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Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity leads research and consulting initiatives that identify and address barriers to economic well-being.
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The Green Bay Press Gazette, June 19, 2014: Schools offers free summer lunches to low-income families
"The program, which started in 1999, is designed to feed low-income children throughout the city during the summer months when they're not in school, said Kathy Walker, food director for the Green Bay Area School District. This year's program started Monday in many area locations."
The Brainerd Daily Dispatch, June 18, 2014: Colleges struggle to help homeless students
"Life as a homeless college student eventually took its toll. Burned out and still broke after a few semesters, Menday dropped out of Minneapolis Community & Technical College in 2012. He does odd jobs now, hoping to earn enough to stabilize his life and finish his education."
The Las Vegas Review-Journal, June 18, 2014: Kids Count: Nevada poverty rate for children exceeds national average
"Despite an economy that is starting to turn around, the number of children living in poverty in Nevada is slightly above the national average, according to an annual analysis of children's well-being released Wednesday."
Raising Expectations, 2014: A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers
The Herald-Dispatch, June 15, 2014: Board to vote on free meals in Wayne schools
"The board will vote on whether to approve the Community Eligibility Provision for all Wayne County Schools. The CEP is for schools with high percentages of low-income children. It's intent is to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students."
The Orange Leader, June 14, 2014: Orange County sees rise in homeless students
"Orange County has 301 students classified as homeless,' according to the McKinney-Vento Act. The percentage of economically disadvantaged students is more difficult to calculate because of the perception among older, high school students that their peers will discover they qualify for free or reduced lunches."
The Business First of Buffalo, June 13, 2014: $tudent achievement
"Randolph's elementary, middle and high schools have risen each of the last two years in Business First's annual rankings, which are based on state test scores. The district as a whole rose from 74th to 59th in the 2013 rankings, and up to 50th this year. What hasn't risen is prosperity in the district. Nearly half of Randolph's students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch - a metric that indicates poverty - and the district is the 12th poorest of 98 in Western New York, according to Business First data. The median household income in the district is $45,519."
The Tucson Sentinel, June 12, 2014: Az summer lunch program reaching less than 15% of eligible kids
"Arizona's Summer Food Service Program served 1.1 million meals to children in low-income areas of the state last year, but still reached only a fraction of kids targeted for the program."
The Star-Ledger, June 12, 2014: (Op-Ed) Heat and eat programs vital for NJ seniors
"Seniors on fixed incomes have been plagued in recent years with rising expenses for housing, transportation and health care. In many cases, this has resulted in a rise in senior hunger and even homelessness. Heat and eat programs are vital for our most economically vulnerable residents."
Staying on Target for College: How Innovation Can Improve the Pipeline to Higher Education
Raising Expectations, 2014: A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers
The New York Times, June 10, 2014: (Blog) A Case Study in Lifting College Attendance
"State officials started the program last fall by working with the College Board to mail informational packets to all 1,800 high-school seniors deemed college-ready. In the packets, low-income students received application fee waivers to eight colleges, and students with the best test scores were encouraged to apply to top colleges. High-school guidance counselors and state officials then followed up with students and their parents through evening phone calls and in-person meetings to make sure the thorny logistics of college applications didn't deter them."
