California is implementing new standards for teaching science to spark Latinos and African American grade-school students' interest and boost test scores, EdSource reports. The new standards have more hands-on science projects, updated scientific and technological research, feature different fields of science, with less rote memorization. They even recently released a parent's guide in Spanish to explain the changes. The new standards, called the Next Generation Science Standards, offer guidelines for teachers on how to reach students who are English language learners, come from economically disadvantaged homes, are racial/ethnic minorities, or who are otherwise from demographic groups “underrepresented in the science fields.” The hope is that in California, where about ...
School is the primary food source for many Latino students living in poverty. So why do some students go hungry, while some schools have extra food that goes to waste? To find an answer, Texas State Rep. Diego Bernal visited schools in San Antonio (63.2% Latino). Bernal found that many kids, even in more affluent school districts, were going hungry while schools threw away, "untouched, unopened, ripe, perfectily edible food," according to the San Antonio Express-News. The reason: “Complexities of overlapping district, state, and federal policies, along with a collection of myths and cautionary tales.” Bernal wanted to help.
Helping Schools Store, Share Unused Food
He championed legislation (HB 367), with the help of State Sen. José Menénedez, to allow schools to set ...
Many Latino families will get health-boosting "home visits" thanks to $352 million in new federal funding. The Maternal Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV Program) by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will award $352 million to 55 groups across the country. The groups will visit the homes of at-need families to bring health, social, and early childhood development services to improve family health and enable new opportunities for their children. “Evidence-based home visiting programs help children get off to a better, healthier start,” said Dr. George Sigounas, HRSA administrator, in a press release. “[These] awards allow states to support local agencies in providing home visiting services that meet the needs of families in ...
Sadly, more than 1,300 people died in motor vehicle crashes in Georgia in 2013. Beyond the terrible heartache for the families and friends of those involved, these crashes amounted to more than $1.6 billion in medical and work-loss costs. Buford Highway, an eight-mile corridor in Atlanta known for authentic international restaurants, is the most dangerous road for pedestrians in Georgia. Located on the northeast side of Atlanta, which is largely Latino, there were 22 pedestrian fatalities from 2003 to 2012 on Buford Highway. What can reverse this grave trend and save the lives of Latinos and the livelihood of those restaurants?
Cars vs. Pedestrians
Many cities are plagued by wide roadways, like Buford Highway. Even though this road offers many restaurants, it doesn't ...
Sacramento has mild weather, light rail, and many bike paths. But people still heavily depend on cars in this 23% Latino city, according to its relatively low walk score. Sacramento also is like many other California cities, where urban planners face a big challenge to create more ways for a rising population to walk and bike. Fortunately, a group of diverse youth are making a difference for more walking, bicycling, and skating.
Youth Step Up for Safer Streets
The Walk & Bike Youth Leaders Program started in Sacramento in 2017, thanks to the California Bicycle Coalition, California Walks, and the California Center for Civic Participation. Program organizers chose 11 youth ages 16-23. The youth will partake in four online training sessions. They will learn how to ...
Finding safe places for kids to play hasn't been easy for Latino families in Chicago. For example, 30 years ago, the federal government sued the Chicago Parks District for favoring parks in white neighborhoods and neglecting parks in African-American and Latino ones. Schools in Chicago didn't have equitable funding to maintain their own playgrounds over the years, either. At the same time, the nation was shifting to a school day with less time for recess—creating a "recess drought." But school officials wanted to play a role in increasing access to safe green space for Latino kids and families.
Solving the 'Recess Drought' (and Preventing Floods)
Chicago Public Schools, the third largest school district in the nation, took a big first step in 2011. They passed a recess ...
Latino kids and adults experienced historic increases in healthcare coverage when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded the amount of resources to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). But CHIP is set to expire on Sept. 30, 2017. Fortunately, good news is on the horizon for CHIP and kids. The U.S. Senate recently announced a bipartisan deal for funding to extend the “life” of the program, The New York Times reports. The new agreement would fund CHIP for an additional five years. Bill Frist, a Forbes contributor and former legislator, urged legislators to finalize the extension. "Healthier children. A more productive workforce. Less financial ruin for working families," Frist said of the benefits of CHIP.
The impact of CHIP
CHIP was ...
Two majority-Latino communities are among the eight winners of this year's Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize. Chelsea, MA (62% Latino) and San Pablo, CA (55% Latino) were chosen from 200 applicants along with Algoma, WI, Allen County, KS, Garrett County, MD, Richmond VA, Vicksburg, MS, the Seneca Nation of Indians in Western New York. These communities made strong efforts to ensure their residents have the opportunity to live healthier lives. Winning communities get a $25,000 prize and will have their inspiring stories shared by RWJF. “For the past five years, RWJF Culture of Health Prize communities have inspired hope across the country,” said Dr. Richard Besser, RWJF President and CEO in a news release. “We welcome these eight new prize ...
Too often, a lack of healthcare coverage forces Latinos into the emergency room for non-emergency healthcare. Now, thanks to a new grant, the Center for Healthy Neighborhoods at California State University-Fullerton (CSUF) will create a promotores program to help local Latino families avoid unnecessary ER trips, according to The Orange County Register.
Why are ER trips an issue?
The community in Fullerton, Calif. (35.24% Latino population), faces numerous obstacles that prevent them from obtaining quality health care, which leads to extremely high rates of preventable ER visits, according to Kaiser Health Foundation-Anaheim. These obstacles include being “linguistically isolated,” lacking awareness, and affordability.
How the new program will reduce ER trips
The $40,000 ...
