Athens, Ga., is like a lot of other U.S. communities. The Latino population in the 123,912-person city doubled in recent years, including many immigrants who have kids, speak Spanish, lack healthcare, and have low incomes, according to a new report. One certainty: They face many barriers to health. "Truly understanding what their needs are and the barriers they face when trying to access existing services for themselves and their children is a cornerstone to the development of relevant programs and policies that affect their overall well-being," Alejandra Calva, part of a Latino research institute at the University of Georgia, told UGA Today. What can be done in Athens and communities like it? Some communities are working hard to reduce the barriers that many Latinos ...
In the past 15 years, Latino students have made strides in closing the achievement gap between them and their white peers. However, Latino English language learners (ELL) are falling further behind in mathematics and reading achievement. The gaps are also shown to be persistent between higher- and lower-income students. According to a new report from the Economic Policy Institute, minority children – especially Latinos – are more likely to be poor and more likely to live in low-income, racially segregated neighborhoods compared to white students. The schools were also found to contain “concentrations of low-income, nonwhite students.” In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and policies. Join our site, connect ...
On Dec 9,10 2016 Melody Cisneros Milstead will offer the first of many Faith Leader Mental Health First Aid training sessions. This groundbreaking 8-hour training course will kick-off at Centro Cristiano Familiar in Penitas,TX a city part of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). The course is aimed at giving people tools to identify when someone might be struggling with a mental health or substance use problem and to connect them with appropriate support and resources when necessary. 1 in 5 Americans has a mental illness, but many are reluctant to seek help or might not know where to turn for care. Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance use problems can be difficult to detect. For friends and family members, it can be hard to know when and how to step in. As a ...
Grants up to $90,000 are now available for those focused on helping kids grow up at a healthy weight through state, local and tribal public policy campaigns. Applicants can apply to the Voices for Healthy Kids grant by Thursday, December 15th, 2016 and applications must be specific to an individual campaign focused on changing public policy in one state, local or tribal geographic location and must align with one of the Voices for Healthy Kids policy priorities. To learn more, visit the Voices for Healthy Kids Policy Lever site and review the policy priorities, and submit applications via email to voicesforhealthykids@heart.org. The support for this grant is through the collaboration of The American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, working in ...
For many college students in the United States, hunger is a surprisingly common problem. Researchers from the University of Connecticut, College and University Food Bank Alliance, and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness surveyed nearly 3,800 students at eight community colleges and 26 four-year universities in 12 states and found startling results, HealthDay News reports. Among the students surveyed, 25% of those in community college and 20% at four-year schools reported frequently being food insecure. Researchers define being food insecure as lacking reliable access to sufficient amounts of affordable, nutritious food. Very low levels of food security qualified the students being surveyed as going “hungry.” When it comes to minority students, including ...
Many millennials have been the beneficiary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which allows certain undocumented immigrants who entered the country before their 16th birthday and before June 2007 to receive a renewable two-year work permit and exemption from deportation. However, many young immigrants “feel alone” or are unaware of their options during the immigration process, Al Día News, reports. Obstacles ranging from a lack of access and information to a lack of healthcare and public schools impede the academic progress of many undocumented students. Even a lack of knowledge about college or college-access programs have been obstacles for many. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, ...
The average cost for tuition, fees, and room and board for public colleges rose 10% and 12% at private institutions over the past five years, the College Board said in their annual report. Over that same time period, the median family income rose just 7%. The one positive takeaway is that the cost is no longer “skyrocketing” the way it did during the recession of the late 2000s, CNN Money reports. For the current school year, the average price rose slightly less than the year before. It went up by 2.4% for in-state students at public colleges, and 3.6% at private schools. Latinos have shown added interest in educational matters, especially as their population has grown in the U.S. According to Pew Research, 89% of Latino young adults believe a college education is important for ...
Chronic school absenteeism is a national problem that is becoming more and more critical with each passing school year. More than 6.5 million kids are at risk every year of falling behind academically, dropping out of school. According to new data from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), chronic absenteeism has been linked to serious long-term health, employment, and financial concerns. Schools along with state governments and the federal government have begun to address the underlying causes of chronic absenteeism. Defined as missing 10% or more of school days in a school year, which translates into 15 or more days per year; chronic absenteeism includes excused and unexcused absences. For Latinos, these issues have become more and more important as their overall population ...
This past year, the nation’s high school graduation rate reached a record 83.2% and saw large increases across all racial and ethnic groups, the AP reports. New federal data also showed gains among disabled students and those from low-income families. In the data collected by the Department of Education, significant differences in graduation rates among racial and ethnic groups were reported. Asian Americans had a 90.2% graduation rate; whites were at 87.6%; Latinos graduated at 77.8%, followed by African-Americans (74.6%) and Native Americans (71.6%). Washington, D.C. (10% Latino population) made the most progress in the United States. In the 2014-2015, Washington, D.C. students improved their graduation rate by 7%. Speaking at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, a magnet ...
