.  Kirzinger’s research also shows that more civically engaged longtime residents tend to report more positive perceptions than those who are not as involved.

A year ago, Forbes magazine reported that “the Nutmeg State rates third overall for quality of life thanks to low crime and poverty rates, a healthy populous and strong schools.”  A 2011 Civic Health Index report on Connecticut found that there was consider civic involvement. “Overall, Connecticut scored better than the national average when it came to voter registration and voter turnout, scored highly in terms of internet connectedness, and ranked 6th in the nation for the percentage of people who donate to charity,” the report found.

NRC President Tom Miller, reflecting on the national data, “suspects some residents gradually develop a lower tolerance for change, even in cities experiencing a transformation generally perceived as positive,” Governing reported.

Nearly 2/3 of Americans Have Confidence in Charities, But More Than 1/3 Don’t, Survey Reveals

Almost two-thirds of Americans have confidence in charities, according to a new poll by the Chronicle of Philanthropy — the first to measure public views on the subject since 2008. Although most expressed “a great deal” or “a fair amount” of confidence in charitable organizations and more than 80 percent said charities do a very good or somewhat good job helping people, dissatisfaction was also expressed.  A significant number voiced concern about finances: a third said charities do a "not too good" or "not at all good" job spending money wisely; and 6 in 10 said their leaders are paid too much, the Chronicle reported.

Half of those surveyed said that in deciding where they will donate, it is very important for them to know that charities spend a low amount on salaries, administration, and fundraising; 34 percent said that was somewhat important.  And 35 percent said they had little or no confidence in charities, the Chronicle underscored.

Maggie Gunther Osborn, President of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy, points out that “in a new and positive era of transparency, better questions are being asked and more data provided about the positive impact of charities.  The sector is being asked to more openly communicate and be accountable to the public trust.  This is a good thing.”

“At the same time,” she added, “outliers and bad actors are publicized and amplified, tarnishing the sector and creating misinformation and incorrect perceptions.”

People who gave charities low marks on spending money wisely were asked what kind of spending they considered unwise. The biggest portion, 37 percent, cited salaries or other administrative costs. The second-highest answer, named by 11 percent, was advertising.

Mary Cahalane, a Connecticut-based nonprofit fundraising consultant and author of the blog Hands On Fundraising, said that “Charities need to do a better job explaining the importance of our work to the general public. Surveys like this are instructive.”

The Chronicle poll, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, surveyed 1,000 adults in June, asking several questions identical to those included in polls that Princeton conducted from 2002 to 2008.

Americans rank charities higher than a range of other institutions. Fifteen percent said they had a great deal of confidence in charitable organizations over all, with 21 percent stating the same about charities in their own communities. Other institutions did not fare nearly as well.  In a June Gallup poll, only 4 percent said they had a great deal of confidence in Congress, 9 percent in big business, 10 percent in newspapers, and 12 percent in banks, public schools, and organized labor. The top scorers: the military (42 percent) and small business (34 percent), the Chronicle reported.

The survey found significant demographic differences in views toward charities. For example, young people were more positive than older people: 65 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds said they had a great deal or fair amount of confidence in charities, compared with 54 percent of people ages 65 and older. Republicans were more likely than Democrats to say nonprofits do a not-too-good or not-at-all-good job spending money wisely (38 percent and 22 percent, respectively), the Chronicle noted.

“Even the politicians are trying to highlight outliers in the sector to make statements about the whole which are creating false perceptions and in fact end up undermining the social purpose sector and creating false understandings,” Osborn explained.

“It also undermines the ability of the sector to continue to care for the most vulnerable, lift up and advance our society through the arts and education and create ways to deal with safety, environmental and health shifts of enormous impact on our daily lives,” she continued.  “The majority of people, who have factual information or just faith, support and believe in the powerful good of the sector.”

Cahalane also noted three thoroughly debunked myths about charities, which nonetheless remain widely held, are reflected in the survey results:

• Myth #1: Charities should spend every dollar on direct service. This has been called the “overhead myth”. Services can’t happen without administrative and fundraising support. Charities should spend money wisely, but looking at a ratio of service versus administration expenses is not wise. The largest watchdog groups have realized this, she points out.
• Myth #2: Nonprofit staff don’t deserve to be paid for their work. Many staff people have years of specialized experience and skill. This is their profession, and they deserve to be paid fairly for their work. If charities are to run well, skilled people are needed to do the work. A few egregious examples of high executive salaries shouldn’t fool anyone: most in the industry make considerably less than they would in the for-profit world, Cahalane explains.
• Myth #3: People make giving decisions based on low salaries or administrative costs. Most do not. Most give to organizations that make a good case for giving - organizations that move their hearts and align with their values, she emphasized.

When asked in the survey about factors that influence their giving, the biggest portion, 68 percent, said it is very important the charity has evidence that its programs are effective. The other factors, in addition to the 50 percent who favored low overhead spending: the charity gets good ratings from watchdogs, 54 percent; it works on a cause that has affected me or my loved ones, 39 percent; it only occasionally asks for money, 27 percent; and I know people who work there, 24 percent.

In the survey, women had more confidence than men (66 percent to 57 percent) in charitable organizations, and college graduates had more than those with just some college (73 percent to 56 percent).  In 2008, 64 percent said they had a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in charities, compared with 62 percent in the new poll.

Update:  Additional Resource

Four CT Businesses Among Finalists in Martha Stewart American Made Competition

Four Connecticut small businesses owners and entrepreneurs are among the finalists selected in the Martha Stewart American Made contest, which highlights the creativity in design, crafts, food and style that is thriving nationwide.  Members of the public can vote on-line for their favorites, with the winners to be announced later this month.  The Connecticut-based finalists operate in Hartford, Bridgeport, East Lyme and Stafford Springs. “Made in America” means that “all or virtually all” of the product has been made in America—that is, all significant parts, processing, and labor that go into the product must be of U.S. origin. Products should not contain any—or should contain only negligible—foreign material. 

The descriptions of the Connecticut-based finalists:

• American Woolen (Stafford Springs - Design Finalist) is re-introducing excellence in domestic textile manufacturing and re-establishing the American "Metropolitan" style aesthetic. American Woolen occupies a red brick, textile mill in northeastern Connecticut. Originally constructed in 1853 and subsequently extended in 1919, the building offers textured surfaces and colors that provide continuous inspiration for our fabric collections.
• Paloma's Nest (East Lyme - Design Finalist) creates new traditions for modern families- heirloom gifts that celebrate wedding, baby, home & holiday. It is the creative work of husband and wife team Jose Vasquez-Corbalan and Caroline Colom Vasquez. Designing together since the day they met (literally designing furniture on cocktail napkins), the pair handcrafts each and every Paloma's Nest item in their coastal Connecticut studio from fine wood and clay materials.
• Raw Material (Bridgeport - Crafts Finalist) is one part street, one part rural Americana. The business’s DIY Knit Kits let anyone create luxe fashion with American-spun merino and alpaca yarn.  Raw Material is a collaboration between mill, woodworker and knitwear maker, using American fiber, spun in an artisan mill. The business works out of a studio in Bridgeport, CT in the American Fabrics Art Building.
• Hartford Artisans Weaving Center’s (Hartford - Crafts Finalist) mission is to promote the craft of hand weaving in a supportive and creative community to individuals with low or no vision or senior in age. People may enroll in the program to get out of the house, to learn a new craft, or to earn extra income; however, “they find far more at our center. They form social bonds, dispelling the loneliness and isolation so common among sight-impaired, blind, and/or senior people,” the website points out.

Creative entrepreneurs and small business owners were encouraged to enter the Martha Stewart American Made Choice competition. From all the published nominees, up to 1,000 finalists have been selected to compete for the American Made Awards across the categories of crafts, design, food, and style. Of these finalists, up to 500 will be handpicked by a panel of judges. From the entire pool of finalists, one winner will be selected. Voting ends on October 19, 2015 at midnight.  The Audience Choice Award Winner will be announced on or about October 23, 2015.

American Made “spotlights the maker, supports the local, and celebrates the handmade,” according to the competition’s website.  The program is made up of people and communities that have “turned their passion for quality craftsmanship and well-designed goods into a way of life.” The categories are Crafts, Design, Food and Style.

Martha Stewart and the executive editorial team of Martha Stewart Living will serve as category judges and oversee the selection process of the finalists. The judges will base their selections on the following criteria: Innovativeness, demonstrated creativity, and originality of idea; workmanship; appearance; and embodiment of an American made theme.

https://youtu.be/9i56efixOLY

https://youtu.be/jadOiFFFA5Q

Aurora Foundation Grants Focus on College Preparedness, College Completion for Region's Girls

The Aurora Foundation, which supports women and girls in Greater Hartford, has awarded a $20,000 grant to Trinity College and four partner organizations to launch Free to Succeed, a pilot program designed to increase higher education opportunities for women being released from prison in Connecticut.  The grant is the largest among ten grants, focused on college preparation and college completion, being provided to ten organizations, totaling $92,000. By forging a collaborative initiative, the Trinity Prison Seminar Series, Capital Community College (CCC), Manchester Community College (MCC), Community Partners in Action, and Judy Dworin Performance Project have created a program providing accessible college-level course offerings, advising, arts engagement, and mentoring for female inmates at York Correctional Institution (YCI), the state’s only prison for women, and pivotal support services after their release to expedite enrollment in associate degree programs at CCC and MCC.

At Trinity, Judy Dworin, professor of theater and dance, emerita, and Sheila Fisher, professor of English and coordinator of the Trinity Prison Seminar Series, were instrumental in developing Free to Succeed, the goal of which is to ensure that participating women, who begin taking college classes while still incarcerated, are able to complete an associate’s degree upon release.

Since 2005, Dworin’s nonprofit organization, Judy Dworin Performance Project (JDPP), has offered comprehensive arts outreach programs for women, children, and families affected by incarceration. The Trinity Prison Seminar Series (TPSS), since 2012, has provided post-secondary credit-bearing courses for women incarcerated at YCI. Prison education outreach efforts at Trinity College provide educational opportunities for Trinity undergraduates to investigate critical issues concerning the correctional system through reading and discussion, as well as through field study.

The Aurora Foundation will also be providing a $15,000 grant to the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) for a new initiative, Inspiring College Readiness & Increasing College Retention for Minority Women in the Greater Hartford area. This new program will provide a stipend for USJ Latina students to complete an internship at either the Connecticut Department of Children and Families or the USJ Gengras Center. It will also provide inspiration to Bulkeley high school girls to hear from the USJ students about exploring careers and remaining in school.

The Urban League of Greater Hartford’s Project Ready College Success Program, GO, GIRLS! leverages an existing program and will pilot its first minority female cohort. This program, which also is to receive a $10,000 grant from Aurora Foundation, “has the potential for being a model to replicate at other Urban Leagues.,” according to the Foundation. The grant will enhance and expand its existing program designed to provide college preparation and retention services to at-risk minority females to increase the likelihood that they will enroll in and succeed in attaining college degrees.

The Women in Transition (WIT) program at Charter Oak State College is an initiative that provides the opportunity for single, underemployed and underserved mothers to earn a college degree on-line. A $10,000 grant from Aurora Foundation will cover the cost of tuition and fees, books and internet service. The Women in Transition Program was established in 1999 by the former President of Charter Oak State College, Dr. Merle Harris.

The Aurora Foundation, which partnered with the Farmington Bank Community Foundation to support Free to Succeed, is currently focusing strategic grant making and community initiatives in the areas of college readiness and retention, based on findings from the organization’s 2014 Aurora Report indicating that college completion is critical to a woman’s economic stability and well-being, as well as that of her family.  Grants are also being provided to the University of Hartford’s Women’s Advancement Initiative, the Hartford region YWCA, Grace Academy, Goodwin College’s Women Investing in Secure Education (WISE) program, and the Boys & Girls Club of Hartford.

The organization’s website stresses that “As we move into our planning for the 2016 grants cycle, we will be increasingly focused on partnering with organizations with programs proven to help females complete their college education, knowing how important a post-secondary degree is to economic self-sufficiency that women seek for themselves and their families.”

Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney will be the keynote speaker at the foundation’s 10th Annual Signature Breakfast on October 16.  The theme is “Driving Change for Women.”

Shelton's Wiffle Ball Being Pitched for National Toy Hall of Fame

A Connecticut native is being considered for induction into the National Toy Hall of Fame.  The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y. has announced its twelve finalists for this year's induction into the National Toy Hall of Fame, and the Wiffle Ball – invented and still manufactured in Connecticut - is among them. It all began in the summer of 1953, when David N. Mullany, grandfather of the current company owners (brothers David and Stephen) was watching his 12 year old son and a friend play a game in their backyard in Fairfield, using a perforated plastic golf ball and a broomstick handle. They had given up on baseball and softball - not enough players for two teams, not enough space for a field, and too many broken windows.

After some trial and error, the wiffle ball was invented, and the rest is history – perhaps Hall of Fame worthy history. Even with the abundance of toys and rapidly expanding new technology available to today’s youth, the Wiffle Ball business remains strong, with millions manufactured in Shelton and distributed world-wide every year.

The competition is tough, including favorites from more recent decades and some with origin generations ago.  Among the other toy finalists for 2015: American Girl dolls, Battleship, coloring book, Jenga, PLAYMOBIL, puppet, scooter, Super Soaker, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, top, and Twister. Only two of these iconic toys will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The finalists are chosen by historians and curators at The Strong. From there, a national panel of judges made up of inventors, educators, psychologists and others choose the winners.

Established in 1998, the National Toy Hall of Fame serves to recognize toys that have stood the test of time, remaining popular with kids generation after generation. The 12 toys are chosen on the advice of an advisory committee, and the winner will be announced at the Strong Museum in Rochester next month - on Thursday, November 5 at 10:30 a.m.

Inducted toys are selected on the basis of the following criteria:

1. Icon-status: The toy is widely recognized, respected, and remembered.
2. Longevity: The toy is more than a passing fad and has enjoyed popularity over multiple generations.
3. Discovery: The toy fosters learning, creativity, or discovery through play.
4. Innovation: The toy profoundly changed play or toy design. A toy may be inducted on the basis of this criterion without necessarily having met all of the first three.

If the Wiffle Ball wins, it will join toys such as bubbles, Candy Land, checkers, Crayola Crayon, Mr. Potato Head, Barbie, Monopoly, Easy-Bake Oven, G.I. Joe, the Frisbee, View-Master and Hot Wheels, just to name some of the 56 toys that have been inducted so far.  Last year’s selections were the Rubik's Cube, bubbles and Little Green Army Men.  The previous year, Chess and the Rubber Duck were inducted.

The Strong Museum is also running an internet-based poll asking viewers to select their preferred toy.  (One vote permitted every day.)   With 4,500 votes cast as of this week, the Whiffle Ball is in the lead among the 12 finalists, with 854 votes, about 18 percent of the total votes cast; followed by the puppet, the coloring book and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

https://youtu.be/iPrFiBxCX-s

Building Police-Community Connections As Diversity Lags in Hartford

When Governing magazine examined the diversity within local police departments, compared with the communities they serve, Hartford was among the ten cities with the largest disparity.  But two recent programs that have also received national attention underscore the city’s efforts to strengthen relationships between police and the community. The data indicated that Hartford’s police department was 35.3 percent minority, in a city where the population is 84.1 percent minority.  That was the 7^th largest gap in the nation, after Fontana, CA; Edison, NJ; Irving, TX; Grand Prairie TX; Daly City, CA; and Allentown, PA.  Using 2013 data, Governing reviewed 269 local police agencies across the country.

The article points out that “although no national standards regarding diversity levels exist, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies does require accredited agencies to adopt steps to ensure their workforce mirrors their communities.”  It also indicates that “law enforcement experts emphasize that mending fractured relationships with communities takes much more than merely a diverse force.”

Two locally developed programs, one at the Hartford Public Library (HPL) and the other at the Charter Oak Cultural Center, are working at building police-community relationships.

HPL is one of 10 public libraries in the U.S. that have been participating in the American Library Association’s Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) initiative since April 2014. The initiative, in collaboration with the nonprofit Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, is an 18-month community engagement training program where libraries learn how to address challenges facing their community.

Hartford’s work was recently featured on the national website of the American Library Association.

Through eight community conversations in Hartford’s North End neighborhood, HPL found that residents’ main concerns were public safety, community violence, and their relationship with the police. In response, a three-session community dialogue on public safety with police and community members was held, led by HPL community engagement director Richard Frieder.  Participants ranged in age from 18 to 87.

During the three sessions, according to published reports, the groups got to know each other; talked about what makes a good neighborhood and what they liked about theirs, what they would like to change, how safe community members feel, and what they believed the residents’ and police officers’ roles were in making the community safe; and figured out how to take action and solve the problems.

Some of the ideas generated include having the police and the community members participate in more activities and learning experiences together, such as block parties and community theater, where they address these issues.  Even though the 18-month project officially ends this month, HPL’s staff hopes to sustain the values and goals they developed.

At the same time, another initiative in the city was taking root – one which soon reached the pages of The New York Times and the attention of the White House.

The Charter Oak Cultural Center’s Good Vibrations program began with a conversation between Hartford’s police chief, James Rovella, and the Center’s director, Rabbi Donna Berman.  The innovative program, which began earlier this year, sought to pair middle school age students who were at a crossroads in their lives with Hartford police officers to inspire and inform the youths involved as well as helping to change the community's negative perception of police officers.  Nearly two dozen students – and police officers – collaborate on musical instruments, and in composing rap lyrics.  The relationships built, and music made, has been described as transformative. Good Vibrations includes two free courses; a Rap Poetry/CD production class, and a guitar class. All the materials are free, including the guitars, which students get to keep.

Last month, a Hartford police officer and a seventh-grader who participate in the program were honored at the White House as "Champions of Change" for their role in helping to build "bridges between youth and law enforcement, while improving public safety," according to the White House. "During the three-and-a-half month program, officers and youth helped to lift the negative stigma between police and youth through open discussions about racism, crime, government, and family."

One participating middle-schooler told the Times: “I thought police officers were just to catch bad guys and be in a bad tone. But these guys are awesome. They’re always in a good tone with us. They play with us. They tag along in our jokes. They do stuff with us. They help us. They give us advice and everything.”

Medical Device Tax Seen as Inhibitor to Innovation, Repeal Sought

Emerging technologies that can develop breakthrough medical devices are at the intersection of innovation and tax policy, and a growing list of businesses and organizations are urging Congress to repeal a tax, instituted as part of the Affordable Care Act, that they say is harmful to industries with the potential to improve lives and boost local economies.  The issue has particular resonance in Connecticut, where efforts to grow technology, precision manufacturing and the medical and pharmaceutical industries have accelerated in recent years.  Medical technology creates more than two million jobs directly and indirectly across the United States. The industry is one of the few U.S. manufacturing sectors that is a net exporter, and its innovations help reduce the human and economic burden of chronic disease.  Industry officials point out that while U.S. leads the world in the development of new medical technology, the device tax “threatens that leadership.”

Earlier this year, a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal the medical device tax.  The fate of the proposal in the Senate is unclear.  A growing coalition of research advocates, disability rights leaders, patient groups and others support repeal of the device tax because, they say, it drains critical resources away medical innovation.  According to a 2015 study by opponents of the tax, two-thirds of med-tech companies that were surveyed said they had to either slow or halt job growth at their companies because of the medical device tax.

Between 2002 and 2012, the number of jobs in the Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing industry in Connecticut increased by 10.75 percent, with the addition of about 700 jobs, according to the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC).  CERC’s research indicated that jobs in the field were almost twice as concentrated in Connecticut in comparison to the United States, with average wages above the national average, with more than 150 companies in the medical equipment and supplies manufacturing business.

Connecticut’s medical device industry continues to see new entries.  Just two years ago, a company launched by a 2011 UConn graduate, Orthozon Technologies, received local notice for its newly developed “minimally invasive tool for spine surgeons,” which led to the company’s quickly “gaining momentum in the medical device field,” the Fairfield County Business Journal reported that year.

The Stamford-based company’s Lumiere™ is a state-of-the-art minimally invasive surgical retractor that provides “access and visibility for physicians as well as faster and less painful recovery time for patients,” according to the company website.  Utilizing a patented technology with powerful unobstructed fiber optic lighting, translucent retractor blades, full medial access, and an expandable field of view, the medical device provides surgeons with a tool “for quicker and more efficient spinal decompressions.”

Earlier this month, when the state’s fastest growing technology firms were honored at the 2015 Marcum Tech Top 40, in partnership with the Connecticut Technology Council, medical devices were among the technologies highlighted. 

One of the leading categories included “Medical Devices companies manufacturing medical instruments and devices including medical diagnostic equipment (X-ray, CAT scan, MRI), medical therapeutic devices (drug delivery, surgical instruments, pacemakers, artificial organs), and other health related products such as medical monitoring equipment and handicap aids.”

Among the companies selected was Guilford-based Bio-Med Devices, which designs, manufactures, and markets a complete line of critical care and transportable respirators/ventilators, air - oxygen blenders, ventilation monitors,  disposable and reusable breathing circuits, and accessories.

Connecticut Innovations. The state’s leading source of financing and ongoing support for Connecticut’s innovative, growing companies, highlights six Connecticut companies in the medical device industry within its investment portfolio, with some investments dating back to 2007.

Nationwide, an aging population, people with disabilities living longer lives, and chronic disease rates growing at faster rates, lead advocates of repeal say now is the time for more—not less—resources to advance cures and treatments that help people live longer and healthier lives.  The industry survey indicated that 85 percent of respondents plan to reinstate forgone R&D projects if the tax is repealed.

https://youtu.be/uqTdNffOaas

Early Childhood Data Aims to Helps Pre-K Learners in Hartford, West Hartford Neighborhoods

Long before a child steps into a Kindergarten classroom, they are getting ready for school. How ready they are on day one, and how local policies can influence that preparedness, is the focus of an initiative in Greater Hartford that has proven to be successful in communities around the world. In partnership with the public school districts and municipal leadership of Hartford and West Hartford, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is piloting the use of the Early Development Instrument (EDI) to gauge the learning readiness of incoming Kindergarteners from different neighborhoods.

Recognizing that families and caregivers are the first teachers— and homes and neighborhoods are the first learning environments – the EDI process strives to discern what works best.  The EDI is an assessment that provides population-level data by neighborhood on school readiness, and has been used in over 40 communities in the United States and extensively internationally.

“Positive relationships and supportive environments guide a young child’s development and provide the foundation for future learning and well-being,” said Richard Sussman, director of Early Childhood Investments at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. “While the EDI provides important data, the most impactful aspect of this project is the collective action strategy which encourages parents, residents, and communities to use data to make positive changes to support young children and families in their neighborhoods.”

Last year, after students had been in class for at least three months, Kindergarten teachers in Hartford, West Hartford, and Jumoke Academy filled out a comprehensive questionnaire regarding the social competence; emotional maturity; language and cognitive skills; physical health and well-being; and communication skills of each of their students.  Approximately 2500 kindergarten students were included, representing about 85 percent of the kindergarten-age population of Hartford and West Hartford.

EDI looks at the whole population of children in a neighborhood; it is not a diagnostic tool for individual children or a means to evaluate individual teachers or programs. The process enables local leaders to develop customized solutions designed specifically for their communities. It identifies obstacles facing children in individual neighborhoods and builds improvement strategies around resources that already exist, officials point out.

The Hartford Foundation worked in partnership with Trinity College’s Cities and Suburbs and Schools Project, the Connecticut Data Collaborative, and the University of Connecticut’s Mapping and Geographic Information Center (MAGIC) to analyze and visualize the data to help communities examine outcomes in the context of neighborhoods, socioeconomic and community resources. This information can be accessed by logging on to edi.ctdata.org.

It is hoped that this work will be shared broadly with key stakeholders in the community including local municipal officials to create dialogue that focuses on using limited resources more effectively to support young children and families.

The Foundation has trained community residents and community-based organizations in Hartford to interpret the EDI data and lead discussions in Hartford neighborhood. Several parent-led “community cafés” focused on analyzing neighborhood data have already taken place with a half dozen additional  cafés and follow-up meetings scheduled, to take closer looks at specific data and steps to improve outcomes for young children. 

The Hartford Foundation has developed a brochure in English and Spanish for local residents that explains the background, purpose and methodology of the Early Development Instrument. This brochure can be downloaded at hfpg.org.  At present, over 40 communities nationwide work with UCLA on the EDI project and the university center works with its international colleagues in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom where the instrument is used widely.

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding communities. In 2015, the Foundation marks ninety years of grant making in the Greater Hartford region, made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations. It has awarded grants of more than $620 million since its founding in 1925.

Votes to Decide if Hartford Journalism & Media Academy Will Receive $100,000 Grant

The Hartford Journalism & Media Academy is one of six education programs in New England vying for a $100,000 grant to further their student-centered learning approach to education.  Voting is now underway via the internet – and the deadline to cast a vote is September 30. The Lawrence W. O’Toole Award is given out each year to an individual, organization, school or district exhibiting great leadership through innovation or courage in moving student-centered approaches to learning forward in New England. The winner will receive a $100,000 grant from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.

The Students at the Center Hub – a relatively new website - was created through a partnership between the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and Jobs for the Future. It is a resource for educators, families, students and communities interested in learning more about student-centered approaches to learning. Visitors to the site can “explore the research behind it; the practices that nurture it; policies that support it; and how to communicate about it.”  Details on each of the nominated programs are included on the site.

The mission of the Hub is to help raise the visibility of student-centered learning in New England and beyond, offer a centralized location for tools and resources on student-centered learning approaches, and provide a user-friendly, interactive space for practitioners, implementers and supporters of student-centered approaches to learning.

At the Hartford Journalism and Media Academy (JMA), students are learning first-hand how storytelling and student voice can transform education. Students at JMA attend a satellite campus at Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network (CPBN) in Hartford, where they are working alongside seasoned journalists to produce content for the station while gaining 21st skills like creativity, collaboration and communication. As part of the station’s Education Reporting Initiative, students are investigating the impact of student-centered learning policies and practices in the public education system.

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation is working to reshape public education across New England to be more equitable and more effective – so every student graduates from high school ready to succeed in college or the workplace – and contribute to their communities as informed citizens.

In addition to the Hartford Journalism & Media Academy, in the running for the grant are Portland Empowered (Maine), Burlington High School (Vermont), The Highlander Institute (Rhode Island), Sanborn Regional School District (New Hampshire) and Youth on Board (Boston).

Voting is open to one vote per email address. As of Monday morning, the Hartford Journalism & Media Academy was running fifth in the voting.  A total of nearly 11,000 votes had been cast.

https://youtu.be/Qq8w3mj4NZI

CT Ranks Fourth in Number of Planned Parenthood Sites Per Capita

As controversy continues to swirl in the nation’s capital regarding federal funding of Planned Parenthood, a recent tally of Planned Parenthood locations nationwide indicates that Connecticut ranks 4^th in the number of locations within the state, based on the state’s female population. The news organization Bloomberg ranked the U.S. states and the District of Columbia based on the number of Planned Parenthood locations per 100,000 women, ages 15 to 49.  Connecticut, with 2.08 locations per 100,000 women, ranked behind Vermont (8.74), Alaska (2.37), and Montana (2.33).  Rounding out the top 10 were Washington, Iowa, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Colorado, and Indiana. 

With 17 locations in Connecticut, the state ranked 14^th in the number of Planned Parenthood locations within the state.  The largest number are in California (114), New York (59), Pennsylvania (36), Texas (35), and Washington (32).  Also ranked among the top 15 are Ohio (28), New Jersey (26), Florida and Indiana (23), Wisconsin (22), Michigan and Colorado (21), Illinois and Minnesota (18) and Connecticut (17).

Locations of Planned Parenthood Centers in Connecticut include Bridgeport, Danbury, Danielson, Enfield, Hartford, Manchester, Meriden, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Norwich, Old Saybrook, Stamford, Torrington, Waterbury, West Hartford and Willimantic.

According to the organization’s website, Planned Parenthood has 59 unique, locally governed affiliates nationwide operating approximately 700 health centers, "which reflect the diverse needs of their communities."

These health centers provide a wide range of safe, reliable health care — and the majority is preventive, primary care, which helps prevent unintended pregnancies through contraception, reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections through testing and treatment, and screen for cervical and other cancers, the website points out.