Student Participation in Community Service Activity

Increasing community service participation has long been a goal in the United States. Some examples of how this goal has played out in national policy are President Kennedy’s creation of the Peace Corps, President Bush’s creation of the Points of Light Foundation, President Clinton’s creation of AmeriCorps, and Congress’ adoption of the National Education Goals, which include the objective that all students will be involved in activities that promote and demonstrate good citizenship and community service. In part, the push for volunteer service reflects the idea that the act of volunteering would be beneficial to those who participate and might counteract feelings of cynicism and apathy, as well as the notion that volunteers are needed if national problems are to be addressed with limited government resources. As in the National Education Goals, youth are often made a special focus because they are at a time in their lives when their attitudes are still being formed so volunteer service might have greater effect. In that context, volunteer service has also been seen as a tool for teachers to build interest in classwork and thus becomes an aspect of education reform

Atropine Use in Children After Nerve Gas Exposure

Following the FDA's approval of a pediatric dosage Atropen®, the Pediatric Expert Advisory Panel was asked to review the existing guidelines and recommendations regarding the treatment of children exposed to nerve agents and the Mark-1 Kit; review the new literature on pediatric nerve agent exposure; and to develop recommendations and guidelines for this new device including modifications to the existing recommendations and guidelines if warranted. In May 2003, the first nationally accepted pediatric disaster and terrorism preparedness recommendations and treatment guidelines were issued by the Program for Pediatric Preparedness of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP). These guidelines were based on a National Consensus Conference sponsored by the Program for Pediatric Preparedness and funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the EMS for Children Program of the Health Resources and Services Administration. At that time, the only available treatment for certain types of nerve gas exposure (predominantly those with anticholinesterase properties) was the Mark 1 kit. The recommendations were based on established usage of antidotes for cholinergic toxicity and were felt to be both safe and supported by the literature. It was stated that the Mark 1 Autoinjector kits (although not approved for pediatric use) should be used as initial treatment for children with severe, life-threatening nerve agent toxicity for whom IV treatment is not possible or available, or for whom more precise IM (mg/kg) dosing would be logistically impossible. It was further felt that while not within the published dosage range for cholinergic toxicity, if a Mark 1 kit was the only source of atropine and pralidoxime available after a bona fide exposure it should be used to treat all children, even those younger than 3 years old. Furthermore, it was felt to be imperative to expedite approval of the pediatric autoinjector kit (which contains both atropine and an oxime and is designed for children) that is currently produced and marketed abroad but not available in the United States

Day 3: Friday, August 6, 2004: National Center for Atmospheric Research

1 page (includes illustration)

NCES Website: NCES College Navigator UNO

National Center for Educational Statistics, College Navigator, University of Nebraska at Omah

The American Preparedness Project: Executive Summary: Where the US Public Stands in 2011 on Terrorism, Security, and Disaster Preparedness

Ten years after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, America is, in some aspects, a different country. Significant portions of the federal budget over the past decade have been spent on enhancing preparedness and security on the home front, and prosecuting terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan. As part of its American Preparedness Project, which has tracked US attitudes on domestic preparedness and terrorism over the last ten years, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health recently surveyed the US population to determine their current attitudes and behaviors regarding disaster preparedness and the prospect of domestic terrorism. NCDP and the Children's Health Fund had conducted this survey annually from 2002 to 2008. As in prior years, the Marist Institute for Public Opinion (MIPO) executed a survey designed by NCDP and CHF. Also as before, the 2011 survey included a mix of previously-asked questions and new questions inspired by recent world events. Trended questions asked about confidence in government; extent of personal and family preparedness; and perceptions of community preparedness. All questions are shown in Table 1

Safety Belt Use, Ejection and Entrapment

One in every five occupants thrown from a car receives fatal injuries. A motorist who uses a safety belt, in all probability, will not be thrown from the car during a crash. The rate of fatal injury for ejected occupants was found to be 40 times the rate for occupants not thrown from their cars, as determined from national accident sampling data. These data refute the popular notion that "being thrown clear" has survival benefit. In addition, there was no evidence that wearing a safety belt increased fatality risk from vehicle fire or submersion.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67129/2/10.1177_109019818401100205.pd

United States Early Childhood Profile

This national profile aggregates the policy choices of the 50 states and the District of Columbia alongside other contextual data related to the well-being of young children. The first page presents demographic information on children younger than age 6, and subsequent pages profile the policy context related to their: (1) health and nutrition, (2) early care and education, and (3) parenting and economic supports

The Economic Crisis and the Health, Well-Being and Security of New York's Children and Families: Report of a Meeting, March 13, 2009

The March 2009 New York Child Health Forum shed light on troubling long-term trends that have become only more salient in the context of today's economic crisis. These range from the rising income inequality and erosion of the income tax base that has jeopardized the state and city's fiscal situation to the persistent underpayment for community health center services that has put the centers very survival at risk. Moreover, while some indicators of child and family well-being in New York have been quite positive in recent years, serious problems persisted even in good economic times, such as insufficient access to affordable housing and child care. This brief meeting summary provides highlights from each of the speakers' comments, including their recommendations for addressing the critical challenges New York faces. Also below is information about where to find more detailed and up-to-date information about the impact of the economic crisis on New York's children and families

How Maternal, Family and Cumulative Risk Affect Absenteeism in Early Schooling: Facts for Policymakers

What is the role of the schooling experience in the educational trajectories and outcomes of children exposed to risk? Maternal and family risks are associated with greater absenteeism and the cumulative exposure to risk best predicts chronic absenteeism in early schooling. Kindergarten children in contact with three or more risks missed three or more days than their peers not facing any risks. But as children progress through the elementary grades, the impact of cumulative risk on school attendance lessens, only to rise again in the fifth grade. The most vulnerable children — those who are poor or racial/ethnic minorities or suffer from poor health — have the greatest exposure to cumulative risk

Making Work Supports Work: Tools for Policy Analysis

The National Center for Children in Poverty’s (NCCP) Making Work Supports Work project is designed to identify and promote policies that make work pay for low-wage workers and their families. Millions of parents work full-time, year-round and yet struggle to provide even minimum daily necessities for their families. Government “work supports” – such as earned income tax credits, child care subsidies, health insurance, food stamps, and housing assistance – can help. These benefits encourage, support, and reward work, helping families close the gap between low wages and the cost of basic needs. To assess the effectiveness of existing state and federal work support policies, we examine how much families need to make ends meet and how public benefits impact family budgets. We then work with state partners to identify, model, and promote alternative policies that better support low-wage workers and their families. Our work draws on results from two web-based tools: the Family Resource Simulator and the Basic Needs Budget Calculator