It's a question that pops out during a ride in the car, at the dinner table, through a recently-slammed door after a fight about finishing up homework: "What good is all this stuff I'm learning in school going to do me in the real world?" Programs that make a strong, direct connection between school learning and future career options can be powerfully motivating for students, even those who eventually choose a different path. Gayle Hargreaves reports on one such program that introduces teens to museum careers.

The mission of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is to improve the health, safety, education, economic security, and development of Rhode Island's children.

Over the past two years, many states tried to balance their budgets by increasing sales and excise taxes, which disproportionately burden low-income working families. At the same time, advocates struggled to improve state Earned Income Tax Credit policies to give these families tax relief. 2005 may offer opportunities to create effective state EITCs, according to this State EITC study. The report summarizes advocacy efforts in Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah, and offers strategies for all states.

Issue Areas:
Adolescent and Youth Development
Data and Trends
Employment and Career Raediness
Family and Parenting
Foster Care
Juvenile Justice
Life Skills
Mentoring
Minority Youth
Model Practices and Policies