Thursday, March 18^th

Poverty Rates Swell, Impacting Nation's Most Vulnerable

The national unemployment rate has more than doubled from 4.9% in October 2009, and schools and social services across the county are continuing to see the trickle-down effect that joblessness and poverty are having on children.

In 2008, the number of children under the age of 18 receiving food stamps increased by an astounding 3.4 million over the previous year. That means that according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, nearly one in five U.S. children is now living in poverty. Further many of these children are experiencing poverty for the first time, a new report details. Read More (PDF File)

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DOL Releases Report on Youth Summer Jobs Initiative

A report released today by the U.S. Department of Labor found that the 2009 Recovery Act Summer Youth Employment Initiative was largely successful in connecting young workers with employment experiences. Overall, 317,000 young people took part in the initiative.

"This summer jobs initiative is a triple win: It gives young people real work experience, provides a measure of relief to those working families who are struggling during tough times and allows employers to give back to their communities," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Today's report shows that summer youth employment can make meaningful work experiences a reality for young people. The report also provides valuable suggestions on concrete ways to build on this success in 2010." Read More

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Youth Plugged Into Vast Amounts of Media

Researchers were sure five years ago that youth ages 8 to 18 had hit the proverbial media-use ceiling. Youth then reported an average of 6.5 hours of use per day, which equated to 8.5 hours worth of daily media content when considering multitasking. But surprisingly, a new Kaiser Family Foundation study has found that today's youth are spending even more time glued to technology. On average, they now spend an astonishing 7.5 hours a day using multimedia, which equates to 10.75 hours worth of multi-tasked content stuffed into that time. Read More (PDF File)

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Green Community Solutions Are Happening

Sometimes, people in their daily lives take actions that deserve praise and recognition.

For years, Kerry Knodle, long-time executive director of YouthBuild Rockford, has been helping young adult high school dropouts learn usable skills to obtain jobs in the construction industry. More than 430 have graduated and are self-supporting, pursuing fulfilling careers. Many area residents are unaware of his quiet, low-key program. Read More

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