New Resources – PHENND

New Higher Education Democracy Exchange Digest: civic and democratic engagement tools & resources

hillarya — Sun, 01 Nov 2026 21:22:50 +0000

The Higher Education Democracy Exchange (HEDEX) is a connective infrastructure for higher education’s civic mission and those dedicated to advancing it. Anchored by Campus Compact, AAC&U, More Perfect, and UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy, HEDEX brings together students, faculty, administrators, and partners, along with tools, resources, and practitioners to ensure civic efforts thrive – on campuses and beyond.

Learn more.

Youth Voting Rights: Civil Rights, the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, and the Fight for American Democracy on College Campuses

hillarya — Sun, 01 Nov 2026 21:16:38 +0000

This book uses the history of the 26th Amendment and the ongoing fight to promote and defend youth voting rights as a prism through which to teach the history of the struggle for the fundamental right to vote in the United States. The book centers on case studies of four institutions – Tuskegee University, Prairie View A&M University, North Carolina A&T State University, and Bard College – which offer unique insights into the role of college communities in the fight for suffrage, and their contributions to the evolution of the right to vote.

Takes a contemporary look at the importance of the youth vote.
Offers unique insights into the role of college communities, including HBCUs, in the fight for suffrage.
Teaches evolution of the right to vote.

Learn more.

What is civic responsibility? An activity for civic discernment in classrooms and communities

hillarya — Sun, 01 Nov 2026 21:11:48 +0000

This exercise from Eric Hartman presents participants with the opportunity to assess their own views on what constitutes civic responsibility and compare and contrast their personal philosophy with others through discussion.

What is a stronger expression of civic responsibility, sheltering a newly arrived refugee family for a month or successfully serving as a police officer, across a career marked by accolades and an absence of citizen complaints?

Or maybe you’d rather, like students in France, protest economic inequality?

Your answer will depend on your own experiences, values, and preferences. I’m interested in the process of exploring the question and how it – along with related contrasting possibilities – helps us see one another better, in shared, civic community.

PEN America’s Free Speech on Campus E-Learning Video Module

hillarya — Sun, 01 Nov 2026 21:07:53 +0000

Help students understand their rights, engage across differences, and participate more confidently in campus life with a flexible, ready-to-use video.

Made with real students on real campuses across the country, this video module uses real-world scenarios to help students understand their free speech rights, engage with those who have different views and participate more confidently in civic life on campus. This new training provides a valuable educational resource that is clear, accurate, and centered on the student perspective.

Learn more.

Benefit Cliffs Can Undermine Workers’ Efforts To Get Ahead, Researchers Say

hillarya — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:54:59 +0000

For low-wage workers, earning more money can sometimes mean losing public benefits that help pay for food, housing, health care and child care. These “benefit cliffs” can leave families worse off financially despite working more hours or taking a higher-paying job. During a webinar hosted by the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Wednesday—and featured in this Spotlight Exclusive—researchers examining the effects of benefit cliffs said the problem is complicated. Although the most extreme cases, in which workers lose virtually all the gains from additional earnings, may be less common than some estimates suggest, benefit rules and administrative hurdles can still discourage work and undermine families’ financial stability. “Benefit phase outs do matter for low-income households,” said Matthew Unrath, an assistant professor at the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy, “Stacking these benefits on top of each other, even when folks aren’t paying much in the way of federal income taxes, really can serve as a work disincentive.”

New Study: Earned Income Tax Credit Improves Housing Security For Childless Young Adults

hillarya — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:51:57 +0000

A new study shows a temporary expansion to the Earned Income Tax Credit improved housing security for young workers who don’t have children. The findings – from researchers at Columbia University and the University of Michigan – have implications for federal and state policymakers looking to reduce hardship for childless workers ages 19 to 24. “Young adults under 24 years old face some of the highest poverty rates of any age group in the U.S. This is a life stage when many people are moving out of their parents’ homes and trying to make a living on their own for the first time. Young childless adults are largely excluded from most social safety net programs, this temporary policy extended benefits to this working population for the first time and our study showed it helped,” said Natasha Pilkauskas, associate director of Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan.

In Their Words: Youth Perspectives on Engaging in Democracy

hillarya — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 17:59:40 +0000

Young people have valuable experiences and perspectives about civic life and democratic participation. Youth’s first-hand knowledge and expertise of the motivations and barriers that shape their generation’s civic engagement should be at the center of all conversations, efforts, and strategies to strengthen young people’s participation.

CIRCLE’s 2026 Youth Expertise Series, In Their Words, is a series of analyses and commentary from young leaders that brings their voices to the forefront. This year, we asked four young people to select from one of the following prompts:

What affects youth civic and political engagement in your community? How can these conditions be addressed to increase youth participation? What helps young people overcome obstacles to being involved? What is effective in mobilizing young leaders?
What kind of expertise do young people in your community have? How can organizations and advocates tap into that knowledge to better serve and improve the community?
How can we establish or improve partnerships between young leaders and non-youth-specific organizations (like election offices or news outlets)?
Do you see your peers struggling with their / their families’ economic situation? How does it affect their civic engagement? What can communities do to support them?
CIRCLE shows many youth don’t like the way U.S. politics is working and want to change it. How do you see youth attitudes about democracy manifesting among your peers? What kind of messages motivate them to participate despite their concerns about democracy?
What are some issues that don’t get a lot of national attention that youth in your community care about a lot? How can organizations tap into that civic interest and energy for youth engagement?

We received over 50 submissions, and selected four incredible writers who have taken on complex and nuanced topics such as local governance and how it affects young people, volunteerism, new models of youth-adult partnerships, and how the local economy can change the trajectories of young people’s lives and economic futures.

Talking About the Midterms: Resources for K-12 Classrooms

hillarya — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 20:35:29 +0000

As the United States prepares to hold the 2026 Midterm elections, you may be having conversations in your classroom about the democratic process, voting access, and how students can engage in civics. We are sharing a range of resources that can help support these conversations.

LEARN: The Impact of Local Voices: A Voting Rights Inquiry

In this lesson created by Veronica Pitts, 2025 Teacher fellow and high school Government and Economics teacher in Selma, Alabama, students will explore how journalism can illuminate voting access issues, especially for Black voters. Students will investigate how modern voting challenges connect to their own community, and create a social media post to raise awareness about voting access.

READ: Read reporting from Pulitzer Center-supported journalists that cover topics relevant to the midterm elections and voter rights.

“Mississippi Voters Keep Getting Wrong Polling Place Information. Experts and Other States Point to Solutions” StoryReach U.S. Fellow Ashton Pittman reporting for the Mississippi Free Press
“Black Voters Changed Charlotte, N.C. Why Is Interest Lagging?” Herbert L. White for The Charlotte Post
“In One Texas Border Town, Politics Is Still Local” 2026 William & Mary Reporting Fellow Melissa Starr for the Pulitzer Center
“What the U.S. Can Learn From How Australia Votes” Daniel Tucker reporting for WBEZ91.5

TAKE CIVIC ACTION

One way all current students in K-12 classrooms can make their voices heard this election season is by participating in the 2026 Local Letters for Global Change contest. Using Pulitzer Center-supported reporting and their own research, students identify solutions, and present them in letters to decision makers with the power to implement them. Winners and finalists will win cash prizes, have their letters published on the Pulitzer Center website, and their letters could inspire real impact. Learn more and enter by Sunday, November 1, 2026.

PANO’s October Community Connector: Fall Learning & Gathering Opps, & More!

hillarya — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 20:23:11 +0000

The PA Association of Nonprofit Organization’s (PANO) October Community Connector includes:

Federal and State Policy Updates
Nonpartisan Voter Engagement: Mail Ballot Deadline + More
PANO’s Policy & Advocacy Action Network (PAAN)
Report from the September 2026 Collaborative Conference – Rooting Deeper, Rising Together
Convene PA: A Gathering for the Common Good
And more…

Read the Community Connector.

New Report: Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund (PEF) Workforce Impact Study

hillarya — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 19:35:42 +0000

A new study from Mathematica on the Early Childhood Pay Equity Fund (PEF) in Washington, D.C. looked at the impact of the nation’s first dedicated public funding stream designed to sustain large compensation increases across a local child care and early education sector. Among the findings: “After two years, the PEF increased compensation in the amounts and patterns expected under the program’s design; strengthened staff attachment to their baseline facilities and facility workforce stability through retention and recruitment; and increased facility staffing primarily in existing licensed capacity, even as fewer centers remained open.”

Community Governance Is Critical for Better Data-Informed Decisions

hillarya — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 21:26:32 +0000

When the people most affected by a problem are treated as sources of credible evidence, are able to govern how the information they share is used, and can ultimately guide decisions, it helps ensure that dominant institutions are less likely to misdiagnose problems, invest in ineffective solutions, or create programs people can’t use. Community governance practices make this possible, and they are available to any nonprofit or group that wants to build stronger relationships with the people they serve. Leaders from across the United States share their insights in this new article, part of an ongoing series on transforming data for equity and justice.

Annual Impact Report FY 2026: Division of Impact and Community Engagement, Rutgers Camden

hillarya — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 20:34:58 +0000

Demonstrating our public mission and anchor institution value through authentic, trust-based Relational Impact across Camden and South Jersey, the Division of Impact and Community Engagement (DICE) brings together pre-college educational access, civic learning, publicly engaged scholarship, campus culture, and strategic partnerships to educate, engage, and empower students and communities.

Higher education is increasingly challenged to demonstrate not only the quality of the education it provides, but also the value it creates for society. For Rutgers University-Camden, that responsibility has always been central to who we are. As an anchor institution in Camden, our success is deeply connected to the success of our students, our neighbors, and the South Jersey region.

New National Survey Results Detail Prevalence of Youth Service in America’s K-12 Schools

hillarya — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:22:12 +0000

As we begin A New Era of Youth Service in America and work towards our goal of doubling youth participation over the next 10 years, it’s important that we know where we’re starting from.

One way we’ll track our progress is through surveys of school principals to track the prevalence of youth service and participation in America’s K-12 schools. Youth Service America (YSA) last did this survey in 2022 about the 2021-2022 academic year, and repeated it this year about the 2025-2026 academic year.

Proximity over Prestige: Community Colleges’ Hidden Civic Advantage

hillarya — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:10:44 +0000

Civic engagement might seem easier at a large university at first glance, but all you need is a community willing to step up and make their voices heard together. Colin Howell shares how his civic engagement experience at Raritan Valley Community College was more fruitful than he imagined. In fact, Colin argues that community colleges have an advantage over larger colleges when it comes to being civically involved: proximity.

CITY OF PHILADELPHIA- MEDICAID CHANGES

hillarya — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:43:52 +0000

Dear Community Leaders,

In continued partnership and with deep appreciation for the work you do every single day, I am writing to you about significant federal changes that will soon affect some Philadelphians. Under the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), passed on July 4, 2025, states must implement major changes to Medicaid, also known as Medical Assistance (MA). Major changes include:

Starting January 1, 2027, some adults ages 19-64 will need to have their Medicaid eligibility checked by completing a renewal every six months instead of every year.
Beginning January 1, 2027, some adults ages 19-64 who do not have dependent children under 14 years old must show they are meeting monthly work and/or community engagement requirements. This will be reviewed during application and renewal.
On October 1, 2026, Medicaid eligibility rules changed for people with certain immigration statuses. Medicaid recipients who must meet work and community engagement rules started to hear from PA DHS about these requirements in September 2026. Immigrants impacted by rule changes received letters from PA DHS over the summer.

The City of Philadelphia is actively facilitating priority working groups to minimize the impact of the changes to Medicaid. There are things your organization can do now that will greatly benefit Medicaid recipients! Here are action steps you can take to help community members prepare for the upcoming changes:

Please complete the One Philly Medicaid Access Survey. Help the City of Philadelphia gain base level understanding of your familiarity of future Medicaid changes and whether your organization can partner with the City to prepare Philadelphians to meet the new rules and remain in compliance.
Encourage community members who may not know about these changes to update their address.
Community members can log in to COMPASS at dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS or the myCOMPASS PA mobile app to check and update your address and other contact information.
Report address changes to the US Postal Service. If a community member updates their address in COMPASS, they must also report address changes to the US Postal Service to ensure they receive mail from PA DHS. Visit USPS.com/move to update address.
Sign up for texts and emails from DHS. Visit dhs.pa.gov/text to sign up for texts and emails to get even faster notifications about benefits.

Learn more:

Learn more at dhs.pa.gov/MedicaidChanges or call the H.R. 1 FAQ Line at 1-877-883-6383.
Subscribe to PA DHS Human Services Helpers
Please utilize this flyer, as well as CBH’s Keep Your Coverage Toolkit to access printable palm cards, posters and flyers.
See the City’s new landing page where information will be updated: City of Philadelphia Changes coming to Medicaid: What you need to know!
See this Community Legal Service’s webpage to learn about changes to immigrant eligibility and how to file an appeal.

These steps unite our collective work to make sure no one in our care falls through the cracks. Thank you for your partnership.

Policy Briefing: The Child Care And Development Fund – Advancing Parental Choice, Employment, And Economic Self-Sufficiency

hillarya — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 17:00:34 +0000

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), also known as the Child Care and Development Block Grant, is the federal–state flagship program that provides child care assistance to families with low incomes who need to work. In 2023, it supported 994,000 US families so parents could afford to work or attend school and helped 1.6 million children receive the care they need to stay safe and support their healthy development.

Why This Matters

Operating as a block grant, states have the flexibility to determine the policies and practices that best reflect their priorities for families within broad federal parameters. However, despite strong evidence of its effectiveness as a key work support, current funding levels enable states to serve only 16 percent of families who are eligible under federal law, or 20 percent of those eligible under the tighter state guidelines.

This brief highlights 25 years of Urban research that has demonstrated the critical role CCDF policies and practices can play, not only in helping parents work and attend school while keeping their children safe but also in supporting parental choice by helping parents access a range of caregivers, setting provider payment levels and policies that encourage provider participation, and establishing family-friendly policies that stabilize the lives of children and families.

Chicago Students Investigate the Impacts of Lead Poisoning in Oakland and in Their Own Community

hillarya — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:25:37 +0000

Catherine Yackee is a high school Social Science educator at Brooks College Prep in Chicago, IL. Yackee created the lesson plan “Using GIS To Track Lead Levels in Chicago” as a part of the Spring 2025 Teacher Fellowship for alumni, “Global Issues, Local Contexts: News for Civic Knowledge and Engagement.” Her lesson reached 75 students. At the conclusion of the fellowship, Yackee shared reflections on her experience developing and teaching the lesson.

What is the focus of your lesson plan, and why did you write this lesson for your community?

The focus of the research is on lead exposure. I became curious about the Chicago lead situation after reading the articles about Oakland. Chicago was an Industrial Revolution city. Even though most of the industry has long since departed, the pollution remains. This issue is particularly important for the area around the school because the South Side of Chicago was a hub for this industrialization. Over the past few years, there have been efforts to clean up the heavy metals left behind. This issue is near to my heart because I know many people who have died from various cancers that could only have been caused by environmental factors.

Supporting youth enrichment and well-being in West Philadelphia schools

hillarya — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 17:20:37 +0000

Graduate student Madison McTier helps young students in local public schools improve social skills, emotional regulation, and self-advocacy through her role on the Netter Center for Community Partnerships’ school-based mental health and supportive services team.

Before pursuing a master’s degree in School and Mental Health Counseling at Penn’s Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE), Madison McTier spent five years teaching science to high school students in Philadelphia. This role shaped her interest in the systemic factors affecting how children learn and behave in school. Although she was teaching science, McTier often found herself facilitating social and emotional learning (SEL), or guiding students in emotional management and interpersonal communication.

“I really care about the structural barriers that are shaping early development,” McTier says, “especially in under-resourced communities, and how unaddressed trauma can affect kids.”

Since summer 2025, McTier has served on the Netter Center for Community Partnerships’ school-based mental health and supportive services team as part of Netter’s summer opportunities initiative, which recruits Penn students to support summer enrichment programming for youth at University-assisted community schools in West Philadelphia. Placed at the Andrew Hamilton School as an SEL associate, McTier provides tailored counseling support to students based on needs identified by school staff. She continued working at Hamilton in the 2025-26 academic year, building long-term relationships with students and faculty.

Realizing Penn’s Civic Mission in Practice: Perspectives from Netter Center Alumni

hillarya — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 17:17:01 +0000

Watch the video highlights from “Realizing Penn’s Civic Mission in Practice: Perspectives from Netter Center Alumni,” Netter’s alumni panel on May 16, 2026.

Speakers:

Ira Harkavy, C’70, GR’79, PAR’01, PAR’06, Barbara and Edward Netter Director
Adam Cohen, C’16, Associate at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Affordable Housing and Community Development Group
Tamara Dubowitz, C’96 G’00 PAR’27 PAR’30, Professor and Chair, Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health Donna
Walker James, C’86 GED’90, Executive Director, Computer CORE
David J. Rice, MD, C’01, General and Robotic Surgeon, Atrium Health
Jessica Donner, C’96, Executive Director, Every Hour Counts; Netter Center National Advisory Board member [moderator]

Watch the video here.

New Article: Community Schools History

hillarya — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 17:01:03 +0000

What makes a school a community school?

In this brief article for Principal Leadership, Ira Harkavy, Cory Bowman, Richard M. Gordon IV (former principal of Robeson High School and current assistant superintendent), and Rita A. Hodges discuss the origins and development of community schools, as well as identify the major models, including University-Assisted Community Schools (UACS).

Read the full article here.