The Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy has announced that it is accepting applications for the 2012 E Pluribus Unum Prizes.

The J.M. Kaplan Fund provides support for the awards in order to focus attention on successful integration initiatives and to model programs for others around the United States who might also undertake such efforts.

The national awards program provides $50,000 prizes annually to exceptionally successful immigrant integration initiatives. The program is designed to highlight and reward outstanding efforts that help immigrants and their children join the mainstream of U.S. society or that bring immigrants and native-born Americans together to build stronger, more cohesive communities.

The program is open to individuals, nonprofit and community organizations, businesses, religious groups, and government entities, agencies, and officials operating in the United States.

Awards are given for existing initiatives that can be evaluated according to the award selection criteria (significance, impact, and influence) based on their operations to date.

The awards are not intended to support the launch of new initiatives. Prize money must be used by each awardee to advance their integration initiative.

Complete program information, selection criteria, and application instruction are available at the awards program Web site.

http://www.integrationawards.org/

The Skoll Foundation is accepting applications for the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship.

The annual awards program is designed to recognize and support social entrepreneurs anywhere in the world who are helping to solve the world’s most pressing problems. Each award includes a core support grant to the entrepreneur’s organization, to be paid over three years, and a non-cash award to the social entrepreneur presented at the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship. It is anticipated that fewer than ten Skoll Awards will be announced this year.

The foundation defines social entrepreneurs as “the change agents for society.” Social entrepreneurs “seize overlooked opportunities by improving systems, inventing new approaches, and creating sustainable solutions to transform society for the better.”

The foundation seeks to support social entrepreneurs whose work has the potential for large-scale impact in a range of issues and areas, including economic and social equity, environmental sustainability, health, institutional responsibility, peace and security, and tolerance, justice, and human rights. The foundation’s focus on these issue areas stems from a belief that many of the world’s most pressing problems are exacerbated by inequality between the rich and poor. Social entrepreneurs provide solutions that address this inequity at a systemic level.

To be considered, organizations must have a tested and proven social innovation that addresses an issue of critical importance and is positioned for large-scale impact. Qualifying organizations will be evaluated against the following criteria: Impact potential — the innovation is positioned to directly affect policy, behavior, and/or infrastructure/system(s) on a large scale and can show evidence of significant impact already achieved; Inflection – the organization has a proven approach that already has been implemented with success and is now ready to apply the approach on a much larger scale;Innovation – the organization has an approach that fundamentally disrupts the status quo to solve social and/or environmental problems; Issue – the organization works on an issue that is identified by the Skoll Foundation as one of world’s most pressing problems; Skoll leverage – the organization will benefit from engaging with the Skoll Foundation beyond a purely funding relationship, such as collaboration with the foundation’s network of entrepreneurs or access to media opportunities; Social entrepreneur – the organization is led by a visionary social entrepreneur; and Sustainability – the organization has a clear, compelling plan for expanding impact and achieving long-term financial and operational sustainability.

While the awards do not have an absolute budget threshold for eligibility, the foundation has found that organizations with annual revenues below $2.5 million that have activities primarily in developed countries and below $1 million that have activities primarily in developing countries tend to be at a disadvantage in the selection process. The selection process prioritizes organizations based on readiness to expand impact significantly and/or scale up solutions and favors organizations within these budget thresholds.

To receive an award, an organization must be a legally incorporated entity. Organizations that do not have 501(c)(3) public charity status, including organizations based in other countries, will be asked to submit additional documentation.

For detailed awards criteria, the required eligibility quiz, application procedures, and an FAQ, visit the Skoll Foundation Web site.

http://www.skollfoundation.org/about/skoll-awards/

http://www.fns.usda.gov/ora/SNAPCharacteristics/default.htm

The report, Healthy Corridor for All:  A Community Health Impact Assessment of Transit-Oriented Development Policy in Saint Paul, Minnesota, (link contains both summary and extended technical report) reveals stark obstacles such as high unemployment, large housing-cost burdens, and a speculative market faced by residents in the Central Corridor of St. Paul; yet it also provides policy recommendations to support equitable development, so that low-income people and communities of color will not be left behind as new opportunities enter their communities.

The new $1 billion light rail line that’s being constructed will run through some of the region’s most racially diverse and economically disadvantaged communities, connecting the downtown of Minneapolis with the downtown of St. Paul. The community-driven Healthy Corridor for All shows that the new transit-oriented land use policies may not, in fact, bring in industries that could employ the many residents with lower educational attainment, while potentially gentrifying neighborhoods and possibly leading to displacement.

However, engaged residents remain cautiously hopeful and ever vigilant.

“The Twin Cities has a choice to make.  There is an opportunity before us to re-imagine Minnesota’s growing diversity as a tremendous asset,” said Doran Schrantz, Executive Director of ISAIAH. “The key is to prepare for a prosperous economic future by investing deeply in equity. Together, we can make the Central Corridor a shining example of equitable transit-oriented development.”

Healthy Corridor for All is funded by a grant from the Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, as well as support from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Center for Prevention. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Health Impact Project, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, or The Pew Charitable Trusts.

http://www.policylink.org/site/c.lkIXLbMNJrE/b.7841971/k.7BB/The_Healthy_Corridor_for_All_Health_Impact_Assessment.htm

Also launches interactive report at http://www.commerce.gov/competes to highlight study’s findings and work already underway

As a member of the US Innovation Advisory Board, EG’s President & CEO Natalia Olson-Urtecho is proud to announce the release of “The Competitiveness and Innovative Capacity of the United States” report highlighting priorities to sustain and promote American economic competitiveness and innovation.

Manufacturing is the largest contributor to U.S. exports. In 2010, manufacturing accounted for 86 percent of U.S. goods exports and manufacturing firms accounted for 67 percent of total business R&D performed in the US. Growing the nation’s exports is crucial to economic growth.

Today we see a growth in alternative energy and energy efficient and clean technologies which are crucial to increasing manufacturing, exports, and lowering our dependence on oil.

The U.S Department of Commerce recently delivered to Congress a comprehensive report on “The Competitiveness and Innovative Capacity of the United States.”  The report serves as a call to arms, highlighting bipartisan priorities to sustain and promote American innovation and economic competitiveness.

The report makes three important findings:

Federal investments in research, education and infrastructure were critical building blocks for American economic competitiveness, business expansion and job creation in the last century;
Failures to properly invest in, and have comprehensive strategies for, those areas eroded America’s competitive position; and,
In a constrained budgetary environment, prioritizing support for these pillars are imperative for America’s economic future and provide a strong return on investment for the U.S. taxpayer.

Speaking before an event at the Center for American Progress (http://www.americanprogress.org/), Commerce Secretary, and former CEO, John Bryson highlighted the importance role innovation plays in the nation’s economy.

“This is a topic of pivotal importance,” said Commerce Secretary John Bryson at an event at the Center for American Progress (CAP). “Our ability to innovate as a nation will determine what kind of economy – what kind of country – our children and grandchildren will inherit, and whether it’s a country that holds the same promise for them as is did for our parents and grandparents.”

The report was mandated as part of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, which was signed into law by President Obama in January last year. The report addresses a diverse range of topics and policy options, including: tax policy; the general business climate in the U.S.; barriers to setting up new firms; trade policy, including export promotion; the effectiveness of Federal Research and Development policy; intellectual property regimes in the U.S. and abroad; the health of the manufacturing sector; and science and technology education.

The full report, as well as additional resources, can be found online at http://www.commerce.gov/competes.

Some key findings of the report include:

Basic research. While private citizens and businesses are the top source of new ideas, the government plays a key role in supporting and developing their innovations. Examples of how this federal seed money has helped change our world are: the Internet, satellite communications and aeronautics, among other job-creating advances.  The report recommends federal funding be increased for basic research – universities and research centers, for instance.  Consistent with the long-held view of the President, the report also recommends a tax credit be extended for private-sector R&D to give companies appropriate incentives to innovate and improve the way basic research is transferred from the lab into commercial products.  The report recognizes that through efforts like the Small Business Jobs Act, the i6 Green Challenge, and a number of other initiatives, including increased funding, the Obama Administration has shown a commitment to spurring innovation through supporting research.

Education. The report underscores the importance of education in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, or STEM fields. For instance, women with STEM jobs earned 33 percent more than comparable women in non-STEM jobs. As a result, the gender wage gap is smaller in STEM jobs than in non-STEM jobs.  Ongoing and new administration initiatives are addressing these challenges by making college more affordable, spurring classroom innovation at all levels and expanding the size and quality of STEM teacher ranks. To succeed in the global economy, government must encourage students and workers to pursue STEM education.

Infrastructure.  The report highlights the importance of federal government investment in an expansive modern electrical grid that provides robust broadband Internet access in both urban and rural communities. Presently, 68 percent of American households have adopted broadband, an almost eight-fold increase since 2001. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have benefited hugely from the Internet and created more than twice the number of jobs as firms not on the Web, creating 2.6 jobs for each one eliminated.  The report also highlights Obama Administration efforts to build a 21st century infrastructure, including the NextGen Air Traffic Control System, opening spectrum for wireless communication, creating smart grid standards and unprecedented funding for road, rail and bridge projects across the country.

Supporting Manufacturing.  The report also examines manufacturing, recognizing that a flourishing U.S. manufacturing sector is crucial to competitive strength, economic growth and job creation, as well as to sustaining a strong middle class. In 2009, manufacturing comprised 11.2 percent of GDP and 9.1 percent of total U.S. employment, directly employing over 11 million workers. Manufacturing is also the biggest source of innovation in our economy.  Sixty-seven percent of all the business R&D in America is done by manufacturing companies. The report outlines a series of steps the Obama administration has taken to support American manufacturing, including rescuing the U.S. auto industry, the recent creation of the White House Office of Manufacturing Policy and formation of the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP), as well as initiatives such as the Materials Genome Initiative and the National Digital Engineering and Manufacturing Consortium.

The report also touches on a number of other areas, including the benefits of regional clusters, the Administration’s Startup America Initiative, the National Export Initiative, corporate tax reform, as well as the importance of intellectual property protection.

For more information on any of these sections, or to view the full report, visit http://www.commerce.gov/competes.

SCEE will host a series of certification courses in the spring of 2012.  The application deadline for the spring session is February 17, 2012.

What is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist?

A Pennsylvania Master Naturalist is an individual with a passion for the natural world who participates in an intensive training program and uses his or her knowledge by giving back to the community through volunteer service.

The PA program, administered by the Pennsylvania Institute for Conservation Education, or PICE, is part of a national initiative that aims to connect people with their local ecosystems through intensive natural science training and local conservation service work.  The goal is to develop a local corps of “master volunteers and service providers” to offer education, outreach and stewardship dedicated to the understanding and management of natural areas within their communities.

This year-round program has three components: the initial volunteer training course, volunteer service hours, and advanced training classes.

Spring 2012 Volunteer Training Course

The Schuylkill Center will be the host site for this spring’s volunteer training session. Courses are tentatively scheduled to run from mid-April through May of 2012. The application deadline for the spring session is February 17, 2012.

Individuals interested in the Pennsylvania Master Naturalist Program are invited to apply to the training program by visiting PICE’s website, http://piceweb.org/p_PAmasternaturalist.html for complete schedule details and application materials.

Pennsylvania Master Naturalists

Leadership for community-based conservation:

Since 2010, Philadelphia area Master Naturalist volunteers have:

engaged in 1,074 hours of volunteer service towards community -based conservation
contributed $22,000 worth of conservation work to 18 program partners in southeastern PA
dedicated themselves to 319 hours of ongoing education in the natural sciences

For more information contact:

Jennifer Everhart
PICE Master Naturalist Program Coordinator
jeverhart@piceweb.org
(610) 724-6443

The Pathways Within Roads to Reading Initiative donates books to literacy programs in small and rural low-income communities. Maximum Award: 200 books appropriate for readers age 0 to young adult; English only. Eligibility: 501(c)(3) organizations that run school, after-school, summer, community, day-care, and library reading and literacy programs; must have an annual operating budget of less than $95,000 (schools and libraries are exempt from this budget requirement) and be located in an underserved community with a population of less than 50,000. Deadline: March 30, 2012.

http://www.pwirtr.org/annual_donation_prog.html

The Ecology/Environmental Teaching Award will be given to a secondary school teacher who has successfully developed and demonstrated an innovative approach in the teaching of ecology/environmental science and has carried his/her commitment to the environment into the community. Maximum award: $1,000 toward travel to the Professional Development Conference, and $500 of Vernier equipment. The recipient also receives a recognition plaque to be presented at the NABT Professional Development Conference, and a one-year complimentary NABT membership. Deadline: March 15, 2012.

http://www.nabt.org/websites/institution/index.php?p=132#award2

The Intel Foundation Schools of Distinction Program honors U.S. schools that have demonstrated excellence in math and science education. In order to be considered as an Intel School of Distinction, schools must develop an environment and curricula that meet or exceed benchmarks, including national mathematics and science content standards. Maximum award: $25,000. Eligibility: middle and high schools. Deadline: February 15, 2012.

http://www.intel.com/education/schoolsofdistinction/application.htm#Categories

While most teacher teams are able to accomplish low-level tasks, they often fail to accomplish the higher-level goal of improving teaching and learning, write Vivian Troen and Katherine Boles in The Harvard Education Letter. Teacher teams may have energy and enthusiasm, but team members typically lack the skills, tools, and support structures that allow them to orchestrate significant pedagogical and curricular changes through collaborative work. Teams are rarely trained in team facilitation, skills such as time management, goal setting, development of team norms, and conflict resolution. Since teachers tend to care that everyone gets along, teams avoid conflicts and dismiss or ignore alternative ways of doing things. To facilitate better teaming, the authors have developed a rubric for evaluating team effectiveness based on five conditions. The first thing to assess is whether a team’s task is well defined, focused on improving student learning. The second is whether the team encourages leadership for all members. The third is whether the team generates an environment where trust, communication, and synergy are apparent. The fourth is whether there is an expectation of performance improvement for both the team and the individual, an articulated expectation of personal accountability. The final thing to assess is whether the team articulates its structure and its processes to accomplish its goals.

Read more: http://www.hepg.org/hel/article/519#homeBuilding better teams

A new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research projects that over the long run, the Boston Teacher Residency should have a modest positive impact on student achievement in Boston, reports Stephen Sawchuck in Education Week. The study found math teachers trained through the program are, on average, initially less effective at raising student scores than other novice teachers, but within five years their instruction in that subject improves rapidly enough to surpass the effectiveness of colleagues. For English/language arts, the residency-trained teachers were no more effective at improving student achievement than other new teachers. The Boston program did, however, succeed in drawing a more ethnically diverse group of teachers to the profession than is typical; its candidates were more likely to teach the hard-to-fill subjects of math and science, and they were also much more likely than other new teachers to stay in the classroom for at least five years. The study is the first independent, empirical study of the teacher-residency approach to training. The Boston Teacher Residency, begun in 2003, was one of the first of its type and has attracted philanthropic support, spawned similar programs in other universities and school districts, and influenced federal teacher-quality policymaking.

Read more: http://tinyurl.com/6ravcw2
See report abstract: http://www.nber.org/papers/w17646

An exclusive interview with Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, centers Rethinking Schools’ special winter issue. Our focus is the school-to-prison pipeline and how to stop it in our classrooms, our schools, and our communities.

“Arresting Development: Zero Tolerance and the Criminalization of Children” reviews the history, impact, and future of zero tolerance policies. Our investigative reporter is Annette Fuentes, author of Lockdown High: When the Schoolhouse Becomes a Jailhouse.

In “The Classroom-to-Prison Pipeline,” master teacher and RS editor Linda Christensen faces a classroom revolt. She realizes that opting out of this “pipeline” requires us to continue to rethink our classrooms.

Then Jody Sokolower, policy and production editor, discusses how teachers can support students with incarcerated parents and other family members.

And much, much more.

This is one of our most exciting and thought-provoking issues. Don’t miss it.

http://www.rethinkingschools.org/ProdDetails.asp?ID=RTSVOL26N2

Requirement: You must call to have a preliminary discussion about your project and application. TMF staff can help you focus your request on projects which are more likely to be funded.  The grant process is competitive and there is no guarantee of funding. If you do not undergo the screening process your application will not be accepted.

TMF has two core grant making areas for businesses that have been legally established for at least three years in Philadelphia:

• Business Stabilization grants up to $10,000 to help small businesses remain stable, viable and grow in the face of economic challenges and opportunities.

http://www.merchantsfund.org/grant-areas-business-stabilization.html

• Business Loan Matches $10,001 up to $20,000 to match at least dollar for dollar accredited government programs and bank loans.  Loan matches are last dollar which means you will have to spend your loan money before the match is available.

http://www.merchantsfund.org/grant-areas-business-loan.html

Please visit our web site http://www.merchantsfund.org/ for printable applications and detailed guidelines and contact us directly at info@merchantsfund.org or call 215-399-1339.  There are also brief descriptions of past grants on the web site to inspire and guide your efforts.

DEADLINE: Wednesday, 15 February 2012

The web site has not been updated with this deadline!

Senior Accountant at ACHIEVEability:

Sustain Healthy Financial Operations to Help More Families Achieve Self‐Sufficiency

ACHIEVEability seeks a Senior Accountant who will carry out accounting, human resources and administrative processes and ensure success in our reporting, compliance and financial management
operations. ACHIEVEability, the Philadelphia Foundation’s 2006 Good Governance Awardee and the
Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s 2004 Nonprofit of the Year, is seeking a person with
integrity, competence, commitment to our mission, technical and communication skills to be our Senior
Accountant reporting to the Director of Finance and Administration.

Responsibilities:
– Performs tasks related to accounts receivable and accounts payable
– Performs day‐to‐day general ledger accounting, financial reporting and analysis for assigned functional areas
– Performs balance sheet reconciliations, account analysis and accrual calculations
– Completes income statement analytics to recognize and recommend revenue drivers and cost containment
– Analyzes monthly financial reports, journal entry preparation and postings to the general ledger for various accounts
– Monitors and analyzes general ledger accounts to ensure the accuracy of financial information
– Prepares timely financial reports and/or invoices for internal users and external agencies
– Coordinates the development and tracking of budgets
– Coordinates accounting matters between departments
– Assists with audit projects and generates ad hoc reports as needed
– In conjunction with the Technology Manager, manages and updates the timesheet system
– Supports special projects related to process improvement and systems implementation
– Cross‐trains team members
– Manages the payroll, benefits administration and other human resource administrative functions
– Documents processes; Manages compliance with financial, personnel and other administrative policies
– Manages document retention and disposal
– Manages the receptionist
– Assists other team members with real estate‐related tasks
– Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:
– Passion about the mission of ACHIEVEability, has the highest standards of integrity, and will pass background checks
– 5 to 6 years experience in the operations of a business and/or nonprofit
– At least a bachelor’s degree in business, economics or related field (MBA/CPA a plus)
– Able to communicate financial concepts and relates well to persons and audiences with differing levels of financial knowledge and skills
– Time management skills; Attention to detail; Commitment to improving and documenting processes and achieving goals
– Flexibility; Ability to learn quickly.

To Apply:
Please send your resume and cover letter to employment@achieveability.org. On the subject line, indicate: Senior Accountant – YourFirstName YourLastName. In your cover letter, please tell us: (a) how you found out about this position, (b) your salary requirement, (c) why you want to work at ACHIEVEability and why you think you are a good fit for this position.

Attached to this email is the RFP and application form.  This information is also available at http://www.uwsepa.org/rfp.  Please do not use application forms from previous EFSP phases.  The application form and requested attachments are due, via email, to Sara Pagni at spagni@uwsepa.org by 5:00pm on Friday, January 27, 2012.

Information and an opportunity for questions regarding the application process, funding priorities, and responsibilities of grantees will be provided at an Applicant Forum on:

Tuesday, January 17, 2012
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

PSAYDN is seeking nominations for Afterschool Champions. The nominees should demonstrate outstanding work in developing, supporting and promoting meaningful high-quality afterschool/out-of-school time programs to benefit children, youth and families across Pennsylvania. The Afterschool Champion Award winners will be recognized during the PSAYDN Annual Meeting on March 7, 2012.

Nominations due: Saturday, February 4, 2012

Nomination Form
http://www.psaydn.org/

School Climate: Why Is It Important?

presented by
Terry Pickeral

What are the standards for school climate?
How is it created and sustained?

Participants will be exploring the importance of school climate in dropout prevention and school improvement. School climate is the quality and character of school life. It is reflected in the values, norms, beliefs and behaviors of students and adults engaged in education. Research consistently demonstrates the impact of school climate on student development and performance as well as social, emotional, intellectual, and physical safety; positive youth development, mental health, and healthy relationships; higher education rates; school connectedness and engagement; academic achievement; social, emotional and civic learning; teacher retention; and effective school reform.

Supplementary materials and all necessary information about participating fully in this professional development opportunity are found on our Web site at http://www.dropoutprevention.org/webcast. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact the National Dropout Prevention Center at ndpc@clemson.edu or 864-656-2580.

Invite You to an
Empowering Saturday Afternoon, February 11, 2012, 1-4 pm

Breast Cancer:  What You’re Eating & What May Be Eating You

Featuring

Susan Silberstein, Ph.D.
Founder/Director, Center for Advancement in Cancer Education
Author of the books Hungry for Health and Hungrier for Health
Nationally-recognized lecturer on nutrition and cancer prevention
Creator of the video, Breast Cancer:  The Diet Connection
Editor of Immune Perspectives and Global Woman magazines
Trainer for Ultimate Health Group and Peak Potentials
Fulbright Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, winner of numerous awards

This program provides you with potentially Life-Changing Information on:

Preventing Breast Cancer
Preventing its Recurrence
Supporting Yourself During or After Treatment

Men are also welcomed:
To Support their Loved Ones, Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Wives
Understand growing rates of male breast cancer ~ Prostate cancer applicable

Fellowship Farm
2488 Sanatoga Rd., Pottstown, PA 19464
Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1-4 pm
(Rt. 422 to Limerick/Linfield; 6 min via Lewis Rd/Ridge Pk/Swamp Pk/Sanatoga Rd)

Limited Seating, Refreshments, “Drop-Ins” & Voluntary Donations Welcomed

Please RSVP:  Deb Mason:  610-326-3008, 215-870-0349 or eleanorvallone@gmail.com
director@fellowship-farm.org http://www.fellowship-farm.org (Call in case of snow)

The University Community Collaborative of Philadelphia and Out-of-School Time Resource Center invite you to a 2-part workshop series on January 25 and March 14. Both sessions will run from 9:00 to 11:00 AM and take place at Temple University. They will provide an overview of the School District of Philadelphia’s Individualized Learning Plans, through which students can electronically chart their academic progress and create customized goals and educational pathways.

Workshop participants MUST:

* Serve Philadelphia youth in grades 9-12
* Focus exclusively or primarily on college access
* Provide computer time and access to youth in their program
* Register in pairs of staff from the same organization
* Attend BOTH sessions

This workshop series is FREE and available to the first 20 (10 pairs of) registrants.

Information and registration: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CollegeAccess-ILP

Defining and measuring meaningful broadband adoption an academic workshop at New America Foundation, Washington DC, April 11, 2012

As government services, political discourse and commerce expand online, policymakers and public interest organizations are promoting broadband “adoption” among people who are not currently using the Internet, or using it marginally. Yet there is little discussion of what “adoption” means or how it can be measured. For lack of a better indicator, agencies and researchers often use the metric of home subscription numbers, which tell us very little about the different modes or locations of access which may be more relevant for some populations, nor about the effects of adoption on new users and communities.

In the United States, the absence of meaningful metrics for adoption is becoming evident as two federal digital inclusion efforts — the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) — enter their evaluation phases. As policymakers and advocates search for ways to document the effect of these programs, the design of meaningful metrics could have implications for the sustainability of broadband initiatives and the well-being of individuals and communities identified as possible beneficiaries.

A myriad of methodological and conceptual challenges arises around studies of broadband adoption:

– The effects of adoption be diffuse, slow to appear, and interrelated with other factors, so it may be difficult to disaggregate them from other socioeconomic indicators, whereas policy directives have discrete funding periods and specific reporting requirements.
– Because meaningful adoption is concerned with what people use the Internet for (not just whether they use it, or where, or for how long), it is difficult to gather information without raising concerns about privacy or overburdening users with data collection.
– Adoption may lead to work, but not necessarily employment numbers; entrepreneurship and community involvement are positive outcomes that are difficult to document and measure (Boggs & Boggs, 1974; Alperovitz, 2011). The context of recession complicates attempts to measure discrete economic effects.
– The drive toward adoption may presume a lack of access to technology where there is none. As demonstrated in Eubanks’s (2011) study of poor women in upstate New York, some communities targeted for digital “inclusion” policies are already overwhelmed by the ubiquity of technology. Some populations may not lack access, but rather the means to control the ways in which technology intersects with their lives.
– Measuring home subscription rates does not account for other means of reliably accessing the Internet, including use of public facilities, a neighbor’s connection, or a mobile device; thus this metric fails to account fully for consumer preferences in the current market or the uneven regulatory framework applied to different modes of access (i.e., wired versus wireless).
– Adoption may be understood on a continuum. As Dailey et al. (2010) have shown, the assumption that adoption means a home subscription does not consider contextual factors that might cause a home subscription to have less impact than broadband use in other, more public contexts.
– Adoption has effects at many levels and scales. Home subscription rates show effects at a household scale, but fail to demonstrate how increased adoption affects a community or a city.
– The lack of meaningful metrics means that data used for mapping adoption rates in cities may not reflect the settings and modes in which people actually adopt and access technology. As a result, master planning efforts which try to address shortcomings in infrastructure or allocation of services may be focused on areas which are not actually most in need of assistance.

In light of these challenges, the Open Technology Initiative at the New America Foundation is calling for proposals that address the question: “What is meaningful broadband adoption, and how can we measure it?” Authors of successful proposals will be invited for a day-long workshop at the New America Foundation in Washington, DC, to present and discuss answers to this question. The goal of the workshop is to bring together researchers from different disciplinary traditions to discuss challenges in defining broadband adoption and its effects, address issues of reliability and validity, and present innovative methods for studying adoption. We welcome proposals that reflect work-in-progress as well as completed studies. We are especially interested in proposals that review recent broadband adoption initiatives, including those outside of the United States.

Please submit your proposal here at
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dDZ6NjFlU0tiLWN3d2gtNURCUV
JjM1E6MQ#gid=0 by January 31, 2012 (If you cannot open the link, please copy and paste the URL on the browser). Proposals should explicitly identify the methodological and/or conceptual innovation that you are developing or have developed, as well as presentation format (slides, video, map, paper, interactive workshop, etc.). Do not include any information in your proposal that would enable reviewers to identify you. Proposals will be blind-reviewed by a multidisciplinary panel of scholars. Please note: final acceptance is contingent upon submission of completed works or works in progress one week before the date of the workshop.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:
Deadline for proposals: January 31, 2011
Confirmation of receipt: Week of February 5, 2012
Decision announced: March 2, 2012
Deadline for submission of completed work/work-in-progress: March 30, 2012
Workshop: April 11, 2012

References
Alperovitz, Gar. “The New-Economy Movement.” The Nation, June 2011.
Boggs, J., & Boggs, G. L. (1974). Revolution and evolution in the twentieth century. New York: Monthly Review Press.
Dailey, D., Bryne, A., Powell, A., Karaganis, J., Chung, J., & Social Science Research Council (U.S.). (2010). Broadband adoption in low-income communities. Brooklyn, NY: Social Science Research Council.
Eubanks, V. (2011). Digital dead end: Fighting for social justice in the information age. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.

1899 L Street, NW
4th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-986-2700
Fax: 202-986-3696
http://www.newamerica.net