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Dear Friends and Colleagues,
We at the Center for Social Policy are still beaming with wonderful memories of our 20 th anniversary celebration. As we gratefully transition to the New Year, I want to reflect on some of these memories as well as set a powerful intent for what's to come in our future. For the past 20 years, the center's commitment rested in finding meaningful ways to achieve economic and social justice through partnerships with people experiencing the realities of poverty-a theme echoed in our October 17anniversary celebration. We honored five outstanding leaders who have dedicated their lives to bringing justice to our society: Representative Barney Frank; Chuck Collins, senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies; John Connors, local businessman and founder of Small Can Be Big.org; Julia Tripp, CSP's constituent coordinator; and Elaine Werby, CSP's senior fellow and retired professor. Representative Frank was awarded the Chancellor's Medal for Exemplary Leadership at the event; his speech is available here. I am also proud to share with you our new video, We the People that highlights the importance and impacts of our work through testimonies by our partners, constituent advisors, and funders.
For the future, we remain committed to building networks of local knowledge that will contribute to meaningful policy changes, through our close partnership with our constituent advisors and our connection with the NGO ATD International Fourth World Movement. We remain committed to mentoring our students on their journeys to becoming tomorrow's inspiring leaders-agents of social change. I want to take this opportunity to recognize, with tremendous gratitude, our donors whose commitment and contribution to our work remain integral. Thank you for your continued support.
I am also pleased to announce the launch of the Elaine Werby Public Service Internship Program. With the generous contributions of our donors, the center was able to secure multi-year funding that will support undergraduate and graduate student internships in the future. We will continue to fundraise for the expansion of this program. It is truly an honor to be able to support our students in this new way, one that pays tribute to Elaine's lifelong passion for and dedication to student progress. Please continue reading for more information about this wonderful opportunity.
Finally, I wanted to thank each and every one of you who have made the center what it is today. I look forward to sharing future endeavors and successes with you!
Best wishes for a New Year that brings deep satisfaction to you and yours,
Donna
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The Elaine Werby Public Service
Internship Program
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The Center for Social Policy is proud to announce the launch of the Elaine Werby Internship Award. The purpose of the award is to provide financial assistance to an undergraduate or graduate student from any academic discipline at UMass Boston who wishes to gain professional experience in the area of research and evaluation related to eradication of poverty, especially in Massachusetts, New England, and the United States. Successful internship outcomes can take a variety of forms, including, but not limited to a research report, an evaluation report, a set of briefs, a thesis proposal, a chapter of a thesis, or an art project.
Deadline for applications is March 15, 2013.
Selection will be announced by April 15, 2013.
More details and application form
Questions? Contact werbyinternship@umb.edu
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In Her Own Words:
A Student's Testimonial
on a Previous Internship with CSP
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"My goals as an intern were to gain practical experience in participatory research while contributing meaningfully to social justice issues, as well as growing professionally and personally. The Center for Social Policy's reputation for excelling in these methods and its convenient campus location made it the perfect fit for me as an undergraduate student. I was immediately treated as a valuable team member-I took part in all team meetings and was assigned special roles in projects that utilized the different skills I brought with me. I was exposed to different aspects and levels of research projects and teams. The center has this unique culture where there is a high degree of tolerance and flexibility matched by a high expectation of excellence, accountability, integrity, and reliability. My contributions were valued to such a degree that I was inspired to constantly find new ways to integrate my skills in every endeavor, and to succeed in doing so.
My internship at the center exceeded all of my expectations. In addition to the priceless experience and the deep connections established, I gained a family. I was constantly surrounded by iconic role models who dedicated their life's work to social change on such deep levels that I constantly felt inspired and grateful to be amongst such an astounding group of committed individuals. I came for an internship and gained an once-in-a-lifetime experience. I hope other students get to experience it as I did. It is crucial for young dedicated agents of social change to be exposed to such an environment early. It helps us to understand our values and potential of our skills as young professionals, while providing us with opportunity to apply these skills to crucial issues and learn simultaneously. Such an experience helps fuel our desire to make a lifetime commitment to excellence, social change, and social justice. The Center for Social Policy undoubtedly helps create leaders for today and tomorrow."
-Dana Francois is now the program manager for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
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Featured Report:
How Youth Are Put at Risk
by Parents' Low-Wage Jobs
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Millions of working parents have job schedules that keep them from being home for homework, dinner-time talk, bed-time rituals-the most basic care all youngsters need. Drawing on over 100 studies and sources, the report "How Youth Are Put At Risk by Parents' Low-Wage Jobs ," by CSP senior research associate Randy Albelda and Boston College sociologist Lisa Dodson provides an interdisciplinary research overview of what is known about the relationship between the status of youth and their parents' low-wage jobs.
Low wages coupled with lack of control over work time lead to serious problems for young people. Youth in low-wage families are more likely to drop out of school, have a greater likelihood of experiencing health problems, including obesity, and they are more likely to bear children at a young age. Youth in hard-pressed low-wage families grow up very fast and take on adult roles thus diverting time and attention from their schooling, extracurricular activities, and personal development.
The report, released at the end of November 2012, identified three core approaches to addressing these issues. First, the authors argue for greater collaboration among those who would advocate and set policies at the intersections of parents' jobs and youth development. Second, as low-wage workers are demanding, the quality of low-wage jobs needs to be improved, and can be, with little cost to businesses or consumers. Third, we need improved out-of-school resources for low-income youth.
The connections discussed in the report stuck a chord. The report received extensive media coverage, including a front page story in the Boston Globe and mention in two New York Times widely read blogs, Economix and Motherlode. Lisa and Randy also did over a dozen radio interviews on the report and the connection of low wage work to youth development.
Other recent CSP reports and staff publications
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"Breaking the
Silence of Extreme Poverty"
Conference March 12
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The Center for Social Policy, NGO ATD Fourth World Movement, Project Serve, and UMass Boston's Office of Diversity and Inclusion are co-sponsoring a conference that will feature a recently published book, Not Meant to Live Like This: Weathering the Storm of our Lives in New Orleans, written by 50 authors, members of the NGO ATD International Fourth World Movement. This inspiring book gives a unique insight into the lives of people living in poverty before, during, and after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Meet some of the co-authors, re-uniting to share their stories and sign books.
This FREE EVENT features: panel discussions, exhibitions, and Harvard sociologist William Julius Wilson among the featured speakers.
Light refreshments will be provided. Please join us in this important dialogue. Questions about the event should be directed to CSPevents@umb.edu.
Register here
Date and Time: Tuesday, March 12, 2013, 2-4 p.m.
Location: Campus Center Ballroom B
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The Center for Social Policy provides expertise on poverty policy, policies and practices that reduce social and economic inequalities.
Please consider contributing to our work by donating a tax deductible contribution by filling out this online form. Sincerely, Center for Social Policy Team
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