Shared Cause

Poverty is the big driver for learning loss and slower learning recovery from the pandemic. Learning gaps continue to deepen. Here's a look from "The Daily" podcast at what happened and what *should be* happening to help students recover from pandemic learning loss.

The Nation’s ‘Report Card’ on Remote Learning America’s national test scores have dropped sharply. What do students need now?

More on the school meals front. How's this for a challenge? 20,000 daily meals at a 164 sites throughout the city. Meals that not only taste good but are nutritious, too. That's what City Fresh Foods in Boston does every school week. It's mission is to provide "healthier, fresher, and more culturally relevant meals to BPS students, many of whom face some level of food insecurity."

The nearly 30-year-old company is locally owned, locally staffed, and sources as many of its ingredients locally, too. Better, healthier school meals is an issue that's been around for a long time. It's great to hear these sure signs of progress.

‘That looks like what I eat at home’: City Fresh Foods makes meals for BPS students, by Bostonians - The Boston Globe The Roxbury-based food producers in May were awarded a $17 million contract, the largest non-construction contract ever given to a certified Black-owned business by the city.

We have worked on the issues of food insecurity and hunger, as well as raising nutritional values for school meals. This report on the PBS NewsHour reminds us of how important universal school meals are and how much benefit they deliver.

Most states have ended their pandemic universal meals programs; five are continuing through this year, while 10 are looking to move permanently to universal school meals. In the meantime, child hunger and food insecurity rates are creeping back up.

The Urban Institute notes that schools -- regardless of income demographics -- "that have universal meals tend to have higher test scores, fewer disciplinary problems, less bullying, less stigma." Universal school meals are an investment that improves health and learning outcomes for all kids.

Families scramble for aid as pandemic-era free meal program for students comes to an end The new school year brings the end of universal free meals for many students. In 2020, Congress gave schools waivers to provide free breakfast and lunches regardless of income, but that expired at the start of September. Students and families still can apply for free meals if they meet income thresh...

There is no slowing down for Boston's Fifth Quarter of Learning -- a partnership between the city, Boston Public Schools and Boston After School & Beyond -- that grew out of the Boston Opportunity Agenda.

This summer a record 17,500 students are expanding their horizons among 242 programs. That's up 15% from 2021. Data shows substantial academic and social/emotional gains for participating students.

Boston After School & Beyond Visit & Press Availability Explore this photo album by City of Boston Mayor's Office on Flickr!

The New York Times spotlights a huge study that points to social connections across class lines as a factor in reducing poverty.

“Growing up in a community connected across class lines improves kids’ outcomes and gives them a better shot at rising out of poverty,” said Raj Chetty, an economist at Harvard and the director of Opportunity Insights, which studies the roots of inequality and the contributors to economic mobility.

We know from our work that connecting FIrst Gen college students with peer supports, mentoring, relationships that fill in familiarity gaps with college bureaucracy has a big impact on their success. This study adds a whole new dimension.

It comes, though, at a time when economic segregation is deepening not lessening.

Vast New Study Shows a Key to Reducing Poverty: More Friendships Between Rich and Poor An analysis of 21 billion Facebook friendships, covering 84 percent of U.S. adults aged 25 to 44, puts cross-class relationships at the heart of income mobility.

Early childhood education and care has been a signature issue for Shared Cause since our earliest days. Thrive in Five was a multi-year, cross sectional campaign we designed and launched to build quality early care for all Boston preschoolers to prepare each child to succeed in kindergarten.

Boston is steadily making quality pre-K available to all children. This new $20 million investment by Mayor Wu is another big step along the way. The focus of the investment is notable: it aims to bring private and nonprofit childcare centers and family care providers into a cohesive network of early care options by sharing standards, raising salaries, providing training, and lending technical assistance. It will be great to see the impact down the road on Boston's littlest learners.

Boston to spend $20 million to expand pre-K program - The Boston Globe This funding will expand the city’s universal pre-k program by adding more seats for 3-and-4-year-olds; introducing “a new more effective financial model” for grant funding; and incorporating family childcare providers into the network for the first time.

It's gratifying when something you helped create more than 25 years ago is still in the fight, still making progress.
We were involved in the design and launch of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. There have been many wins along the way. Here is one of the latest.

PBS NewsHour | FDA bans Juul va**ng products as part of ni****ne crackdown | Season 2022 FDA bans Juul va**ng products as part of ni****ne crackdown

Congratulations to Henry Richard on his run of the Boston Marathon. We've had the honor to work with his dad, Bill, and the Martin Richard Foundation to help the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester transform youth recreation opportunities and community building with a 75,000-square foot fieldhouse in Columbia Point.

Henry Richard, older brother of Martin Richard, finishes Boston Marathon with emotional embrace of family - The Boston Globe He was greeted by his parents Bill and Denise, who embraced him moments after finishing in 4:02.20.

In July, New Mexico will launch the most ambitious, most inclusive free education program at its public universities, colleges, community colleges and tribal colleges of any existing free tuition programs. The initiative covers tuition and fees for high school graduates, adult learners, prison inmates, and undocumented immigrants enrolling in anything from 4-year bachelor's degree programs to technical training for specific jobs. Importantly, the program doesn't siphon off other financial aid or scholarships to pay tuition and fees. Students can apply those resources to housing, transportation, child care, etc.
The bill received bi-partisan support and acclaim. As the provost of the University of New Mexico said, leaders in his state see higher education the same way as “free primary and secondary education... as a public good no matter what walk of life you come from."
This will be a really interesting model to watch.

What if College Were Free? This State Is Trying to Find Out. As states take the lead in the tuition-free movement after President Biden’s plans failed to gain traction in Congress, New Mexico emerges as a leader.

Shared Cause helped lead the development of the Boston Opportunity Agenda. It was at the vanguard of the "collective impact" movement.

Kristin McSwain has been a great leader. Congrats to her on this exciting new venture.

Mayor Wu names Kristin McSwain director of new early childhood office - The Boston Globe McSwain takes on the new role at a crucial time for the city. Very few Boston families are happy with their child care options, a recent city report revealed, with both availability and quality of child care options presenting major problems.

We worked for years on the cause of sleep health and for Chuck Czeisler. Sleep experts are solidly against standardizing clocks to Daylight Saving Time. They say choose the "winter clock" instead.

Health experts say making daylight saving time permanent is a terrible idea - The Boston Globe Shifting the US time zones would have adverse health effects caused by disruptions in circadian rhythms, doctors told the Globe on Wednesday.

We have done lots of work promoting higher levels of post-secondary education in the U.S. All kinds of factors go into how to make college-going part of every young student's aspirations and how to make it through to graduation.

Here's an interesting take on how religious ties help non-traditional students build the social capital they need to succeed.

Opinion | I Followed the Lives of 3,290 Teenagers. This Is What I Learned About Religion and Education. Boys from working-class families benefit from the social capital that religious belief can provide.