06.19.2013 news
We are pleased to announce that Opportunity Leader John Sharify, General Manager of Seattle Community Colleges Television, has won a Regional Emmy for his 2012 report, "The New Poor" for KING 5 News Seattle.
Read More »06.19.2013 blog
Getting into college is a bit of an obsession these days. In many communities, the last years of high school are a whirlwind of SAT prep and college visits. I’m only a year out of high school, and I vividly remember the days when every conversation began with “So, what’s your dream school?” Full disclosure: I asked that same question of my peers so often they probably wanted to scream. At my public high school in the Boston suburbs, answers usually ranged from Ivies and large research universities to small, private liberal arts schools. But community colleges were seldom, if ever, talked about by my classmates.
Read more »06.17.2013 blog
The Doe Fund is a dynamic member of Opportunity Nation’s coalition that is addressing disconnection from educational and career opportunities among homeless youth in New York City. Check out their new program below and get more information here: http://www.doe.org/
As we survey the landscape after the worst economic downturn since the great depression, we see encouraging images: businesses are growing, workers are finding jobs, and the housing market is on the rebound. While the rest of the country is emerging from the economic disaster, The Doe Fund is providing relief to some of the hardest hit citizens of New York City – homeless youth.
Read more »06.14.2013 blog
I am heartened and inspired by Opportunity Nation’s first Hill Day this week, by the energy and passion of our Opportunity Leaders and Scholars, by the power of our bipartisan message and by the positive response from Members of Congress and their staff.
Read more »06.14.2013 press release
Opportunity Nation Leader Linda Nelson and the Ouachita Calhoun County Literacy Council, Inc. received a $10,000 grant from the Dollar General Literacy Organization to support its literacy programs. Specifically, the grant will allow the literacy council to pilot Transitional Pathways, a program designed to assist with reconnecting young adults to school and work. The initiative will be a small scale model for closing the skills gap and decreasing the nearly 18% of youth population currently out of work and school within the areas served by the Ouachita Calhoun County Literacy Council, Inc.
Linda Nelson and her colleagues in Ouachita County have organized around the Opportunity Index and this grant is proof of their hard work. We are tremendously proud of them!
Download »06.14.2013 blog
For the last several decades, completion of a four-year college degree has been a prominent symbol of success in America. Regardless of what you study or where you attend, personal and professional success has typically been measured by degree accumulation. Those who achieve college and professional degrees are promised a seat at the middle class table, if they want it.
Read more »06.13.2013 blog
For week two of our summer indicator blog series, we take a look at community safety. The Opportunity Index measures community safety using the number of violent crimes, including homicide, rape, robbery and assaults per 100,000 people. As illustrated by a comparison between violent crime rates in Philadelphia County (1,382 crimes per 100,000) and neighboring Montgomery County (202 crimes per 1000,000), the variation from one county to the next can be dramatic.
Read more »06.12.2013 news
In our democracy, we teach our children to speak up for themselves. We sign petitions, attend school board meetings, slap bumper stickers on our cars. We vote. Every day, millions of Americans exercise their cherished constitutional rights in ways large and small — our freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the freedom to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
As Congress struggles with gridlock, partisan division and pressures exerted by paid lobbyists, it is more vital than ever that our commonsense voices are heard on critical issues facing our nation and its future. This is particularly true if we are to expand economic mobility to more Americans — a goal with bipartisan support and growing urgency in the global economy.
At Opportunity Nation, we believe it will take all of us, working together, to achieve this goal. One of the most powerful tools we have as Americans is citizen advocacy. We can all support programs and policies that are designed to accelerate economic, educational and civic well-being and bring them to the attention of our elected officials.
Read more at the Miami Herald!
Read More »06.11.2013 news
President Rob Denson, Des Moines Area Community College, previews Opportunity Nation's first Hill Day
Read More »06.11.2013 news
Lockwood Phillips, host of ViewPoints on The Talk Station, discusses Opportunity Nation's Hill Day and the Opportunity Nation campaign.
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