Wouldn't you know it? Just as I'm finishing packing up my office, ready for my new adventure, I get an email from Dr. Twila Liggett, the creator of PBS's Reading Rainbow. One of the first stories I reported for CFK surrounded funding challenges at the program. The show is still in desperate need of support, so it's producers have created an important Web site called http://www.savereadingrainbow.org.

From the site:

Sponsors and potential sponsors of the program don't understand the significant viewer-ship and support the show enjoys - and without their support, production of Reading Rainbow will stop! Reading Rainbow is in dire need of funds to produce new shows for the series. Without new episodes, this wonderful series WILL go off the air thus cutting off access to fantastic books, on-location experiences and LeVar Burton's magic for countless children, their parents and teachers.

Unfortunately, many would-be sponsors and corporations are unaware of the problem. We need to demonstrate to corporate sponsors that there is real interest in saving the show. By signing up, you are joining a growing community of supporters. The larger our community of supporters is, the more the sponsors will be encouraged to continue their support and not to pull the plug on this quality program. With your support, we can save this show.

The site offers a place for you to take action as well as to buy merchandise in support of the program. Please take a moment to get involved and make a difference. It's what Connect for Kids is all about.

I started working for Connect for Kids back in May 2003. My first day on the job actually happened to fall during a staff retreat at Jan Richter’s farm in rural Madison County, Virginia. My initial thoughts, as Jan handed over some homemade jam, were, “Who exactly are these people—and what makes them tick?”

I’ve learned a lot about their inner tickings over the past 2 ½ years. Jan, CFK’s Advocacy Director, is a busybody in the best sense of the word. Her phone can ring at any hour, and she’s always ready to connect the players who can make good things happen for children. She cares immensely about kids—and her dedication is infectious. She’s shared countless books, ideas and even chocolates with me, all of which I’ve greatly appreciated.

Meanwhile, underneath her calm exterior, Cecilia Garcia, CFK’s Executive Director, is a crusader for social justice. Whenever I write about American Indian issues, she’s quick to ask me questions—always searching for answers to making the world a better place for the disenfranchised. Plus, she’s more than willing to share the wisdom that she’s learned as a result of her own experiences. And because we both hail from Michigan, we have shared many a laugh about the Detroit political scene.

Jeremy Isett, CFK’s Webmaster, is also pretty good at making me laugh. Once, I saw him accidentally push two wine corks into the bottle over the course of one evening, which made me marvel all the more at his technical skillfulness within the ever-changing land of Web sites. In his time with CFK, Jeremy has made the site so much better—easier to navigate, more functional, and a thousand times prettier. I can’t wait to see what he does in the future.

Then there’s my editor, Susan Phillips. I think it’s safe to say that we’re both pretty headstrong, so I wondered at first how we’d get along. I am happy to report that we have worked exceptionally well together. She has often amazed me when I’d turn in copy that looked pretty good to me, but then she’d find countless ways to make it sharper and better organized. I think that Susan’s strong commitment to her own family and friends have inspired her work in many ways. I have been lucky to work with her.

During my time here, Caitlin Johnson, Carlos Birdsong and several others have also helped make CFK sparkle. I’ve loved getting to know all of you.

Unlike many Washington, D.C. organizations that I know of, above all this staff believes in working as a team—which is why it’s bittersweet to be leaving the team. I will soon become a reporter with Inside Higher Ed, covering higher education issues on a daily basis. While I’m excited by the challenges that this new adventure will entail, it will be hard to forget the special ticks of my CFK family. Let me just say that you’re lucky to have them.

If you’d like to stay in touch with me, you can reach me at robertcap@gmail.com.

I heard a report on NPR this morning about scientists who've measured the amounts of bacteria and germs at various places in a couple of schools--with gross results. They found more -- lots more -- bacteria on drinking fountains and on several lunchroom trays than on most toilet seats.

NPR noted that many teachers are helping kids become better educated about disease and its causes. Some children today are even encouraged to bring anti-bacterial hand sanitizer to class with them. (What a big change from my elementary school days when I only had those stiff brown paper towels to clean up my messes).

My concern here is that adults aren't doing enough to help kids understand that not all bacteria is bad bacteria. When most antibacterial soaps and sanitizers are applied, almost all bacteria is killed. When you hear about dirty drinking fountains and lunch trays that might not sound so bad, right?

The problem is that people are using so many antibacterial products (including antibiotics prescribed by some doctors for illnesses that the drugs aren’t intended to treat) that doctors now have to use stronger and stronger medicines to treat bacterial infections. These stronger drugs also kill lots of good bacteria that live inside our bodies that help keep us healthy.

As far as the germs children encounter in schools, medical evidence proves that a good hand-washing suffices in killing most harmful bacteria.

Yes, it's gross that lunch trays are dirtier than toilet seats. But it's also gross to think of a world where serious bacterial infections can no longer be treated.

The CDC offers a Web page dedicated to action plans for combating antibiotic and antimicrobial resistance. I'm going to check it out after I wash my hands. This keyboard is probably festering with germs.

In recent years, public funding for school arts programs has dramatically decreased. Boy, did my mom know all about that when I was in A.P. Art in high school. For the big end of the year art show, it was important (at least to Mr. Marshall, my favorite art teacher) that student masterpieces were matted and framed in order to properly highlight our efforts. My school didn't have extra dollars lying around for this artsy kind of thinking, so luckily parents like my mom were able to foot some of the bill--along with quite a few bucks that came directly from Mr. Marshall's pockets.

A new report by the Foundation Center and Grantmakers in the Arts indicates that foundation funding for arts education has picked up some of the slack in recent years. According to the report, foundations have contributed to a wide range of projects for kids of all ages -- from incorporating the arts into school curriculum, to expanding arts education facilities, to supporting the education of emerging artists, to advancing programs that foster a life-long appreciation of the arts for all age groups.

Foundation support for childhood art education programs grew faster than arts giving overall between 1999 and 2003. In 2003, programs serving youth received over 40 percent of the $208.8 million given for arts education by the biggest U.S. foundations.

I hope that I can deduce from this info that the pockets of teachers like Mr. Marshall have a little more money in them today. Because they deserve it.

On the evolution front, journalist Chris Mooney has been all over the place, promoting his new book on politics and science. I've seen him argue that all too often when evolution is covered by political writers, it is framed almost on an even playing field as creationism or intelligent design. The reporter's job is to cover both sides of a story, right? Wrong, says Mooney, because when the science is there to back up one side of argument, it's not fair to cover the issue like a political horse race.

When I saw this weekend that the Washington Post did a big story on the scientific validity of evolution, I wondered what Mooney's reaction would be. I didn't have to wait long. He blogs today: “How science writers cover evolution: A stunning and magnificent example today comes from Rick Weiss and David Brown in the Post. Their piece starts with the latest science demonstrating the validity of evolutionary theory, and only then uses this background information to frame the legal and political battle set in Pennsylvania....what a breath of fresh air.”

So, Chris is happy...Are you?

We just got word from the Children's Aid Society that last Saturday hundreds of East Harlem residents marched from 116th Street to the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building on 125th Street to raise awareness of asthma. Two students from the Children’s Aid Society’s Community School P.S. 50 in East Harlem served as co-grand marshals for the march. Mariah George and Brianna Byers, both 12-year-old 6th graders, are working to raise kids' awareness of asthma and its triggers. Their community has one of the highest asthma rates in the nation.

The effort may not have taken the form of an asthma mobile, but it's still a job well done. What's your community doing about asthma?

A new article from Inside Higher Ed indicates that some campus groups at the University of Michigan that have never engaged in terrorist activities have been monitored by the government as if they were terror threats.

"Using the Freedom of Information Act, the ACLU obtained a Federal Bureau of Investigation report on a 2002 meeting involving the FBI, the Michigan State police and other law enforcement agencies to discuss groups in Michigan 'thought to be involved in terrorist activities,'" reports Scott Jaschik.

By Any Means Necessary (BAMN), a University of Michigan group that defends affirmative action policies, was one such group. The report doesn't explain why the group was targeted as a possible terrorist organization.

The reader comments on Jaschik's article have been eye-opening. Said R.A.S., "Those of us from the political middle in Michigan have watched with concern, the action of BAMN. Not their constintutional (sic) right to free speech — what sometimes happens at their demonstrations (which may, or may not, involve their members). Shouting. Screaming. Fist-shaking. Pushing. Shoving. I’ve personally witnessed BAMN’s demonstrations and I’ve wondered if violence is going to break out."

Gerry Mats, a professor at University of Calgary, responded, "Ah and so it goes. As our liberties are drained away little by little, the educated elite stand by and say, well, they were 'pushing' and 'shoving.' Why not bring the entire police and military apparatus to bear on the issue of affirmative action? After all, they might be harboring some terrorist sympathies."

A University of Michigan grad, I can tell you that I've seen BAMN up close. And my hunch is that Mats is on to something.

While researching last week's Building Community for Deaf Parents and their Hearing Kids, I heard a lot about a young man named Frank Gallimore. His mom, Laurene Simms, is a professor at Washington, D.C.'s Gallaudet University and the director of the school's deaf education program. Both of his parents are deaf, as is his older brother and sister.

"I am the only hearing member of my immediate family," explains Gallimore. "My mother's family is all hearing but deafness has run in my father's line for at least four generations (that we know of). In each generation of families in my father's line there has been only one hearing child among deaf siblings and parents. That's one of the little odd things about my lineage I haven't quite figured out yet. For example, my father has one hearing brother. My grandfather had five siblings, only one of whom was hearing, and so on."

Now 26, Gallimore also works at Gallaudet University as a sign language interpreter. One of his favorite pastimes has been creating freelance commerical artwork for CODA (Children of Deaf Adults) and KODA (Kids of Deaf Adults) publications. On and off, he has worked on a "KODA, That" comic strip--many folks I interviewed for my story seem to really get a kick out of his observations.

"I was inspired by my cousin Sheila, who is also a CODA, as well as by many of the other CODAs I have come to know and befriend over my life," he says. "I noticed that there was very little literature, art, or study involving the CODA experience specifically. So I thought I'd take a stab at it."

After some positive feedback from other CODAs and other members of the Deaf community, Gallimore has decided to put together a book of strips, including some longer, in-color, comic book style stories. As he is now entering grad school for creative writing at Johns Hopkins, he isn't sure how long the book will take to complete. In the mean time, though, he has graciously offered to answer any questions from CFK readers about his work and/or his life as a CODA. His email address is: fgallimore@hotmail.com

Here's some more of his work:

I have a confession to make. Before my brother was born, I was a desperate lad. We had just moved into a new area of town that I swear had no kids within a five-block radius. I was bored out of my mind sometimes. So, I took to dressing up broomsticks. Then, I'd stick their handles deep down in my sandbox where they could be my constant playmates. When David was finally born and more families with kids moved into the neighborhood, the broomsticks went into the closet, and I was pretty happy.

The brooms definitely weren't invisible friends, but they certainly were imaginary ones. A new project by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is what got me thinking all about the whys and hows of my old imaginary playmates. Espen Klausen, a doctoral student in psychology at the school, is working with Professor Richard H. Passman, to better understand the effects of imaginary friends on the children who dream them up.

"We've seen it in parenting magazines: 'Having imaginary companions are good for kids.' That's my gut feeling too, but there's not enough research to support that statement yet," Klausen says in a new press release. He indicates that until recently, data on this topic has always been has been retrospective -- older children or young adults are asked to remember their experiences.

Instead, he's going to take the topic directly to kids. Children in his study will be asked to invite their imaginary pals into a playroom with them. An additional chair will be provided. In cases where the imaginary companion "didn't come along," the child will be asked if they would like to call them on a toy phone.

"Once we know more, the next question will be, 'Are there times in which you'll want to encourage your child to consult his imaginary companion?" says Klausen. "That's an important question because it will mean that children may be using their mind to understand the idea of another person having a different perspective."

The researchers are seeking mothers and their 3- to 4-year-olds -- whether or not they have imaginary companions -- to participate in the study. Parents can contact Klausen at 414-229-5941 or eklausen@uwm.edu

I recently had the opportunity to attend the Native American Journalists (NAJA) convention in Lincoln, Nebraska. I was happy to see several young Indians pursuing their writing, radio and television dreams. Studies have found that American Indian voices are vastly underrepresented in mainstream media outlets throughout the country, so the fact that NAJA has taken steps in recent years to include and foster youth voices is especially appealing.

Aspiring high school journalist Neil Chaparro, a member of the Northern Ponca Tribe who attends Fremont High School in Nebraska, told me that he plans to go to college to study journalism. During a Project Phoenix Rising Voices workshop before the convention, he wrote articles on Indian activists like Leonard Peltier, and the ability for Native Americans to succeed in journalism. The NAJA program is intended to help high school students learn the basics of news writing and photojournalism.

“Politicians need to try harder to understand Native issues—that should be one of their top priorities, I think,” said Chaparro. Aiding in that process, he told me that he hopes to better inform his peers about Native issues by writing for the school paper this year.

If you know of young American Indians in your community who might have an interest in getting involved with NAJA, please send me an email: rob@connectforkids.org