Winner Named in Improving Lives of Children Essay Contest
Bedford, N.Y. and Washington, D.C. June 15, 2009 -- Daniel Robbins, a graduating senior of Fox Lane High School in Bedford, NY, was named first place winner of the New America Foundation's Improving the Lives of Children Essay Contest. At the announcement ceremony today, Daniel Robbins received a $2,500 prize for college. Congressman John J. Hall, from the 19th Congressional District in New York, presented the check. This year's winner was selected from more than 3,400 entrants, from high schools in every state in the country.
Improving the Lives of Children
by Daniel Robbins
As President of the United States, I would put improving the lives of America’s children at the forefront of my agenda. Too often, we have failed to ensure the wellbeing and growth of our children. We, however, have an unquestionable responsibility to make sure the next generation of Americans is safe, successful, and competitive in this century’s rapidly changing global environment. As a result, I have created a three step plan to advance America’s education system with the goal of improving the lives of America’s children both today and tomorrow.
Step 1: Improving Funding and Resources
Making sure America’s schools have up-to-date resources and appropriate funding is essential in improving our children’s education and lives. Many schools, supplied with outdated or insufficient resources, struggle to educate their students. How can students be expected to learn and thrive if they are not equipped with the tools necessary for success? To this end, students must have access to textbooks and computers that meet today’s standards. Students have to be individually and appropriately challenge to remain confident and successful. In too many schools, students who need help catching up with their classmates or moving beyond the standard curriculum are left unaided. By providing more funding and resources, teachers will have the tools they need to cater to each student’s needs. Administrators and state governments will be able to make sure teachers have learned and adopted the most current, effective pedagogic methods and instructional materials. Even though all this requires money, it is an investment we can’t afford to not make.
Step 2: Make Global Education a Priority
In addition to improving school’s funding and resources, we must make global education a priority. A global education includes making sure America’s children are proficient in a foreign language and become culturally and globally aware. The last couple of decades have been marked by expansive globalization. As a result, America must ditch its monolingual tendencies. Learning a foreign language, especially at a young age, will allow today’s children to interact efficiently and respectfully with the rest of the world. With a better understanding of different cultures, America’s children will be better equipped to solve this century’s major issues such as creating sustainable environmental policies, eradicating global poverty and hunger, producing lasting standards for global trade, and establishing international peace. Resolving these very problems will drastically improve the lives of American children. Without an adequate understanding of foreign languages and cultures, however, we have little chance of creating sustainable solutions.
Step 3: Improving Scholarships for Post-Secondary Education
It has been consistently shown that those children who continue on to post-secondary education after graduating high school are significantly more successful and provide better lives for themselves. As a result, we must try to help every student who wants to attend college. In 2006, the latest date in which statistics are available, the U.S. Census Bureau found that only 19.5% of the population attended college. By providing scholarships to children with financial need, we can help raise this number and in turn raise the standard of living for America’s children.
These three pragmatic steps will help American children succeed academically, and in turn create diligent citizens who are competitive, culturally aware, and ready to solve the next generation of challenges. Through improving funding and resources, increasing focus on global education, and providing more scholarships to students, we are not only investing directly in our children and the leaders of tomorrow, we are investing in America.
Recession is Erasing Gains in Children's Well Being
Virtually all the progress made in children's well-being since 1975 - particularly the improvements of the 1990s -- will be wiped out by the current recession, according to a report released today at the New America Foundation. See link: http://www.fcd-us.org/usr_doc/Final-2009CWIReport.pdf
"We will lose ground that had been gained over the past three decades," said Kenneth C. Land, project coordinator for the Child and Youth Well-Being Index, which uses federal statistics to track how American children are faring in domains such as health, safety and education. The 2009 edition was released Wed., June 3 and included a special focus report on anticipating the impacts of the 2008-2010 recession.
The report shows that children's well-being started to decline last year and is expected to dip to its lowest point in 2010, when many economists believe the full impact of the recession will be felt.
It projects that next year 21 percent of children will be in poverty and 28 percent will not have at least one full-time working parent. The median income for all families will drop to $55,700. Single-parent households led by fathers will be hardest hit.
The economic downturn will ripple across other domains as well, according to the report, causing breakdowns in community ties (driven by unemployment or housing crises) and family structure (due to an expected uptick in divorce rates). Fewer children at 3 and 4 will be enrolled in pre-kindergarten programs, and violent crime will likely increase. The number of children reporting good health is expected to dip (with obesity rates increasing due in part to a reliance on less healthy foods), but government health insurance policies should lessen the economy's ill effects.
Panelists at today's event, who remarked on the report's conclusions and the economy's impact on children, included Ruby Takanishi, president of the Foundation for Child Development; Greg Acs, senior fellow at the Urban Institute; Barbara Bowman, adviser to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on early education; and Reihan Salam, fellow at the New America Foundation. The event was moderated by David Gray, director of the Workforce and Family Program at the New America Foundation.
The Child Well-Being Index is funded by the Foundation for Child Development and coordinated by the Child Well-Being Index Project at Duke University.
10 Finalists Named in New America's 2009 Improving the Lives of Children Essay Contest
Washington, D.C. May 19, 2009 -- Ten students were named finalists of the New America Foundation's Improving the Lives of Children Essay Contest today.
This year's finalists were selected from more than 3,400 entrants, from high schools in every state. By state, the finalists broke out to 1 Arizona; 1 Colorado; 1 Michigan; 1 New Jersey; 2 New York; 1 North Carolina; 1 Ohio; 2 Pennsylvania.
High school seniors wrote 600 words on the question, "You have just been elected the President of the United States. What is the most important thing you will do to improve the lives of America's children?" Essays are judged on the quality of both the ideas and the writing.
"The purpose of the 'Improving the Lives of Children' Essay contest is to draw attention to ideas that can make a difference in the lives of America's youth. We are hopeful that this can highlight some of the critical needs of America's young people," said David Gray, Director of the Workforce and Family Program at New America.
The essay contest is held with the support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In June, the contest winner will be selected by a panel of distinguished judges and will receive a $2,500 prize for college. For future information and results see http://www.newamerica.net/programs/workforce_and_family.
The 2009 finalists are:
Tara Murphy, Tucson, AZ - Marana High School
Isaac Fonken, Estes Park, CO - Wilderness Academy Home School
Neil Menon, Wyoming, OH - Wyoming High School
Kate O'Connor, Plymouth, MI - Salem High School
Sophia Zhang, Charlotte, NC - North Mecklenburg High School
Margaret Dudasik, Nutley, NJ - Academy of the Holy Angels
Daniel Robbins, Bedford, NY - Fox Lane High School
Erika DiLorenzo, Clifton Park, NY - Catholic Central High School
Tyrik Thorn, Philadelphia, PA - William L. Sayre High School
Abby O'Hare, Sayre, PA - Sayre Area High School
Media interested in covering New America's Improving the Lives of Children Essay Contest should contact Erin Drankoski at 202-997-8727 or drankoski@newamerica.net.
About New America
The New America Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute whose purpose is to bring exceptionally promising new ideas and new voices to the fore of our nation's public discourse. New America is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has offices in California.
25 Semifinalists Named in New America's 2009 Improving the Lives of Children Essay Contest
25 Semifinalists Named in New America's 2009 Improving the Lives of Children Essay Contest
April 16, 2009
Twenty-five students were named semifinalists of the New America Foundation's Improving the Lives of Children Essay Contest today.
This year's semifinalists were selected from more than 3,400 entrants, from high schools in every state. By state, the semifinalists broke out to 1 Arkansas; 1 Arizona; 1 California; 1 Colorado; 1 Illinois; 2 Michigan; 1 Minnesota; 1 Mississippi; 1 North Carolina; 1 New Jersey; 3 New York; 1 Ohio; 3 Pennsylvania; 1 Tennessee; 3 Texas; 1 Utah; 1 Washington.
High school seniors wrote 600 words on the question, "You have just been elected the President of the United States. What is the most important thing you will do to improve the lives of America's children?" Essays are judged on the quality of both the ideas and the writing.
"We received essays from young people from North Pole High School in Alaska to Maine to Florida to Oregon. We received thousands of very insightful essays and it was a real challenge narrowing the field," said David Gray, Director of the Workforce and Family Program at New America.
Mr. Gray added, "The purpose of the 'Improving the Lives of Children' Essay contest is to draw attention to ideas that can make a difference in the lives of America's youth. We are hopeful that this can highlight some of the critical needs of America's young people."
The essay contest is held with the support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In May, the 10 finalists will be announced. In June, the contest winner will be selected by a panel of distinguished judges and will receive a $2,500 prize for college. For future information and results see http://www.newamerica.net/programs/workforce_and_family.
The 2009 semi-finalists are:- Nicholas Bemberg, Little Rock, AR
- Tara Murphy, Tucson, AZ
- Kara Gash, Yuba City, CA
- Isaac Fonken, Estes Park, CO
- Jessica Thompson, Troy, IL
- Kate O'Connor, Plymouth, MI
- Chi Song, Troy, MI
- Kathryn Geskermann, Maplewood, MN
- Cecil Walden, Booneville, MS
- Sophia Zhang, Charlotte, NC
- Travis Joseph, Warner, NH
- Margaret Dudasik, Nutley, NJ
- Daniel Robbins, Bedford, NY
- Erika DiLorenzo, Clifton Park, NY
- Nicholas Englese, Malverne, NY
- Neil Menon, Wyoming, OH
- Tyrik Thorn, Philadelphia, PA
- Abby O'Hare, Sayre, PA
- Caitlin Conroy, Telford, PA
- Andy Danniels, Spring City, TN
- Shelby Calabrese, Buda, TX
- Mary Anne O'Brien, Carrollton, TX
- Qingliu Yang, Plano, TX
- Kristen Bradford, Orem, UT
- Katherine Bergus, Gig Harbor, WA
A FAMILY BASED SOCIAL CONTRACT
For Link to Our New Policy Paper:
http://www.newamerica.net/publications/policy/family_based_social_contract
Executive Summary
Americans instinctively revere the family as an institution that helps facilitate all other aspects of life. The family fosters attachments across generations, provides a nurturing environment in which to raise children, and is a means of transmitting values from one generation to the next. It is the foundation upon which our social contract has been built.
Historically, public discussions of the social contract have largely ignored the role of families. In a pre-industrial world in which children both performed economically useful tasks while young and, as adults, offered vital support to their aging parents, it was easy to assume that the family as an institution could be relied on to take care of itself.
Today, however, the economic basis of the family is largely eroded. Children are no longer economic assets to their parents, but costly liabilities. Due to the growth of Social Security, Medicare, and private pension schemes, support in old age no longer depends on an individual’s decision to raise a family, but on other people bearing the burdens of parenthood so as to produce the vital human capital to keep the system going. Meanwhile, the widening life options of a secularized society raise the opportunity cost, for both men and women, of nurturing the next generation.
One result of these changed circumstances, in all advanced nations, has been a dramatic fall in birthrates,often to well below replacement rates, and rapidly aging populations. At the same time, the state of family life has become deeply problematic, with high rates of divorce and out-of-wedlock births, and increasing downward mobility among parents.
Other sectors of society have effectively appropriated for themselves much of the value in human capital created by families, contributing to the strain on parents and a decline in overall fertility rates. Public policy and current law stacks the odds against those who choose to raise children.
We need to make major adjustments to the social contract in order to allow parents to retain more of the return that comes to society through their investment in children. Because stable families make a great difference in the lives of children, the next social contract should support them. Because having and raising children is a public good, the next social contact should focus on supporting parents and children as early in life as possible.
Improving the Lives of Children Essay Contest
NEW ESSAY CONTEST ABOUT IMPROVING THE LIVES OF CHILDREN
See link below
The 2008 Child Well-Being Index
The Foundation for Child Development and the New America Foundation released the 2008 Child Well-Being Index, a comprehensive report on the overall health, education, well-being and quality of life of America's children, on Tuesday, July 22.
This event and report also had a special emphasis on the status of teenagers during this decade compared to their parents at the same age. The results may surprise you.
To learn more about the event, and to download the 2008 Child Well-Being Index, please click here.
To read the July 22nd USA Today feature about the 2008 CWI, please click here.
Improving the Lives of Children Essay Contest
Contest Winner Announced
The New America Foundation is looking to draw attention to the needs of children and for the next generation of policy ideas to help kids. We have invited all public and private high school seniors in Washington, D.C., to voice their opinions by writing and submitting an essay that answers the question: “You have just been elected the President of the United States. What is the most important thing you will do to improve the lives of America’s children?” Now the New America Foundation has announced a list of Finalists for the $1,000 scholarship prize. On Tuesday, May 27th the winner was announced.
Click here to find out who won the contest.
Trends in Infancy/Early Childhood and Middle Childhood Well-Being, 1994-2006
New Report Details Surprising Trends
On Friday April 25th, the Workforce and Family Program hosted the release of the Foundation for Child Development's Special Focus Report, "Trends in Infancy/Early Childhood and Middle Childhood Well-Being, 1994-2006," which presents the first wide-ranging picture of how children in their first decade of life are faring the the U.S. It is the first report to look comprehensively at the overall health, well-being, and quality of life of America's youngest children - from birth through eleven years old, using the FCD Child Well-Being Index (CWI), and to track and compare child well-being across three primary stages of development - early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence.
Key findings of the report include:
- Overall improvements in the well-being index are reflected across all age groups – infant/early childhood, middle childhood and adolescence. Each age group follows very similar positive trends across this time period.
- The Health Domain overall is on a dramatic decline, dragged down by rising obesity rates and the number of babies born at low birth weight. Research has linked the latter to an increase in delayed childbearing among women and the use of fertility drugs that make multiple births with lower birth weights more likely. The prevalence of obesity among children 6-11 is nearly four times what it was in the 1960s; for children 2-5, it is three times more.
- Some areas of health show steady improvement, driven by declining infant and child death rates (attributed to better prenatal and health care, nutrition, and seat-belt laws), rates of mothers smoking during pregnancy, blood lead poisoning and increased vaccinations.
To read the Washington Post's front-page article about this Special Focus Report, please click here.
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About This Program
Evolving family structures and the demands of the highly competitive global marketplace have put unprecedented pressures on American workers, their families and their employers. The Workforce and Family Program develops and promotes innovative, market-oriented solutions to help Americans succeed in their work and family commitments. Through a Child Well-Being Project, Workforce and Family Building Project and Work and Life Balance Project, the program builds consensus around new ways to strengthen families and empower Americans with the skills and flexibility they need to succeed in today’s economy.
The Workforce and Family Program's recent events and publications are featured in the tabs below; for a more-detailed program description, please click here.
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Child Well-Being
Parents and policy makers have long looked to close the educational, health, economic and other gaps in child well-being between children of different backgrounds. As the 2008 campaign heats up, many are wondering about the increasingly diverse generation of America’s children and asking: Where is policy helping and failing to close the gaps between children of different backgrounds? Where do the gaps currently exist? What changes could have the greatest impact?
On Jan. 29, we hosted the release of a report that details some surprising results about the true state of the disparities between children, explains where improvements are being made, and where more work needs to be done. The report contains projections for when gaps between non-white and white children might be closed.
For more information on this event, please click here.
The Child Well-Being Index is funded by the Foundation for Child Development and coordinated by the Child Well-Being Index Project at Duke University.
The Workforce and Family Program appreciates the generous support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Foundation for Child Development, and the Rockefeller Foundation.
