Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - Environment

Study Indicates Witnessing Violence Harms Children's Health

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:11:56 -0500

Witnessing violence in high-crime urban areas could increase levels a hormone in young children that could cause long-term health problems such as diabetes and heart disease, researchers said.

In California, Families Win Pesticide Buffer Zone

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:54:57 -0600

In Tulare County, California, residents are breathing -- not to mention working, learning and playing -- a little easier after a coalition of concerned families pushed for regulations that create a quarter-mile buffer zone between pesticide spraying and schools, residential neighborhoods, preschools and farm labor camps. This Grassroots Snapshot from the Children's Advocate has the scoop on their success.

Going Green: The Vital Role of Community Colleges in Building a Green Workforce

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:41:06 -0600

Thousands of workers will be needed to fill *green* jobs as the United States moves toward a low-carbon and more sustainable future. A new AED report argues that community colleges are positioning themselves to play a pivotal role in preparing a green workforce.

America's Health Starts With Healthy Children

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:57:23 -0600

How does our social, economic and physical environment affect our health? And how close are our kids to reaching "optimal health"? A new Robert Wood Johnson Foundation chartbook looks at children from different socioeconomic backgrounds in every state to document how healthy our nation's children are now and how healthy they could be -- if we as a nation were realizing our full health potential.

Engaging Youth on the Environment

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:06:05 -0500

Located just a few blocks away from the U.S. Capitol, the Earth Conservation Corps is far removed from the world of legislators, lobbyists and policymakers. ECC provides a striking example of a program that engages young people in protecting the environment while learning valuable lessons about life in the process. CFK intern Kate Carta profiled the organization.

Grassroots How-To: S.F. Parents Win Cleaner School Buses

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:59:00 -0500

Asthma is a large and growing health problem for kids. So San Francisco parents are breathing easier now that city school buses are using new air filters to reduce asthma-inducing pollutants. This article by Elisa Gahng from the January-February 2006 issue of the Children's Advocate explains how parents pushed for the change.

Pediatricians Caution about Returning Children to the Flood Areas

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:45:08 -0500

Children are especially vulnerable to environmental hazards, and that means care should be taken in returning them to areas that have been flooded by the recent hurricanes, says the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Coping & Support Strategies for Kids in Katrina's Aftermath

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:38:32 -0500

Transcript of live chat (9/21/2005)

For kids—both those directly and indirectly affected by the storm—there is still much coping left to do and a lot of support still needed. How can adults help children through this stressful time? For the latest ConnectforKids.org free online chat on September 21 at 1 p.m. ET, we're connecting our audience with two experts who will answer questions on a variety of coping and support strategies for children, youth and families.

Indicators of Children's Well Being

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:33:54 -0500

CFK reports from: The Library of Congress
Event: The Education Policy Forum
Organized by: The American Educational Research Association, and The Institute for Educational Leadership
Where/When: Washington DC, Friday, September 9, 2005

Members of various child advocacy organizations congregated at a monthly forum hosted by The American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) to discuss the findings and implications of Children: Key National Indicators of Well Being, 2005.

Hurricanes 2005: Resources

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:31:43 -0500

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Connect for Kids has pulled together online resources for helping those affected. We’ve divided them into three sections: Emergency Guidelines for Helping Victims looks at how government agencies are developing procedures for helping the displaced; Giving & Getting Help is a compilation of information on donating and volunteering, also on help available to those affected; and Help with Healing offers information on supporting kids and families dealing with trauma related to Katrina. We expect to update this resource frequently.

What Grows from Groundwater?

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:55:01 -0500

Groundwater might not sound like the most exciting source for learning. But thanks to new efforts led by Lincoln, Nebraska's Groundwater Foundation, hundreds of kids nationwide are getting interested in the environment and working to protect it. Rob Capriccioso reports.

A Ban on Tan?

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:32:00 -0500

A new survey finds that many teens know the risks, but still want a tan. Rob Capriccioso interviews Dr. Darrell S. Rigel, M.D., who led the survey effort, on his findings and the implications.

Mercury Toolkit: Information, Advice and Action Steps

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:56:25 -0500

With the EPA's announcement of new rules to limit the amount of mercury pollution from power plants, there's renewed attention to the dangers mercury poses. Children are especially vulnerable. Connect for Kids has pulled together resources on mercury dangers, how to protect kids and families, and how to get involved in the issue.

Teens & Town Work to Preserve Wetlands

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:46:00 -0500

It's small, soggy, and froggy. Wetlands Estonoa is also the centerpiece of an award-winning environmental preservation and education program in the little mountain town of St. Paul, Virginia. D.J. Mathews reports that it was St. Paul's teens who put Estonoa on the map.

Air Pollution and Children's Health

Wed, 02 Feb 2005 11:28:27 -0600

The nation's first large-scale study of the effects of long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution in children found evidence that pollution reduces children's lung growth and function, and increases the incidence and severity of asthma. Kids who move out of high-pollution areas show improved lung function growth rates, indicating that small improvement in air quality can have immediate benefits.