Survey Reveals Teens Unprepared for Costs of College, Uncertain About Future

As prospective college students receive word this month on whether they’ve been accepted to their preferred institution – and how much financial aid they’ll be receiving - the greater challenge begins.  That’s the grueling exercise to crunch the numbers to try to come up with ways to afford the impending and imposing tuition bill. That reality makes the findings of the Junior Achievement USA^® (JA) and The Allstate Foundation's 2013 Teens and Personal Finance Poll ring alarm bells for teens and their families, as they look ahead to the financial impact of college:

• Only 9% of teens report they are currently saving money for college.
• More than a quarter of teens (28%) haven’t talked with their parents about paying for college.
• More than half (52%) of teens think students are borrowing too much money to pay for college.

JA is helping students understand the importance of saving and planning for future financial needs, working with students from kindergarten through 12^th grade.  That’s at the core of JA’s work, driven by volunteers who provide a real-world view for students.  To meet the need reflected in the latest data and reach more students, JA has opportunities right now – often at a school close to home - for volunteers to participate.

The increasing cost of college, difficult job market and sluggish economy appear to be affecting teens’ views on the timetable for attaining financial independence, and the prospects for their long-term financial security.  According to the poll, during the past two years the percentage of teens who:

• Think they will be financially dependent on their parents until age 25 has more than doubled – from 12% in 2011 to 25% in 2013.
• Say they don’t know or are not sure at what age they will attain financial independence from their parents jumped from a mere 1% in 2011 to 11% in 2013.
• Don’t know or who are unsure if they will be financially better off than their parents has risen significantly, from 4% to 28%.

Teens’ uncertainty about their financial future is also a reflection of their lack of financial knowledge and understanding.  More than one-third (34%) are somewhat or extremely unsure about their ability to invest money.  And of the 33% of teens who say they do not use a budget, 42% are "not interested," and more than a quarter (26%) think that "budgets are for adults."

“Today’s teens expect to be financially dependent on their parents longer, and the number who can’t even predict when they might gain financial independence has jumped ten-fold in just the past two years,” said Louis J. Golden, President of JA of Southwest New England.  “The economy certainly plays a role, but part of the uncertainly is because far too many teens lack a fundamental understanding of how to manage their money.  JA delivers specific, effective programs directly to the classroom that respond to that knowledge gap.”

JA's unique delivery system provides the training, materials, and support necessary to build student skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Last year, more than 2,500 volunteers - business professionals, parents, retirees, and college students – offered JA programs to more than 34,500 students in schools throughout Hartford, Litchfield, New Haven, Windham, Tolland, New London and Middlesex counties.

The volunteers use their personal experiences to make the JA curricula practical and realistic. Providing children with positive adult role models, who illustrate ways to build self-confidence, develop skills and find avenues of success in our economic system, is a hallmark of Junior Achievement.  Individual interested in learning more about the JA volunteer program should contact 860-525-4510 or visit www.jaconn.net for details.

Hartford Is Top-50 City for Volunteers, Survey Finds

A survey of the level of volunteering in 75 American cities  places Hartford in the top 50, finishing in a tie for 47^th, with 26 percent of adults having participated in volunteer work, volunteering programs or volunteering organizations in the past 12 months.  That’s just slightly below the national average of 27 percent.  Hartford, which tied with Albany, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Greensboro and Sacramento, was the only Connecticut city on the list, developed by Scarborough Research. The top local markets were Salt Lake City, UT (42%); Minneapolis, MN (34%); Des Moines, IA (34%); Portland, OR (34%) and Grand Rapids, MI (33%).

The generational breakdown of volunteers, according to the survey: Millennials (20% of adults participated in volunteer work in the past 12 months), Generation X (27%), Baby Boomers (34%) and the Silent Generation (18%).

The survey also revealed additional demographic information about volunteers. Adults who are self-employed or small business owners are 12 percent more likely than all U.S. adults to be volunteers. While 43 percent of volunteers are employed full-time, they are 16 percent more likely to hold white collar employment and 34 percent more likely to have a college degree or higher.

Volunteers are not only generous with their time; they are financially charitable as well. They are:

• 84 percent more likely than all U.S. adults to have contributed to an arts/cultural organization in the past 12 months,
• 61 percent more likely to donate to an environmental organization and
• 60 percent more likely to contribute to a political or social care/welfare organization in the same time period.

Fifty-seven percent of volunteers contributed to a religious organization in the past year.

For nonprofit organizations seeking to communicate with and reach out to potential volunteers, the survey suggests where and how to do so.  The survey reported that 56 percent of volunteers read the local news section of their newspaper and 38 percent read the international/national sections.

Regarding television and radio habits, the survey found that volunteers are 17 percent more likely than all U.S. adults to tune in to HGTV, 16 percent more likely to watch PBS and 13 percent more likely to watch TLC. The top radio formats for volunteers are Adult Contemporary (26% of volunteers listen), Pop Contemporary (26%) and Country (25%).

The survey was conducted in November 2012, covering the previous 12 months.  Scarborough Research, based in New York City, is a joint venture between Arbitron Inc. and The Nielsen Company.

After-School Network Highlights Accomplishments, Fights for Budget

The lengthy corridor between the State Capitol building and the Legislative Office Building routinely hosts informational poster displays on its walls, in two-week cycles, from a broad range of agencies, organizations and associations, highlighting their work and the impact it has on the state.  Reservations for the space are routinely made weeks in advance. One of the current displays, coordinated by the Connecticut After School Network, comes at a time when they – like many other nonprofit organizations and state agencies – are facing a potential budget cut from the state, at the urging of Gov. Malloy.  Ultimately it is the state legislature that will determine the parameters of the budget, a debate underway throughout the Capitol complex amongst legislators who pass by the posters each day, with messages and statistics that are hard to miss.  Among them:

• After-school programs cut the risk of juvenile crime by as much as 75%
• In Connecticut, 19% of children under the age of 18 experience food hardship.  Many rely on the meals they get at school and in after-school programs as a primary source.
• $1.7 to $2.3 million is saved by putting one high-risk youth on the right path.
• 73% of working parents miss less work when their children attend an after-school program.
• Students in after-school programs are 50% more likely to finish high school
• One in five Connecticut children (21%) regularly spends time after school unsupervised. This translates to more than 80,000 Connecticut children
• Children and youth involved in after-school programs have fewer absences from school.

March 7 was “After School Day at the Capitol.” The organization released a major report "Supporting Student Success in Connecticut: A BluePrint for Expanded Learning Opportunities".   The report calls on the state to make “7 smart, strategic investments,” reflecting that “after-school not be an after thought.”  The recommendations include addressing the issues of summer learning loss, incorporating expanded learning opportunities into the state’s education reform strategies, increasing alignment between systems and funding sources, rethinking the relationship between time and learning, and strengthening quality and accountability.

Their website currently features a petition urging restoration by legislators of the $4.5 million proposed cut and is promoting the organization’s 7th Annual Literacy Essentials Conference, to be held on Saturday, April 6 in conjunction with Central Connecticut State University.

The organization’s web site also points out that “every dollar invested in after school programs will save taxpayers approximately $3, not including the savings from reduced crime.”

The Connecticut After School Network is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization originally founded in 1989 and incorporated in 1990 under the name Connecticut School Age Care Alliance (CSACA). In 1990, CSACA became affiliated with the National School Age Care Alliance (now the National After-School Association).

Following similar action by the national organization, CSACA changed its name and broadened its mission in 2006, becoming the Connecticut After School Network.  It is a partnership of individuals and organizations working to ensure that every Connecticut child and youth will have the opportunity to participate in high quality, affordable after school programs.

The State Department of Education is a significant partner and major funder of the Network, providing leadership, support and technical assistance. SDE also oversees the CT After-School Advisory Council which provides advice and direction to the Network.

Efforts to Close the Digital Divide Prompts Company Move To Hartford

GreenShare Technology is a company that takes its mission – to bridge the digital divide by providing technology to those who cannot afford it – quite seriously.  That is plainly evident in their move from Farmington to new, larger headquarters at 1200 Park Street in Hartford. The new, 2,000 square foot location doubles the company’s space, allowing GreenShare Technology to bring more affordable computers and computer maintenance services to Hartford and surrounding areas. The company plans to provide basic computer training and computer recycling services on-site. The new location will also contain a retail section where customers can try out computers before purchasing them.

“We’re excited to become a part of the Hartford community,” said Brenda Steigman, Executive Director of GreenShare Technology. “It is our goal to become a one-stop source for low-cost computer technology and repair. We hope this new location will make us more accessible to the people who can benefit from our services.”

GreenShare Technology will host an open house at its new location Thursday, March 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. The public is welcome to stop by to learn more about the company’s services and bring an unwanted computer to be re-purposed or recycled. For more information, visit www.greensharetechnology.org or call 860-724-3535.

A 501(c) (3) charitable organization and Microsoft® registered refurbisher, Greenshare Technology offers computer recycling services for businesses and families to discard unwanted technology, keeping working computers out of landfills and putting them into the hands of small businesses, schools, non-profit organizations, government programs, and other eligible customers who might otherwise not have access to this technology.

GreenShare Technology received the 2011 Social Entrepreneur Award and the 2010 Hartford Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs (HYPE) Award.  The company is a reSET incubator program.

First-in-Nation Audio Service for Hospitalized Children Launched in Connecticut

In what may be the first program of its kind in the nation, CRIS Radio and Connecticut Children's Medical Center are working together to offer children who are patients at the hospital a new way to pass their time while receiving medical treatment. Connecticut Children's patients may now listen to CRISKids, a service that provides audio versions of articles published in nearly 20 award-winning children's magazines, through the hospital's in-house television system.  The audio alternative to printed magazines - through an in-house system streamed to each patient TV – can be tremendously comforting for young patients unable to read or turn pages of a magazine due to their condition or medical treatment.

CRIS (Connecticut Radio Information System) is a 34-year-old nonprofit based in Windsor and is Connecticut's only radio-reading service providing audio access to news and information for people who are blind or print-handicapped, including those unable to read due to physical, learning, intellectual or emotional disabilities.

CRISKids, the only extensive line-up of audio versions of children's magazines in the nation and Canada, was launched in December 2011.  More than a dozen titles are available, mostly for children aged 4 to 15, including National Geographic for Kids, Science World, Ranger Rick,  Junior Scholastic, Sports Illustrated for Kids and Scholastic News.

CRIS Board Chairman William H. Austin said that the Board “is excited to form a partnership with Connecticut Children's and thankful for the funding support received to bring this project to life.  Comcast provided technical assistance and a donation of special equipment necessary for the project. Other funders of the project include the Ellen Jeanne Goldfarb Memorial Charitable Trust, and the Ahearn Family Foundation.

"The availability of CRISKidsTM in patient rooms will allow children to enjoy educational entertainment, which is an extremely valuable offering and can be a helpful component of the healing process," said Martin J. Gavin, President and CEO of Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

The CRISKids initiative has received financial support from several foundations, including: Help for the Blind of Eastern Connecticut, Fund for Greater Hartford, The Gibney Family Foundation, and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

CRIS Radio records more than 70 newspapers and magazines to provide audio access to printed material for people who are blind and print-handicapped. The audio recordings can be heard with a special CRIS radio, toll-free through the CRIS Telephone Reader, online streaming live or on-demand at the CRIS Radio website, www.crisradio.org, or with any mobile device, including tablets or smartphones.  CRIS operates with nearly 350 volunteers at its broadcast center in Windsor and four satellite studios located in Danbury, Norwich, Trumbull and West Haven.  The CRISKids program is also available for individual subscription.

Connecticut Children's Medical Center is a nationally recognized, 187-bed not-for-profit children's hospital serving as the primary teaching hospital for the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. Named among the best in the nation for several of its pediatric specialties in the annual U.S. News & World Report "Best Children's Hospitals" rankings.

CT AARP Steps Up Focus on Entrepreneurs, Business Development

Next month, AARP and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are teaming up to host National Encore Entrepreneur Mentor Month, targeted at new business owners age 50 and over and those interested in starting a business.  The goal is to match these “encore entrepreneurs” with experienced business owners and community leaders for advice and assistance, and to link them to the resources they need to successfully start and grow their businesses and create jobs. Consistent with the organizations’ mission, the Connecticut AARP chapter views social enterprise as a valuable opportunity for age 50+ entrepreneurs – also known as “Encore Entrepreneurs” – and active retirees with sharp business and entrepreneurial acumen.  With one in four Americans ages 44 to 70 interested in becoming entrepreneurs, and a large majority planning to work during retirement, small business ownership is described as a solid option.

In addition to planned programs during April, the Connecticut AARP has announced support for legislation proposed by Governor Malloy’s (SB6356) which would help AARP members formalize their commitment to creating public good. The bill is designed to help address a variety of social concerns, through business rather than public funds or philanthropy, that are core to AARP’s mission, such as hunger, economic insecurity, housing and isolation.  AARP has ongoing partnerships with the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA), nationally and state-wide, and with community partners in Connecticut including Social Enterprise Trust (reSET) and the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC).

The bill before the legislature aims to help attract and keep social entrepreneurs and social enterprise investors in Connecticut and provides a heightened level of transparency and protection as compared to other states with similar legislation, according to AARP. Among the beneficiaries:  “Encore Entrepreneurs” seeking purpose beyond profit, community based organizations seeking to partner for social benefits, age 50+ workers seeking employment opportunities in a down economy, and the State by creating a new source of revenue through the payment of up-front incorporation filing fees and annual taxes.

National Encore Entrepreneur Mentor Month is part of a larger effort by AARP and SBA to promote entrepreneurship among individuals ages 50+.  It will consist of events across the country, including two in Connecticut, on April 16 in Waterbury and April 18 in Bridgeport, that will link individuals with local resources and mentor opportunities to help them successfully start and grow a small business.

The initiative includes AARP’s Work Reimagined, a unique new way for experienced workers to advance themselves in today’s tight job market.  Work Reimagined is a social network based jobs program that connects employers seeking experienced workers with qualified professionals searching for new or more satisfying careers.  The site, www.workreimagined.org, leverages the platform of professional networking site, LinkedIn, which is used by more than 15 million people aged 45-64.

AARP’s Work Reimagined and other resources for experienced workers over age 50 are slated to be highlighted in a segment on WTNH’s Connecticut Style program airing Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 12:30 p.m.

The in-person AARP/SBA workshops in April will feature presentations by SBA, SCORE, reSET (Social Enterprise Trust), The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC), People’s Bank and local economic development agencies.  Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and speak individually with representatives, as well as network with other small business owners and “would be” entrepreneurs. Registration is required.

April 16, 2013 in Waterbury   9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (noon)

Silas Branson Library, 267 Grand Street, Waterbury, CT

To register, call 1-877-926-8300 or register online

April 18, 2013 in Bridgeport   9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (noon)

City Hall Annex, 999 Broad Street, Bridgeport, CT

To register, call 1-877-926-8300 or register online.

Nonprofit Density Impacts Unemployment Rate; CT Misses Top 10

Communities with better civic health have weathered the recent recession far better – and experienced considerably smaller increases in unemployment – than other communities that faced similar economic circumstances, according to a report by the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC).  Counties across the nation that were rich in nonprofit organizations lost considerably fewer jobs than the low-nonprofit counties, the study revealed. A state-by-state analysis by the organization placed Connecticut in the second tier of states in both the density of nonprofit organizations, and social cohesion (interacting with friends and neighbors), the two measures used in the study, released in 2012.  Connecticut ranked between #11 and #20 in each category, just outside the first tier, top-10 states.

For individuals who held jobs in 2008, the odds of becoming unemployed were cut in half if they lived in a community with many nonprofit organizations rather than one with a few nonprofits, even if the two communities were otherwise similar, the study found.  Among the New England states, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont placed in the top ten.

Overall, counties with more nonprofits per capita prior to the recession had lower unemployment in 2006. And while almost all of the counties lost jobs during the recession years, the counties with more nonprofits per capita lost fewer jobs between 2006 and 2009. Both patterns remain even when holding education, median income, housing prices, and other economic factors constant, according to the report.  Counties ranking in the top 10% in nonprofit density experienced an increase of only 2 percentage points in their unemployment rate between 2006 and 2009, compared with 5.1 percentage points for the counties in the bottom 10% in nonprofit density.

These results suggest – according to the report – that nonprofits may bring economic benefits by directly employing people and also by changing the economic climate of the whole community. Nonprofits support civic engagement and social cohesion; in turn, when citizens feel committed to their communities and connected to their fellow residents, they are more likely to make decisions that boost local employment.

The study used statistical models to investigate the relationship between civic health and unemployment in the 50 states, 942 metro areas, and more than 3,100 counties since 2006.  NCoC was chartered by Congress in 1953 to harness the patriotic energy and national civic involvement surrounding World War II. In 2009, Congress  expanded the organization’s Civic Health Assessment to become the nation’s largest and most definitive measure of civic engagement.

Towns and Cities Look to Varied Housing Options, Community Engagement

Many municipalities across Connecticut and New England are finding that community engagement – proactively, thoughtfully and creatively asking their residents for their attention and ideas about proposed housing and commercial development – pays off big time. That was evident last month at UMass/Amherst when three federal agencies – HUD, EPA and DOT – along with the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities brought together experts and advocates from the region to discuss the best ways to merge affordable housing creation, transit and livable, sustainable and environmentally sound practices.

A growing number of organizations and government entities – municipal and regional – are using or promoting community engagement because the changing housing market is moving many more communities to increase their efforts at housing creation. A wider array of housing options – smaller, denser, more affordable, energy-efficient, walkable and, if possible, close to transit – are being utilized to meet the needs of empty-nesters, young professionals and families, and workers in a region that, despite a falloff in demand, has seen rental and purchase prices remain very high.

The Partnership for Strong Communities highlighted community engagement strategies it promotes, including its new video about five very different Connecticut communities – Hamden, Old Saybrook, Colchester, Bristol and Simsbury – that have used an array of community engagement methods – charrettes, town meetings, websites and crowd-sourcing among them – to harvest ideas and achieve buy-in for their development plans.

The organization embarked on a search to discover how communities can balance multiple priorities and opinions, and achieve development that most residents can be satisfied with.  Partnership staff drove around the state and filmed interviews with about 30 individuals involved in this work.  The resulting video, along with supporting materials, reflects how five different communities with different goals, used different methods to achieve a single outcome.

Turning Guns Into Jewelry, CT Entrepreneur Helps Gun Buyback Program

Jessica Mindich is a Connecticut jewelry designer who has begun transforming recycled pistols, rifles and shotguns from Newark, N.J. – recovered in the city’s gun buyback program - into a line of fashionable bangle bracelets. The “Caliber Collection” began last fall with the melted down metal from 250 guns and bullet casings seized by the Newark Police Department. The result was a series of bracelets that embody the gun’s transformation from a destructive weapon to a powerful symbol of renewal. Jewelry for a Cause, Mindich’s business, donates 20 percent of the proceeds from each sale to the Gun Buyback Amnesty program in Newark, and recently presented a check for $20,000 to the city.

Each of the guns was processed and then released to Jewelry for a Cause by the Police Department of Newark.  Their serial numbers were tracked and are an important part of the design in each of the pieces of jewelry.  The metal from the guns and bullet casings are shredded by Sims Metal Management in Jersey City, according to The New York Times.

The name Caliber was chosen for its two meanings; the caliber of a gun and how the caliber of a city is raised when illegal guns are taken off its streets, the company's website explained.  As a reminder of their source, the Caliber cuffs and bangles are marked on the inside with the serial number from a recovered weapon and "Newark." Prices range from $150 from a basic steel cuff to $375 for brass bangle with a diamond, the Greenwich Time has reported.

A former lawyer who lives in Greenwich with her husband and two young sons, Mindich started the company in 2008. It donates 20 percent of all sales - on items including necklaces and jewelry kits for charitable fundraisers - to nonprofit organizations, local and national.

The newest initiative began, the Times reported, when Mindich ran into Newark Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, who attended Yale Law School with her husband, at a conference. They spoke about Newark’s no-questions-asked gun buyback program, which was founded in 2009 and gave up to $200 dollars for each weapon that was turned in.  The program needed an infusion of money – and the jewelry line was born, with the support of Booker and the city’s police chief.

Mindich is reportedly considering expanding the jewelry line to include other U.S. cities - no word of cities in her home state are among them.  Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford are among the Connecticut communities that regularly conduct gun buyback programs.

New Haven’s gun buyback program brought in 65 weapons and 63 weapons, including a Bushmaster .223 semiautomatic rifle similar to the one used in the Newtown shooting, on successive Saturdays last December, the New Haven Register and WTNH-TV reported. A gun buyback program that began in December in Bridgeport, Connecticut's largest city, has brought in more than 500 weapons to date, according to an Associated Press report.

Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Angel Ride Launch Anniversary Years

Registration has opened for this year’s Angel Ride, an all-volunteer effort that organizes annual athletic endurance events as fundraising initiatives with 100 percent of the money raised going directly to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp's Hospital Outreach Program.  This year’s events, marking the 10^th anniversary of Angel Ride amidst the 25^th anniversary year of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, will be held May 25-26. Angel Ride, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, has supported The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp's Hospital Outreach Program since 2007. Hospital Outreach® brings the hopeful, playful spirit of The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp – founded in 1988 by the late actor and philanthropist Paul Newman - to children and families in the hospital setting. By offering unique, creative and developmentally appropriate activities and interactions, the program helps to restore joy and laughter in a time often laden with fear, stress and uncertainty. Consistent with other Camp programs, it is available to hospitals and families at no cost.

This past year, 18,000 hospitalized children received a visit from "Camp".  They work collaboratively with hospital staff to enhance, augment or support existing programs focused on improving the quality of life during treatment. The Hospital Outreach Program brings the joy and fun of Camp’s summer programming to seriously ill children year-round. Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center are among the hospitals in the Northeast that are participating in the program.

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp recently released an inspiring song and music video to kick off its 25th anniversary as a hideout where seriously ill kids can simply be kids.  Natalie Merchant, one of America's most respected recording artists, created a new sing-a-long version of her iconic song "Wonder" and recorded it at the Camp in Ashford, Conn. this past summer with the campers. In the music video, Merchant leads the kids in song interspersed with clips of the late Paul Newman and the campers sharing what the Camp means to them.

Another newly released video highlights the connection between campers Hannah and Janis, who have formed a special bond during the past two years at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.  That bond has allowed them to face the challenges of mitochondrial disease together and experience “a different kind of healing.” The unforgettable story of their friendship brings the unique spirit of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp to life in the first online “Healing Feeling” profile, which is part of a series being released during the Camp’s 25th anniversary.

"Wonder" was written by Natalie Merchant for her first solo album "Tigerlily."  The song, released as a single in 1996, reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Its lyrics contain the refrain, "They say I must be one of the wonders" and were inspired by Merchant’s own experience meeting twin sisters coping with a congenital disease. Merchant was struck by how positive the girls were as they faced significant challenges, thanks to an inner strength that she attributed to the love and support of their family and friends.

"For years, I've been told by parents of kids with special needs and medical staff and children themselves that 'Wonder' has become an anthem for sick kids. So I know the healing power of the song. I am delighted to add my voice to all the love, camaraderie and sharing that goes on at Camp.  Paul really did it so well. The Camp is a magical place."