Newsletter

The U.S. Census Bureau is conducting a series of free data access webinars to all interested data users. Attendees will learn how to access demographic, socioeconomic, housing, and business data from the Decennial Census, American Community Survey, Local Employment Dynamics, Economic Programs and more. The webinars are available April 1-June 28, 2019. Follow this link to view upcoming webinars. Sourced from: United States Census Bureau
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the private funding partner for Well-Connected Communities, is dedicated to building a Culture of Health—one where everyone in America has a fair opportunity for health and well-being. The Equity-Focused Policy Research Funding Opportunity is for researchers, state and local government agencies, and public and private sector professionals, from a variety of fields who are interested in better understanding the use of income supports like the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) programs. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support action-oriented research that advances health equity, builds the knowledge base, and informs policymaking on income supports for low-income families. Income supports may reduce poverty in households with young children; provide critical resources to help families support children’s development; diminish families’ stress levels; and thereby advance health equity. Follow this link to learn more. Sourced from: ECOP
As America recently celebrated its 49th annul Earth Day, we can reflect on how much has changed and how much more still needs to change to create a more sustainable world. Municipal recycling has always been closely linked to Earth Day as one of the most direct and personal ways that Americans contribute to sustainability efforts. But if you’ve seen the news recently you might have the impression that recycling is doomed. Some cities sending recyclables to landfills, some are burning them, and others have ended curbside recycling pickup altogether. Follow this link to read more. Sourced from: Cities Speak 
Even with higher rates of poverty in Ohio’s major cities, urban school districts are outperforming rural districts, a recent study by The Ohio State University shows. Rural schools, particularly in Appalachia, tend to have lower average test scores than schools in urban areas, despite city districts having higher poverty rates and a larger proportion of students with limited English proficiency, said Mark Partridge, a professor at Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) and one of the study’s authors. Follow this link to read more. Sourced from: CFAES
Extension Directors and Administrators from the five regions of the Cooperative Extension Section participated in Next Generation Extension - Learning for Leaders', A Leader's Guide to Natural Disasters. Nick Place, University of Florida Dean and Director of Extension and ECOP's Liaison to the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) Executive Committee, guided the conversation. Follow this link to watch the recording. Follow this link to access the presentation. Sourced from: ECOP
When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services tasked their Quality Innovation Networks with improving diabetes self-management outcomes in underserved Medicare populations, they used a measurement called the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) to determine where those interventions would take place. Intermountain Health based in Salt Lake City, Utah used the ADI to assist in getting a better view of their communities and service areas. The data visualizations they created to identify areas of deprivation were developed by region and shared with community stakeholders to identify and develop implementation plans to address needs in more deprived areas. Follow this link to access the data tools. Sourced from: Community Commons
The National Urban Extension Conference on “Innovation in the City: A Land Grant University Experience,” provides opportunities for Extension professionals from all program areas to learn about research and innovative educational strategies that address the needs of urban, suburban, and peri-urban populations as well as urban-rural interdependencies. If you register by April 22, you save $75. Follow this link for all the conference details. Sourced from: NUEC
City leaders interested in getting more young people outdoors and connected to nature can now apply to the 2019 Cities Connecting Children to Nature Leadership Academy in Denver. The Leadership Academy is a fully subsidized two-day convening (June 12-14) aimed at helping cities develop strategies and initiatives for more equitable connections to nature for children. These efforts can help city leaders leverage existing city goals and mandates related to health and wellness, parks and green space access, education, out-of-school time, resilience, and equity, among others. Selected city teams will explore successful efforts to improve access to nature in cities across the country, with a focus on children from communities with historic or recent lack of access. Follow this link to learn more. Sourced from: Cities Speak
More than 650 individuals participated in the Franklin County 4-H Clover 5K and Walk & Serve on April 6, 2019. This year, many of the 4-H youth demonstrated a new level of ownership in the planning, preparing, and presentation of the service projects that benefitted 19 non-profit organizations. They share first-hand stories about the organization’s mission while participants work on needed items for the clientele of the organization. Each non-profit finds the Walk & Serve a great place to bring awareness to their need, but also remark how important it is to keep fanning the flame of “serving” in all ages. More than 2,100 service projects were donated to various charities in one day. 4-H clubs from every part of the county dedicated a portion of their day to making this event successful. Follow this link for more information.
The working behavior and participation rates of older workers in the labor force have shifted substantially in recent decades. Although much of the 3.1 percentage point decline in U.S. labor force participation from 2007 to 2018 can be connected to an increased aging population (the share of the U.S. population over the age of 65 has increased from 15.6 to 19.9 percent in the last 12 years), the explanation for this trend extends far beyond a population aging out of the workforce. Follow this link to read more. Sourced from: Brookings

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