Children of Low-Income Families – Forces of Globalization: Two Ships Passing in the Night

Since my keynote at the Chesapeake Crescent Summit, I’ve been thinking about a morning several years ago when I had the privilege of speaking with the people of the Metropolitan Dialogue and was asked, “How do we reconcile what Tom Friedman wrote about how the fate of America and our competitiveness are being challenged in his book, The World is Flat, to the futures of children and young people of low-income families (even those in the lower middle class) in our region and nation?” I’d never be so brash to say I have answers to such complex questions, but I’m certain that it is in our long-term best interests that we all, especially our policy makers, give higher priority, more attention, and concrete action to this quandary. More »

Ted Leonsis Receives Media Leadership Award

Businessman, philanthropist, film producer, and VPP Investor Ted Leonsis and award-winning international journalist Mariane Pearl were honored June 5 at the 2008 Internews Media Leadership Awards. Internews, an international media development nonprofit, presented awards to Leonsis and Pearl at an event at the newly opened Newseum in Washington, DC.More »

Children of Low-Income Families and Forces of Globalization:
Two Ships Passing in the Night

Editor’s Note: The Chesapeake Crescent Initiative, conceived by civic leaders George Vradenburg and Herb Miller, will help the region (spanning Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia, and anchored by our nation’s capital) succeed in leading the nation, through political collaboration, in innovative technology, sustainable green and solar development, workforce, housing, transit, and environmental advancements. On June 3, it convened a regional innovation summit as a first step to make the Crescent a global economic powerhouse as well as a planning model for the country.

David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Carlyle Group; Steve Case, Founder and CEO of Revolution and the Co-Founder of America Online; and VPP Chairman Mario Morino delivered keynotes at the Summit. Mario’s talk, Raising the Bar for the Chesapeake Crescent Region, presented his views on the challenges and opportunities facing the Chesapeake Crescent region and nation and the moral and economic imperative to see this through a future lens for our children, grandchildren, and their children. A major theme of the talk was the rapid rate of change in the world and the great potential and adverse implications of globalization for America and this region.

Since my keynote at the Chesapeake Crescent Summit, I’ve been thinking about a morning several years ago when I had the privilege of speaking with the people of the Metropolitan Dialogue and was asked, “How do we reconcile what Tom Friedman wrote about how the fate of America and our competitiveness are being challenged in his book, The World is Flat, to the futures of children and young people of low-income families (even those in the lower middle class) in our region and nation?” I’d never be so brash to say I have answers to such complex questions, but I’m certain that it is in our long-term best interests that we all, especially our policy makers, give higher priority, more attention, and concrete action to this quandary.

AN ECONOMIC RATIONALE FOR ACTION
At a time when our global preeminence is being challenged, and the rest of the world is transforming and changing around us, we need young people—all of them—as our future innovators and contributors. I could offer a hundred social and moral imperatives that justify large up-front investments of effort and money to ensure that every child has the chance to develop into a productive adult and contributing member of society. But, in today’s society, my protestations would unfortunately drown in the general din of ideological debate, political partisanship, and public/private arguments, making consensus nearly impossible. An economic rationale, however, is hard to dismiss, since it deals with our global competitiveness and overall well-being as a nation, and a people.

Consider the following: Estimated lifetime earning potential in our country varies widely based on the level of attained education—and the gaps have increased as we’ve moved to a knowledge-based economy. The expected lifetime earnings of a college graduate, high school graduate, and an individual who does not finish high school approximate $1,985,000, $1,228,000, and $912,600 respectively. Estimated lifetime earnings for the college graduate totals nearly $800,000 more than the expected earnings of a high school graduate, and over a $1 million more than that of a person who dropped out of high school.¹ One extrapolation suggests that if the students who dropped out of the class of 2007 had graduated, the nation’s economy would have benefited from an additional $329 billion in income over their lifetimes.² In addition, consider these analyses: The United States could save between $7.9 and $10.8 billion annually by improving educational attainment among all recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, food stamps, and housing assistance. If the male graduation rate increased by just 5 percent, the nation would realize an annual savings of $4.9 billion in crime-related costs. ³

Yet I believe these comparisons are even more dramatic and damaging. First, these numbers only reflect earnings without considering the multiplier impact of those who create businesses, innovate new products, become civic leaders, or enter professions that contribute additive economic and social value. And, second, the statistics do not reflect the costs society incurs for those who are incarcerated, fall victim to substance abuse, or experience other negative life consequences. Imagine the difference for a young person who, with the right intervention and support, navigates obstacles to acquire a college education (lifetime earnings of almost $2 million), versus someone who makes a serious life mistake and, without a helping hand, ends up incarcerated for 20 years at a direct cost to society of $860,000. The math is simple: it translates into a rough delta cost of almost $3 million—$2 million in opportunity cost (earnings) and $1 million in incarceration costs.

Please understand that I’m not suggesting earnings as our sole metric of value, since many people make great contributions across a spectrum of careers and callings. Furthermore, I am, at best, a layman in societal economic analysis, so experts may well argue that these numbers are off. Regardless, the sheer scale of these estimated differences suggests the magnitude of our challenge and provides a needed context.

Within this economic framework, a massive investment of the size needed would more than realize a “return on investment.” The positive contributions young people can make lie in stark contrast to societal costs—if action is not taken head on. It is how America competes, survives, and thrives in the global economy at the dawn of the 21st century.

I know, in my heart and mind, that our future rests in the hands of our children and their children. And I fear—greatly—that we are leaving them with a legacy of culture and systems that could jeopardize their success and marginalize our nation in the next two or three decades. I often worry about the fate of my own children, and what the world may look like. Yet because of our young people, their views, and beliefs, I also have great hope. I believe firmly that if young people from low-income and lower middle class families are given a “hand up,” they and their children will contribute positively to society and help us avoid the disproportionate costs and highly negative impact on GDP and global competitiveness that will no doubt occur if we concede the status quo. In our lifetime, we must do more to level the playing field for all of our children and, in particular, those from our lower middle class, the working poor, and those living in poverty.

THREATS TO YOUTH
As we consider our responses to stagnating national debt, the health care crisis, climate change and energy consumption, the mounting cost of Medicare/Medicaid, the instability of social security, an aging infrastructure, homeland security, military and national defense, and globalization, we must factor in the development and education of our young people at every turn. Because we share the risks of inaction, our responses cannot be based on regionalism or parochialism; we must join together to achieve the greatest impact.

Think about a few of the interrelated issues that too many young people face:

• EDUCATION - Public education continues to struggle with the challenge of A Nation At Risk. As I’ve watched the travails of education ebb and flow over the past 15 years, it is with great reluctance and remorse that I’ve concluded that education in our nation is political. We’ve made it that way. Despite the many well-intentioned efforts of so many—public school reform, charter schools, home schooling, 21st century education, you name it—education is now more about agendas, political posturing, protecting outdated organizations, and so on. Little seems to truly focus on the students—our future.

To the extent that education or public systems are supposed to help level the playing field, they unfortunately often don’t—at least currently. As a trusted colleague reasoned, “If 50% of the Latino youth drop out of high school and 2% of wealthy white youth do, then the opposite of leveling the playing field is actually happening. More white kids are funneled toward higher levels of income and wealth with great numbers of students from lower-income families heading in the opposite direction. The problem (of educational and, thus, income disparity by race) is compounded, not addressed.”

• SCHOOL DROPOUTS – Nearly 10% of young people between the ages of 16-24 drop out of high school, with African American and Hispanic youth much more likely to leave than non-Hispanic white youth.⁴ These youth are unlikely to have the minimum skills and credentials necessary to function in today's increasingly complex society and technological workplace. Skill deficits impact us economically, and socially. In 2005, a typical full-time year-round worker in the US with a four-year college degree earned $50,900 in comparison to the $23,400 earned by someone who did not graduate from high school.⁵ College graduates are more likely than other employees to have employer-provided health and pension benefits; engage in volunteer work; vote; give blood; and live healthy lifestyles.⁶

• INCARCERATION – For the first time in our nation’s history, more than one in 99.1 American adults is behind bars—more than 2.3 million of 230 million adults.⁷ Among African American males aged 20 to 34, that ratio is one in nine. Our response? We have passively allowed our inability to provide social services that can change actions leading to incarceration or avoid recidivism for those who are incarcerated to blossom into a growing privatized prison industry. In 1987, total state spending of general funds on prison costs was $10.6 billion. By 2007, it had ballooned to over $44 billion, with an average per-prisoner operating cost of $23,876 in 2005 and capital expenses of approximately $65,000 per bed for a typical medium security facility.⁸

• UNPLANNED PREGNANCY – Unplanned pregnancy remains at the root of a number of important public health and social challenges with about one-third of teens getting pregnant by age 20, and about half of pregnancies for adults are unplanned.⁹ Moreover, rates of teen pregnancy and birth for teens among some groups, especially the large and growing Latino population, exceed the national average. Progress made in reducing teen pregnancy in the 1980s and into the 1990s, meanwhile, seems to have stalled.

• IMPOVERISHMENT – More than 12 million American children grow up in impoverished homes¹⁰ and the costs to our nation associated with childhood poverty total about $500 billion per year.¹¹

• HUNGER – More than 12.6 million children were at risk of hunger at some point last year. 10.6 million of those children live within metro areas—five times the number living outside metro areas.¹²

• ABUSE AND NEGLECT – An estimated 905,000 children were determined to be victims of abuse or neglect during 2006.¹³ The consequences of child maltreatment include brain injuries, neuromotor handicaps, reduced cognitive functioning, physical aggression, difficulty developing relationships, and increased risk of involvement in the criminal justice system.¹⁴

• SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ADDICTION – Drug abuse and addiction have cost society over $100 billion each year since 1975,¹⁵ with an annual cost to US businesses of more than $81 billion in lost productivity and turnover.¹⁶ According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, “Substance abuse and addiction bring specific well-recognized consequences and costs in three categories: first, health consequences and their impacts on the health care system; second, criminal behavior, either as a livelihood, participation in the drug trade, or violence related to drug abuse; and finally, job losses, family impoverishment, and subsequent reliance on welfare or other elements of society's safety net.”

For a significant population group, these negative “internal” forces within our cities, regions, and rural areas are colliding with the “external” forces coming from a rapidly globalizing world. And if action is not taken, the economic and social costs will be stunning. In my Summit speech I offered a quote from “The Rise of the Rest” by Fareed Zakaria: “Generations from now, when historians write about these times, they might note that by the turn of the 21st century, the United States had succeeded in its great, historical mission—globalizing the world. We don’t want them to write that along the way, we forgot to globalize ourselves.”¹⁷

COMPELLING CRY FOR PUBLIC AND POLITICAL WILL
Whatever we do as a nation, region, or family, how well we plow the ground for the fields in which our sons and daughters will toil—that should be our core consideration. We have a resilient economic system, but is our political system flexible enough to support new strategies over old political and sectoral boundaries, and invest long term? Or have partisan politics, parochial interests, and short-term vanity politics calcified and disabled our state and federal governments and the vital role they must play? Will we hand down the messes we have made to our sons and daughters, or will we find a way to give future generations a better chance to succeed and help our nation prevail?

As we work through our many national and regional priorities, I hope we can converge to agree on one outcome: to ensure that every child in America will have the family or adult support, continuum of basic resources, and level playing field to discover his or her strengths, understand and fulfill his or her potential, and approach life with a confident and positive sense of “why not?” versus the skepticism of “why?”

Why not, if we as a nation and region rally our intellect, our sweat equity, and our dollars to take on a challenge of this magnitude? We created a Department of Defense (DOD) to protect our sovereignty. As we grew as a nation, we created agencies like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) that, along with others such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Institute of Health (NIH), quietly provided vital intellectual leadership and research that was at the very core of American technological innovation. Thinking of these less as agencies and more as innovation movements that reshaped America, why not a bold undertaking of similar scope and mission for our children?

SEEDS OF CHANGE, THE PROMISE OF WHAT MIGHT BE
The national action of which I speak is both specific and symbolic. Specific in the sense that public action, policy, and funding must play a large and vital role. But, symbolic in that the overall response must be different—larger and organic in nature; formal and informal; functioning at national, state, regional, and neighborhood levels; at once top-down and grassroots; and building on things that work with leaders who are delivering impact for young people today while, at the same time, driving much needed innovation. It is truly about rallying and coalescing our collective power to change course for young people in America.

I know this. The solutions to many of our problems exist, thanks to the gallant efforts of strong community leaders and advocates—and those in the philanthropic sector who have supported them through strategic assistance and funding. This wisdom resides in the hard-earned experience and dedication of our people, especially those who have labored for years on the frontlines in our communities. I vividly recall my good friend Bill Shore coming back from New Orleans shortly after the devastating disaster of Katrina took place. His frustration was heartfelt as he shared, “There isn’t any great cerebral study needed. All you have to do is ask people what they need and they tell you. But we’re not listening.” Unlike others, Billy did listen, and helped leaders on the ground (those with a small “L”) get things done. I suspect we could transpose this approach for situation after situation in our region and nation.

To this end, some of the work I’ve witnessed first-hand through our work with Venture Philanthropy Partners or from those I have the privilege of knowing gives me great hope.

• EDUCATION – One of the realities standing in the way of innovation in education is the polarization of public debate to the point that positions become calcified, discourse compromised, and democracy at least partially paralyzed. Citizens now vote contrary to self-interest, based on hardened ideological positions and posturing—stifling any chance of reasonable exchange. Like it or not, some of the greatest innovation (not without pain and failure) has come from parents who led the charge on home schooling, vouchers and charters, new ways to serve children with autism, or fresh ways to teach those who learn differently in what is unfortunately termed the world of learning disabilities. We shouldn’t make the assumption of ignorance that our public systems are without great and redeeming value, for if we take the time we will find examples of true innovation. In every instance (public, charter, private, or individual) where I have seen a genuine, thoughtful approach to serving children and youth and their families, I see great achievement, legitimate seeds of change, and true hope of what is possible. Efforts like Metro High School in Columbus, OH; the Cristo Rey Network of high schools; Friendship Public Charter School; and KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program)—these are but a few examples of urban education that is working. It is time to constructively concentrate these forces with one common focus and goal—doing all we can to give our children the opportunity to learn and grow to their potential.

• SCHOOL DROPOUTS – VPP Investment Partners Friendship Public Charter School, See Forever Foundation’s Maya Angelou Public Charter School, and the SEED School, as well as an awareness of national efforts like KIPP and the Cristo Rey Network, stand as living proof that the school dropout rate can change. Another of VPP’s investment partners, Latin American Youth Center, runs a YouthBuild Public Charter School where students who have not succeeded in traditional school settings build houses for low-income or homeless families and learn the construction trades while also preparing to earn high school diplomas or GED. YouthBuild, as a national model, has shown great overall promise and is simply one example of an approach that offers a way for young people to begin to see what opportunities may exist for them.

In some high schools, students are enrolled in technology, culinary arts, and health programs that have articulation agreements with local community colleges. These agreements allow students to receive college credit for some of their high school courses and continue work toward an associate degree in their program study area. Or consider Northern Virginia Community College’s Pathway Program which identifies students in the eleventh grade from low-income communities who have both the desire and the capacity to achieve a baccalaureate degree, but whose likelihood of academic success and access to higher education can be significantly enhanced by receiving special support and structural guidance. With a cohort of about 2,000 students each year, the program, now in about 50 high schools, is already showing some amazing results with a college-going rate of 92% and a retention rate of 88%.¹⁸

• INCARCERATION – The See Forever/Maya Angelou Public Charter School, especially its Oak Hill Academy, recognizes the need for young people who have been adjudicated delinquent by the courts to receive education, career preparation, and mentoring to break the cycle of imprisonment. At Maya Angelou, 80% of its graduates go on to postsecondary education and career-oriented employment, and, even more importantly, nearly 2.5 times as many of them as their peers stay in school to earn a BA.

• UNPLANNED PREGNANCY – The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy had more than 300,000 people take the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Quiz in May 2008 (up from 75,000 in 2002), raising awareness of the realities of teen pregnancies. Thousands of teens also used a widget (online application) to add the quiz to their MySpace or Facebook profiles. Mary’s Center for Maternal & Child Care, serving 6,415 children and youth annually, is a culturally competent primary health care provider, promoting abstinence choices, family planning and pregnancy prevention services, HIV/STD testing, and health education for teens aged 13 to 21.

• HUNGER – Share Our Strength has a 10-point plan to end childhood hunger in America. According to Share Our Strength’s research, the resources already exist to connect families with food in the short term and to promote nutrition, health and economic stability in the long term. Federal nutrition programs are effective when they are implemented where needed, made accessible, and utilized properly. Building better systems and involving local leadership closes gaps, relieves hunger, and promotes sound nutrition.¹⁹ A bold aspiration? Most certainly, but their goals and strategies have the underpinning of sound reasoning and their dedication to solving this challenge is unsurpassed.

The organizations mentioned plus others with demonstrated models and great national potential like Citizen Schools, College Summit, Harlem Children’s Zone, Invest in Kids, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Youth Villages are but a few examples of the hundreds (or more) of quality organizations that are implementing programs that improve the lives of young people, and strengthen community fabrics.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES—A STARTING POINT
Our challenge—to collectively and collaboratively focus our resources toward a shared horizon—will have to be radically different from how we have formerly functioned in our respective silos and fiefdoms. Nothing short of a national movement, executed at the regional and local levels, will suffice. And, the details of such an initiative must come from those for whom this is intended to benefit—children and their families—in concert with their stakeholders, representatives in their communities, and experts in each area. This plan must be robustly supported by a concentration of community, government, academic, civic, business, military, and political resources in one’s region and, more importantly, our nation. Yet, as a way to begin the conversation, here are some ideas that might serve as guiding principles.

• Just as we decided to “put a man on the moon,” we need to agree on “what is possible” for our children, inviting them into the discussion. As the father of teenagers, I know, only too well, that determining on my own what they will (or won’t) do is a recipe for disaster. As Bill Shore says, “Ask what they need, and then listen.” I suspect at least part of what we’d hear is that they want to have hope for their future, see opportunity, and feel the exhilarating sense of accomplishment with their innovations at all levels, big and small. We need to guarantee we and they can answer Friedman’s question of whether we (the United States) still have “the hunger, the drive” to innovate as we’ve had so grandly in generations past. We have to give them this chance.

• There is a clarion call for significant, even radical, change to our public policy. In the long run, we have no real alternative. In the short run, philanthropy, which I fully acknowledge cannot take the place of public policy or funding, can show the way, especially by taking risks that the markets—both economic and political—won't take. In my short stay of 15 years in the social sector, I have gained great respect for the groundbreaking work of leading foundations and some of the more recent innovation that has been triggered by the wealth created since 1990. The efforts in the social sector provide hope for change.

• We need to think about the “whole child” and not just his or her life in a K-12 school. We must, of course, focus on specific opportunities, but, in the long run, isn’t it just as important to change legislation that prevents information on child abuse and family issues in one state from following a parent to a new state? Should we be bold enough to think of re-architecting the full scope of educational, learning, and development services to come up with a lasting systems solution, instead of continuing to focus on one part, one system, or one organization at a time? Instead of expecting youth to jump precariously from island to island on their journey to adulthood and global citizenship, why not ensure for the full transition with P-20 superseding K-12, from pre-school through college, vocational school, or national service within a supportive environment where early childhood development, school, social and health programs, and a range of family and community ties come together for and around our youth?

• We need to increase the flow of funds—public and philanthropic—and change their allocation, focusing more on proactive action and prevention versus remediation and recovery—across the board. We have to continue to support —being smarter in how we do it—the tens of thousands of small nonprofits and independent individuals helping others that make up so much of the greatness Alexis de Tocqueville saw in our American culture. But, strategically, we must do more to help build and strengthen those organizations that are having greater and lasting impact.

• We need to increase the flow of talent into the social and public sectors and coalesce their energies and resources around core themes affecting the lives of children such as public health, education, hunger alleviation, youth-to-adulthood transition. We need to see more initiatives along the lines of Civic Ventures and Bridgestar that encourage those of the baby boomer generation to transition into the social and public sectors; the Partnership for Public Service which works to revitalize our federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve by transforming the way government works; and Echoing Green and emerging programs in colleges and universities that are encouraging graduates to consider careers in our public and social sectors. We must also be more innovative to identify and develop great leadership potential within our neighborhoods and communities that we seek to help.

• We need better funnels of dollars and other incentives toward families in need on a legitimate "quid pro quo" basis where they are employed on public projects of true value for communities and where they can learn a trade or become more employable in the labor markets. We have to create a stable base of employment for low-income and even the lower middle class populations, not just to create jobs, but allow individuals to make a decent living with jobs that provide on-the-job training, GED and college equivalent education, and skills relevant to where our nation is headed—energy production, consumption and conservation, the continuum of healthcare and medical services, homeland security and national defense, healthier living, and, most definitely, public service—versus where it has been.

• We need to channel our energies and money to change the attitude and mores related to family structure (generally speaking, children do better in two-parent homes, taking nothing away from the near heroic efforts of single moms and dads) and reduce teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and addiction, and incarceration—all big sources of cyclical poverty. Let’s stop taking the expedient path to “warehouse” young people and instead take on the challenge to intervene early to provide comprehensive help when help can still make a difference.

• Structurally, we need to take on the private prison industrial complex that has quietly emerged in America, hit hard to expose the “drug economy,” and constructively coalesce the now countervailing forces that are tearing at the fabric of education in America instead of converging to make it demonstrably better. A Mayor in Ohio recently said you learn to “run to the fight” on the streets. It is time we run to these fights, instead of letting these forces continue to eat away our social fabric and steal the very breath of our children and their future.

• We need to confront head on areas that for too long worked to divide us—race, class, ethnicity and, more recently, immigration—and band together to face the opportunities and threats of globalization. Candid and regular dialogue, hard though it is, about race, class, and power and how these issues play out in our communities, regions, and nation must occur. But let’s move beyond words to action, where those of different race, ethnicity, and class come together to work side-by-side, learning together and from one another, on community projects for our youth.

Consider this specific case in point: If 50% of the youth of wealthy Americans were forecast to drop out of high school, and our expectation was that they could hope for living incomes of but $20,000 annually for life, we, as a nation, would, more than likely, devise an aggressive prevention strategy immediately. Yet, a 10% dropout rate in the aggregate (lower for the wealthy and much more for the poor) just doesn’t feel like a crisis to many—after all, a 90% graduation rate seems pretty good. “Pretty good” simply isn’t good enough any longer, when major groups of young people are dropping out of school and not graduating. We don’t want to watch a generation of “somebody else’s children” fade from society.

• We need to invest in where we are going, not where we’ve been. Yes, this is a time-worn cliché, but unfortunately too applicable. Why would we focus public and community resources into areas that are being up-scaled as gentrification sets in, paying scant attention to the locales where low-income families are being migrated? Why do we continue to teach how we were taught instead of how our children need to learn in their new world? Why are we not more cognizant, thinking longer term, to understand and factor in how demographic shifts are radically realigning our regions and nation as changes in age, race, ethnicity, and class remap our urban centers, suburbs, and exurbs? How will these forces align to our schools and social services, even our governance?

THE FABRIC OF COMMUNITY LIFE
Perhaps, most importantly, we have to recognize the necessity of rebuilding the very fabric of community life. It is not enough to reform a single public education system in a region, when there may be a dozen such systems. It is not enough to ensure early childhood development service, if we’ve not reached the adults and families in children’s lives or thought about the next step on the continuum. We just can’t hope that graduating from high school is the outcome or end point, rather than proactively assisting in the successful transition to adulthood via college or occupation. We must take on the “whole child” and ensure that a rich fabric of community life surrounds his or her development into adulthood.

One of the seminal models we can learn from is the Harlem Children’s Zone, a story of a great leader and a pioneering, nonprofit, community-based organization working to enhance the quality of life for children and families in some of New York City's most devastated neighborhoods. The importance of their work is not that it can be replicated, for I don’t think it can, but rather in their understanding of what needs to be done, which is best expressed by their statement: “The emphasis of The Children's Zone work is not just on education, social service, and recreation, but on rebuilding the very fabric of community life.”

But as we talk of the “whole child” and the importance of a rich community fabric, we must factor in the need to rebuild the social compact and restore the trust that has been broken across the board. Whether the sexual meanderings of political leaders, pedophiles in our churches, corruption in corporate board rooms, violations of the Geneva convention, extreme political malice where character assassination has replaced any semblance of political discourse, athletes or celebrities who openly discuss their multiple children with more than one partner while still not married, or the literal daily exposure to tragedy that numbs our psyche—all this makes it abundantly clear that young people need role models they can look to for guidance and mentorship, and a community that supports, rather than tears at them, along the way. I vividly recall famed management consultant Peter Drucker’s response to, “If you could do one thing, what would it be?” as he unhesitatingly replied, “Civilize our cities.” Only months later, I had the privilege of sharing the story with Russell Ackoff, often referred to as the “father of system thinking,” who simply smiled and handed me a draft of a book he was writing. The title? Reinventing Our Civil Society.

Going forward, our resiliency and innovativeness have to be grounded in the strength of civil society that made our nation great. A world is transforming and changing dramatically around the United States as globalization brings with it profound opportunities and threats. The forces of globalization are certainly challenging our middle class and disproportionately extracting their toll on families of low-income families while their children are being systematically limited in what their contributions could be. Currently, children of low-income families and the forces of globalization are two ships passing in the night, but it doesn’t have to stay this way. We have the moral, social AND economic justification to reconcile the challenges of globalization and the needs of the children and young people of the low-income families in our region and nation. These young people deserve the opportunity to transition to young, thoughtful, productive adults and be important voices and contributors to their region’s and nation’s future. And, it is precisely now that we have a chance to change course for our nation’s future—our children, their children and their grandchildren.

- Mario Morino

ENDNOTES

¹Baum, Sandy, and Jennifer Ma. "Education Pays 2007: The Benefits of Higher Education." College Board. <http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/about/news_info/cbsenior/yr2007/ed-pays-2007.pdf>.

²"The High Cost of High School Dropouts." Alliance for Excellent Education. <http://www.all4ed.org/files/HighCost.pdf>.

³“The High Cost of High School Dropouts.”

⁴"Child Trends Data Bank Dropout Rates." Child Trends. <http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/tables/1_Table_1.htm>.

⁵Baum and Ma.

⁶Baum and Ma.

⁷"One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008." Pew Center on the States. <http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/8015PCTS_Prison08_FINAL_2-1-1_FORWEB.pdf>.

⁸"One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008."

⁹"The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy." The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. <http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/about-us/default.aspx>.

¹⁰"Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity." Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity. <http://www.spotlightonpoverty.org/why_spotlight_poverty.aspx>.

¹¹Holzer, Harry, Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, Greg Duncan, and Jens Ludwig. "The Economic Costs of Poverty in America." Center for American Progress. <http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/01/pdf/poverty_report.pdf >.

¹²"Childhood Hunger Facts." Share Our Strength - No Kid Hungry. <http://www.strength.org/childhood_hunger/>.

¹³"Child Maltreatment 2006." US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children & Families. <http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm06/summary.htm>.

¹⁴Chalk, Rosemary, Alison Gibbons, and Harriet Scarupa. "The Multiple Dimensions of Child Abuse and Neglect:." Child Trends. <http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2002_05_01_RB_Childabuse.pdf>.

¹⁵Swan, Neil. "Drug Abuse Cost to Society Set at $97.7 Billion, Continuing Steady Increase Since 1975." National Institute of Drug Abuse. <http://www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol13N4/Abusecosts.html>.

¹⁶Kelley, Debbie. "Cost of Drug Abuse." Colorado Springs Gazette 17 Apr. 2006. <http://daily.gazette.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VGhlR2F6ZXR0ZS8yMDA2LzA0LzE3I0FyMDM3MDA=
&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom&gt;>.

¹⁷Zakaria, Fareed. "The Rise Of The Rest." Newsweek 12 May 2008 <http://www.newsweek.com/id/135380/output/print>.

¹⁸Pathway Program. Northern Virginia Community College. <http://www.nvcc.edu/home/khilker/Pathway%20Program.htm>.

¹⁹"Child Hunger Brochure." Share Our Strength - No Kid Hungry. <http://strength.org/pdfs/ShareOurStrength_Child_Hungeer_Brochure2.1.08.pdf>.

Ted Leonsis Receives Media Leadership Award

VPP Investor Ted Leonsis was honored at the Internews Media
Leadership Awards, co-chaired by VPP Investor Kathy Calvin,
Executive Vice President and COO of the United Nations Foundation.

Businessman, philanthropist, film producer, and VPP Investor Ted Leonsis and award-winning international journalist Mariane Pearl were honored June 5 at the 2008 Internews Media Leadership Awards. Internews, an international media development nonprofit, presented awards to Leonsis and Pearl at an event at the newly opened Newseum in Washington, DC.

Leonsis was honored for engaging global audiences through his socially conscious films, Nanking and Kicking It, as well as his pioneering work to connect people worldwide through Internet technology. Leonsis is Vice Chairman Emeritus of AOL, owner of the Washington Capitals, and Chairman of Clearspring Technologies and Revolution Money.

Pearl, an international journalist, was honored for her dedication to international reporting and commitment to spreading a global message of hope. Pearl has reported and produced documentaries on culture, science, immigration, and politics. She authored the 2007 book, In Search of Hope: The Global Diaries of Mariane Pearl, about the everyday heroes she met writing her column for Glamour magazine.

She also wrote the book, A Mighty Heart, which was made into a critically-acclaimed film, about her husband Daniel Pearl’s kidnapping and murder in Pakistan in 2002 while he was reporting for the Wall Street Journal.

The awards also honored three outstanding international media leaders: Tole Nyatt from Kenya, Hoang Quoc Dzung from Vietnam, and Natalia Ligacheva from the Ukraine

Internews, a nonprofit based in California with an office in Washington, DC, has worked in 70 countries worldwide to empower people worldwide with the news and information they need and the means to make their voices heard.

Social Citizens ^BETA : Redefining Civic Engagement for the Millennial Generation

Social Citizens ^BETA , a new report commissioned by the Case Foundation, explores how some members of the passionate and technologically astute Millennial Generation are using new tools and methods to change the world in important and profound ways.

Author Allison Fine identifies the role that social networking, blogging, and other approaches play in enhancing the way we give our time, talent, and treasure, and introduces a new activist archetype—the Social Citizen.

The paper defines Social Citizens as “energetic and passionate about social causes; brimming with new approaches and ideas for problem-solving; disposed towards sharing the responsibilities and rewards of affecting change in the world; and equipped with the digital tools and people power to make it happen.”

As the largest living generation of Americans, Millennials—or the roughly 77 million individuals born between 1979 and 1993—have a chance to make a real, lasting difference. And it’s not just those with Internet access. This diverse group of young people is using what they know to affect change—whether it’s via word-of-mouth, in-the-street organizing, or opting to work at companies that allow and encourage them to serve their communities.

Social Citizens ^BETA was initially conceived as a conversation starter for those in the nonprofit and foundation world trying to understand and engage Millennial activists. But this challenge is not unique to the nonprofit space. It resonates across all sectors seeking to relate to this generation.

“The paper raises more questions than it answers, and for good reason,” says Case Foundation CEO Jean Case. “We intend to launch a larger conversation with these ‘social citizens,’ and give them a place to share new ideas and challenge perceptions about their approaches to being engaged.”

In the coming months, the Case Foundation will host a series of discussions—online and off—to capture insight into Millennials’ passions and ideas, and develop corresponding initiatives that extend the impact of their work. To that end, the Foundation invites those of all generations to explore this discussion paper, visit the Social Citizens blog, and join the conversation.

VPP Participates in NewSchools Venture Fund Summit

On May 21, Venture Philanthropy Partners President and CEO Carol Thompson Cole and advisor Art Curry participated in the ninth NewSchools Venture Fund Summit held in Washington, DC. This year's gathering of community leaders from education, business, policy, research, and philanthropy, as well as a number of the nation's boldest elected officials, celebrated the tenth anniversary of NewSchools. In doing so, the Summit took a retrospective look at the impact of educational entrepreneurs on underserved students over the past decade, lessons learned, and a look to the future as to how the public, private, and nonprofit sectors might work closer together to dramatically improve public education for all students.

Founded in 1998, NewSchools Venture Fund is a venture philanthropy firm working to transform public education so that ALL children have the opportunity to succeed in the 21st century. They have worked to dramatically improve public education for children from low-income families and minority children in urban communities that have been traditionally underserved by public education. To achieve its mission, NewSchools has worked with essential partners across the nation to support many of the highest performing entrepreneurial schools and organizations in the country. One such partnership is their co-investment with VPP in support of Friendship Public Charter School.

Highlights of the Summit included a welcome by the Honorable Adrian M. Fenty, Mayor of the District of Columbia; closing remarks by the Honorable Cory A. Booker, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey; panel discussions that included Carol Thompson Cole, VPP; Michelle Rhee, Chancellor, DC Public Schools; Randi Weingarten, President, United Federation of Teachers; Jim Shelton, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Ted Mitchell, President and CEO, NewSchools Venture Fund; and a reception that recognized outstanding accomplishments during the last decade and featured Voices of Friendship, an ensemble choir of students from Friendship Public Charter School.

Management Changes

AALEAD Names Rosetta Lai, Executive Director
Thanks to Rick Chen, Manager of Development & Communications, for this update.

Asian American Lead (AALEAD) announced it has named Rosetta Lai as its new Executive Director. Lai has most recently served as the organization’s interim Executive Director since October 2007 and previously as Vice President of Development and External Affairs.

“The board felt it was critical to find an Executive Director who embodies AALEAD’s commitment to the well-being of Asian American youth and families, leadership development, and community service. We believe we have done so in selecting Rosetta Lai to lead this organization in this critical time of growth and expansion,” said Hansel Pham, Board Chairman.

Pham noted that in selecting Lai, the Board recognized her efforts to successfully lead AALEAD through a potentially challenging transition period which may occur after the departure of its founder. “Sandy Dang’s legacy as the founder of AALEAD is in good hands,” he said.

”It is an exciting time for the nonprofit sector in general and AALEAD in particular because of the increased talent embracing the work of community building and social justice. I am committed to growing AALEAD and its impact by developing our staff, renewing our programs, and reaching out to our youth, parents, and other organizations for collaboration,” Lai said.

Recruited to AALEAD in September 2005 to oversee resource development and external outreach, Lai spent 20 years in the corporate sector holding senior positions with global companies such as Motorola, SRA/IBM and NCS/Pearson helping business units improve their organizational effectiveness.

Her work took her around the country and the Asia Pacific Region. She has applied the results-oriented techniques of corporate management to nonprofit organizations when she served as President of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), Chicago Chapter, in the 1980s and in her current service as the National President of the Organization of Chinese American Women.

Prior to entering the corporate sector, Lai spent eight years in education as Dean of Women at Lake Forest Academy in Chicago and the Academic Dean at St Mary’s Academy in South Bend, Indiana. She holds an MA in Sociology from University of Notre Dame and a Bachelor of Arts in History from St. Mary’s College.

Announcements of Note

EdWeek Commentary Features College Summit
Thanks to Vanessa Lillie, PR & Communications Manager, for this update.

College Summit was featured in an Education Week online commentary by Earl S. Richardson, President of Morgan State University in Baltimore, and Jeffrey Brenzel, Dean of Undergraduate Admission at Yale University, in New Haven, CT. “Addressing the Empty Mailbox” served as a reminder that while students are receiving acceptances to colleges nation-wide, there is also the less-publicized challenge of college-capable seniors not even applying to college. The piece mentioned College Summit’s collaboration with both universities as well as the success its school partners, including those in the National Capital Region, have had in increasing students’ college-going rates.

Heads Up Names Director of Development, Honors AmeriCorps Graduates
Thanks to Neena Kumar, Director of Development, for this update.

Neena Kumar joined the Heads Up senior management team on May 21, 2008, as Development Director. She brings a strong background in corporate and foundation fundraising from the University of Maryland, and membership and overall development at the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers.

In late April, Heads Up’s AmeriCorps tutors participated in a graduation ceremony to honor their dedication to working with kids in DC. The event took place at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Chevy Chase, and tutors enjoyed a catered dinner as they were recognized by their site directors for all their hard work in Heads Up’s after-school programs this year. The graduates all completed 900 hours of service and earned an education award of nearly $2,400.

Heads Up’s AmeriCorps tutors begin service during the summer, attending a three-week intensive training before fully staffing programs in the afternoons after summer school. As AmeriCorps members, these tutors are leaders both in the classroom and for Heads Up’s volunteer tutors, who join during the school year.

With Dignity, Hope and Joy Captures LAYC's Rich History
Thanks to Cheryl Aguilar, Communications Specialist, for this update.

After a year of comprehensive research and interviews, extraordinary stories of people impacted by the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) and the organization’s history are captured in With Dignity, Hope and Joy, a case study and a companion oral history document that narrate LAYC’s birth and growth through the eyes of numerous individuals from the community and youth’s and staff’s experiences.

Thousands of youth have come through LAYC doors since the center first started serving young people in 1969. In the nearly 40 years LAYC has been working with Latino, African American and multicultural youth, young people have achieved remarkable accomplishments.

A total of 137 individuals were interviewed for the publications. Those included individuals from academia and the consulting world with extensive youth development experience, DC government employees, representatives from foundations, former executive directors and board members at LAYC, past alumni who now work at the organization, and alumni throughout the years.

LAYC’s Oral History is a side document to a recently finished case study that was undertaken between November of 2005 and November of 2006, by Marcia Bernbaum, a developmental psychologist who has spent most of her career working in education and volunteered her time to assume the task, with the collaboration of Isaac Castillo, LAYC’s Director of Learning and Evaluation and the support of other LAYC staff members.

While the case study thoroughly examines LAYC over a 37-year period, the Oral History focuses on LAYC’s birth and evolution by time periods. Each time period begins with a brief summary of the context in which LAYC operated. The Oral History is told in a mixture of narrative and quotes.

“Each day at LAYC there is a fresh success to celebrate, an obstacle overcome, a new mountain scaled. LAYC is honored to share these amazing stories,” said Lori Kaplan, LAYC’s Executive Director. “The stories in the Oral History capture all the great work our staff do to make a positive change in youth, their families and the community. I invite you to learn more about our youth, staff and the work we do.”

SEED School Celebrates Accomplishments
Thanks to Elizabeth Frazier, Director of Communications, for this update.

As The SEED School of Washington, DC, completes its tenth year, they are celebrating both the old and the new.

Seniors at The SEED School of Washington, DC have gained acceptance to colleges and universities nationwide such as American University, Brown University, Case Western Reserve University, Morehouse College, and Wellesley College. Also, more students than ever have been accepted into summer programs such as Experiment in International Living, National Outdoor Leadership School, Trek Institute, SAGE Program and The City Kids Wilderness Project.

The SEED School of Maryland will open its doors this fall to its inaugural class of 80 sixth graders, who were selected via lottery from an application pool of over 325 students from across Maryland. The school received more than 2,500 resumes for administrative, academic, student support, and student life faculty. Tom Friedman, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of The World is Flat, captured the drama of the lottery in a recent New York Times column.

See Forever Foundation seeks an Executive Director to build upon the success of the past 10 years. Reporting to the Chair of the See Forever Board of Directors, the successful candidate will assume responsibility for key executive functions of See Forever, the nonprofit organization that manages three Maya Angelou Public Charter School campuses, as well as the Oak Hill Academy and its Transition Center, all located in or around Washington, DC. The position will be filled as soon as possible.

The Executive Director will lead the team which supports the network of See Forever schools with more than 160 employees and an annual budget of approximately $17 million. The ideal candidate will have at least eight years of management experience, with at least five years at a senior level, preferably in the nonprofit sector. Experience in the field of education—as a teacher, principal, or supervisor—is strongly preferred. A graduate degree in education or a management-related field is also preferred but not required.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please prepare a cover letter which includes your salary history and highlights your relevant experience for the position. Send the cover letter together with your resume to: hr@seeforever.org no later than Friday, July 18, 2008. Resumes and cover letters should be written in MS Word and sent as email attachments. Further information is available at: www.seeforever.org.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation released its 19th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book on June 12. The Data Book is a national and state-by-state profile of the status of America's children. This year's essay, A Roadmap for Juvenile Justice Reform, highlights the need to reform America's juvenile justice system.

VPPNews is taking its summer hiatus...see you in September!