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

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.

Does the Built Environment Influence Physical Activity?

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 08:57:50 -0600

This National Academies' Transportation Research Board report explores the link between the "built" environment—buildings, roads, parks, and other structures that
physically define a community—and physical activity levels.

Pollution and Birthweight

Wed, 19 Jan 2005 14:25:25 -0600

Pregnant women living in highly polluted areas more likely to deliver low-birthweight infants, according to a study published in the January 2005 issue of Pediatrics. Kaisernetwork.org summarizes the findings.

The Rat Pack: Kids, Poison and Politics

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:40:15 -0500

Has the EPA gone soft on manufacturers of rat poison? Between 2001 and 2003, the American Association of Poison Control Centers reported nearly 60,000 cases nationwide of poisonings by rodenticides (with 250 serious outcomes, including death) -- more than for any other pesticide.

Dealing With Diabetes: A Community-Based Approach

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:39:36 -0500

When two community organizations in Detroit -- one geared towards Latino families on the southwest side of town, and another centered on the needs of African American families on the east side -- took on a joint public health project, the results reached beyond the realm of health. Cecilia Garcia explains.